Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Like Bond’s taste in wine, Primitivo has licence to thrill
Ididn’t have to think too hard to find a way to work Sean Connery into this week’s column. Bond always drank the best of gear – whether it was fine wine or classic cocktails. I’m probably one of the few people who enjoyed his references to booze as much as the gadgets.
I was always a little gutted though when he would occasionally be heard telling some evil genuis with an extensive cellar how he preferred the ’68 to the ’67.
The glass of some rare Bordeaux was invariably sipped j ust once before being left on the table while said genius scowled at the lack of appreciation of his Haut-brion.
But the scene that sprung to mind when news broke of Sean’s passing was the one in the train dining carriage in From Russia With Love.
In it, the bad guy, played by the wonderful Robert Shaw, gives the game away with a poor wine choice.
Bond treats himself by ordering Blancs de Blancs – sure why wouldn’t you have a glass of Champers with the dinner?!
But Red Grant asks for Chianti, to which th e wait er says “whit e Chianti?” and Red replies he wants the red.
The whole episode is quite odd as I can’t find any reference to white Chianti other than the fact you are permitted to add a small amount of white grapes to red Chianti.
Later on Bond tells yer man it was this poor choice that gave him away as a SPECTRE agent before they have a scrap in which a well-equipped briefcase comes in handy.
Things have moved on and no one
threw me off a train this week when I’d a glass of a lovely Primitivo with a fish pie. In fairness, it was left over from when I’d opened it for the last bit of outdoor barbecuing of the year.
Lamb rump chops, with all that crisped up fat, brushed with rosemary and garlic, were as harmonious a convergence as you could ask for with the sweet, juicy cherry and rhubarb belter that was Pasqua Lush and Zin Primitivo.
Not only was the wine gorgeous, it had a really nice label. Also notable, I thought, was how they used what I assume is a “Sin” and “Zin” pun given t h e Ameri c a n s c a l l P r i mi t iv o Zinfandel, but the Italians do not.