M'aidez!

I’ve been feeling a bit subdued today. It seems such a long time ago that I was able to party like a demon, fuelled only by cheap fizz and a bag of crisps. A couple of hours of frantic fumbling on a lumpy futon, then I was up, fresh-faced and ready for a full day’s work.

Last night I sat at a restaurant table all evening, eating a delicious Lebanese meal and drinking wine in a very civilised manner. I was home by midnight, did not indulge in any bedroom gymnastics, and slept soundly in a comfy bed.

So how come my face looks like it needs a good ironing?

I don’t often go out midweek (or at weekends for that matter), and now I know why. It seems that unless I get at least eight hours sleep, I can’t function properly. Maybe my body is still trying to rectify the sleep deficit I incurred when the kids were babies. I know for a fact that my jaw hasn’t recovered properly from that time. I did so much yawning in those days, that I nearly dislocated it, and it still has a tendency to “click out” if I am chewing a particularly combative piece of toffee.

I suppose feeling knackered is a small price to pay for attending the Wine Dinner last night, where all the wines were from Chateau Musar in the Lebanon. They are very interesting wines, and the story of producing them in a war zone is fascinating. There were several reds of varying vintages, all remarkably different in character (I thought the Chateau Musar 2000 was outstanding). There was also a white, which was so unusual that it almost tasted like a red. We started, though, with a rosé which was unlike any rosé I’ve ever tasted. Despite the sugary promise of its pale salmon pink colour, it was bone dry, like a fino sherry. It was a bit like taking a sip of what you think is lemonade, only to find out that it’s tonic water – not unpleasant, just unexpected (although I suppose I would be pretty hacked off if someone replaced my G&T with a lemonade).

You can buy Chateau Musar 1999 at Ocado for £13.99, and Majestic for £14.99, but the 2000 is not being released until the end of May. I am SO ahead of the game! I suppose it’s a bit sad that the only thing of which I can claim to have my “finger on the pulse” is Lebanese wine, but never mind. I suppose I should be grateful that I can still feel a pulse.