From Innings to Tannins
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WINE an Botham never had a business This page: The 81 Series is been so determined,” Botham laughs. card. “I’ve never needed one,” he named after Botham’s But Botham was right. This year the tells me, reaching into his pocket. legendary performance in the Chardonnay was placed in the definitive “But it felt great when I was sent 1981 Ashes test series Top 100 Australian Wines List by Opposite top: Botham leading critic and Australia expert, these”. He hands it over: “Sir Ian celebrates his match-winning I Botham, Winemaker”. performance in the Matthew Jukes. He may be a cricket legend, the Headingley test match, , 1981 It’s a pugnacious, determined world’s greatest living all-rounder, confidence familiar to anyone who charity fundraiser, and respected followed Botham’s first career in cricket. commentator, but these days he wants Or his second career as a commentator. you to know that he makes wine. He remains one of the greatest all- The love affair started when Botham rounders of all time, with 5,200 Test became a professional cricketer. “I was Match runs and 383 Test wickets. His introduced to wine by John Arlott, when Botham Series wines recall those Tests, I was about 16 years old, at Somerset. particularly the ’81 (Shiraz) where he John was reporting on the game from this was Man of the Series, scored 399 runs, rickety commentary box. Because I was took 34 wickets, held 12 catches and the new kid in the club, and I wasn’t captained only the second side in playing, the secretary asked me to take history to recover from following on to Mr Arlott’s basket up to him. When I got win a Test (with bookmakers offering there, John asked me to open it and take odds of 500/1 against them), eventually FROM INNINGS everything out. There were bottles of recovering The Ashes. wine, including a Beaujolais Nouveau.” He’s still an uncompromising voice It was the beginning not only of in cricket. At a recent wine event hosted TO TANNINS a love of wine (“A passion,” says Ian) at the Australian High Commission in Sir Ian Botham, English cricket’s greatest but something Botham shared with London, Botham pulled no punches Arlott. “That day John told me all about about the return to the game of Steve all-rounder, tells Joe Fattorini why he’s how Beaujolais Nouveau was very short Smith and Dave Warner at this year’s leaving the pitch to concentrate on his lived. And about the Beaujolais run into World Cup after using sandpaper on the other great passion – wine producing, London. That was my first introduction ball. “I hate cheating, and that’s what to wine. A few days later we were on the they did. They cheated” working with Australia’s best winemakers same train up to London and we got On stage, Botham cheerfully answers talking again.” And they never stopped. all the cricket questions. Yet off stage Arlott introduced Botham to French one of his friends says, “He’ll always wine, and Botham returned the favour answer the questions, but I know he gets by introducing Arlott to Australian a bit frustrated. He just wants to talk wine. Not always to Arlott’s delight. “He about wine these days. It’s his passion. was very set in his ways,” Botham says. He’ll talk about the cricket. But he Botham certainly had plenty of always wants to bring it back to wine.” chances to learn about Australian wine Australia’s most celebrated winemakers, Soon he’ll have his chance. Botham as a cricketer. “I was talking to Bob many whom he’s known for years. They “I was introduced points out that this Ashes Series will be Willis recently and we agreed we played include Geoff Merrill, who has worked to wine by John his “last involvement in cricket Test cricket in the right era. In our day, with him to blend an intense and commentating”. And now it’s not just we’d play Thursday, Friday and focussed Cabernet Sauvignon from the Arlott when I was him, as winemaking is a family Saturday and then go out to have a Barossa Valley for one of his top-tier about 16 years old” business. At the BBC Good Food Show decent drink on a Saturday night. A few ‘Sir Ian Botham’ wines. Botham also has last year, a visitor came up to the Sir Ian of us would recover on Sunday and visit a range of regional specialities under his Botham Wines stand and asked the rep wineries and then come back to play the ‘Series’ label, and critically-acclaimed if Ian was “really involved, or just put final two days on Monday and Tuesday.” entry-level wines under the ‘All- told him I thought it needed another his names on the wine?” “Oh I can Australia was where Botham’s love Rounder’ label. six months in the barrel. You know, to assure you my husband is very much of wine took flight and it’s where he Each has been a true partnership. round it out, make it a bit broader. More involved,” replied the rep, Lady (Kath) spends six months of the year today. Botham met Marty Edwards of The Lane like the style of Chardonnay I like to Botham. “But if you have any technical It was natural that it would be where Vineyard in a hotel lobby in Adelaide, drink.” This was a bold request. questions, you might have to ask my Sir Ian Botham Wines was born. He’s where Marty was armed with three Marty Edwards isn’t just an award- daughter,”, motioning to Sara. “She’s quick to distance himself from the idea different barrel samples for him to try. winning winemaker in his own right, more of an expert there”. The last time of a “celebrity wine… where someone The first two weren’t right at all. “But he famed for a linear, focussed style of we meet, Sara and her (wine merchant) just puts their name on the side of did that deliberately, because the third wine. His first career was in the husband Darren have just had their baby something they’ve bottled from a tank was absolutely delicious,” Botham Australian Special Boat Service. “If I’d Arthur. It’s possible Arthur will grow up that nobody else wanted”. To make his remembers. Even so, while it was known I was talking to a former member talking about his “winemaker grandad… range, he’s collaborated with some of delicious, it was not quite right. “So I of the Special Forces, I might not have Sir Ian Botham”. 58 59 BOISDALELIFE.COM BOISDALELIFE.COM SUMMER 2019 ISSUE 16 SUMMER 2019 ISSUE 16.