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25 March 2020

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Hail HOME Bottlers!

Dark days and difficult measures, wherever you find yourself, I wish you and yours the best. We may all be isolating right now, but here I am in your inbox, delighted to see just how positively we have all been using communication channels. 

I’ve been keeping busy with a daily self isolation video diary for Mail Plus. It’s a brand new 14 part series which you can watch for free online here: Mail Plus - Olly's Isolation Diary.

It’s a welcome focus to the day for which I’m grateful. See what you make of it - and if you have any suggestions for episodes, get in touch!  I'm keeping up my weekly column for Event in the Mail on Sunday and my two brand new shows  on Mail+ Olly’s Trolley and Chew The Fat (with my buddy Tom Parker-Bowles) so lots to keep us connected.

I’ve been using these extra days to do the things I rarely have time for. I know it sounds silly, but one of those things is thinking. The middle years of my life have been wonderful and packed, to have a little bit of time now to reflect, plan and remind my kids that I am not a total weirdo is a blessing. At least for me it is - Ruby & Lily still think of me as that and probably always will! To be fair to the girls, they’ve had to grow up telling people that their Dad’s job is “drinking wine” so I get it, it is pretty unusual. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m feeling lucky here in Sussex. I have a garden and am planting new vegetables, herbs, hand-pollinatng my peach trees, admiring the tadpoles teeming in the pond and seeing Spring power up from her golden roots is altogether inspiring. My wife Sophie found a robin’s nest in my greenhouse (which is now off-limits until they fledge) - it’s small moments like this that reinforce how precious all life is and how dear we all are to one another. That’s the way I have always felt about the connections created with wine - the miraculous way that fermented fruit closely represents its place of origin and the people who conjure a fresh iteration of the same place every year - it’s endlessly joyful. And of course, sharing a recommendation, giving a bottle, sipping a glass with someone you admire, it’s the best feeling in the world. So here you go:

PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS - Including my own!

Another way to spend the time - podcasts! There are so many good ones to engage with, my two favourites are Thirteen Minutes to the Moon (series one about the lunar landing is amazing and series two about Apollo 13 is out now) and Bunk Beds (gently and gloriously reflective fun from Patrick Marber and Peter Curran snoozing in bunk beds). And of course there’s my very own podcast  'A Glass With’. There are six series out there now, two specials on the way and I’ll keep you updated when the next series lands.

My producer Richard has moved abroad so there’s a little hiatus as we work out our next move, we’re like a couple of elves locked in a shipping container filled with dreams. Hopefully soon, one of us will find the way out so we can share them all with you.

COCKTAIL HOUR!

If you’ve got booze knocking around at home, it’s cocktail time….Get your copy of my book Fizz and have 80 cocktails and mocktails to make at home in an instant. Raid the drinks cabinet, get creative, put on the tunes & set up a disco in the kitchen!  

Order in your copy here.

P&O CRUISES

I know I have met many of you on board Britannia, Azura or one of the other ships in the P&O Cruises fleet and I’m sure if you cruise regularly you’ll be aware that there’s no sailing currently. I’d like to pay tribute to my teams in The Glass House and everyone I work with at Carnival House from the President of P&O Cruises Paul Ludlow through to everyone in the P&O Cruises family from the shore to the ships and of course to our passengers. We’ll meet again and your forbearance is very much appreciated.

THE DRINKS TRUST

I'm thrilled to announce that I've recently become a Patron of The Drinks Trust (a wonderful charity that supports drinks industry people) and had great fun hosting the Benevolent Ball a few weeks ago - which feels like a lifetime ago now!

In a bid to help people working in the drinks industry who may be feeling great anxiety in this uncertain time, last week they launched a fundraising campaign to increase the capacity of their helpline and the volume of complementary therapy services.

To find out more or to donate visit here.

HOT BOTTLES - Support your local independent wine shop! If they are able to deliver, it's the way forward these days. Here are some top picks from some of the best in the country who deliver nationwide:

WHITE: Weingut Müller- Grossmann Furth Kremstal Riesling 2018 £14.40 (13%) Tanners. I will 100% be recommending the living daylights out of this wine until Tanners have sold the last drop. Just buy a case. It’s insanely delicious, like sipping mandarins twinged with the scent of dried apricots. It’s fresh, zingy, invigorating and the bottle I opened last night did not last long at all. It baffles me why we don’t drink more wine from Austria and if £14.40 is more than your usual spend, trust me this is worth it.

RED: Polemico Pais Vina Laurent 2018 £11.95 (13%) Corney & Barrow This unusual chilean gem punches above its price point with firm, earthy excellence, silky splendour and gently savoury spice.  With wonderful briar fruit, Pinot Noir meets Piemonte.  Outstanding character.

ROSE: Côtes de Provence: Clos Sainte Magdeleine Rosé 2018 £18.95 (13%) Yapp.co.uk Subtle aromas of dried herbs and peachy splendour. If sunshine had a scent, this would be it! Glossy rich rosé with refreshing spicy allure - hard ot think of a better pairing for garlic chicken, Salad Nicoise or indeed to sip in the sun and raise a glass to the glory of wine.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

Let us know here at HQ if there is anything you want to know about or see featured, we are here for you and will continue to be.

You can find me online - I tend to hover around Instagram most often or you can keep in touch via the website ollysmith.com. We are not alone in this!

Stay safe out there, keep communicating and here’s to you.

Olly x

Twitter @jollyolly
Instagram @ollysmith

*(Olly HQ: Just as this newsletter is being sent out, we’ve seen that Tanners have ceased delivery, we are leaving Olly's recommendation in here for when they re-open so you can get in quick as it really is so good!)

  Olly Smith