atest miracle advertised on the Internet is a product called Desalco - its makers claiming that their magical elixir, "a combination of fructose and citric acid." will cut blood alcohol content by half if taken before drinking."

The site's directions for use page states that Desalco "slows down the passage of alcohol into the stomach by tightening the pylorus and accelerating the breakdown of alcohol ingested." Now I can't comment with any authority on the tightening or otherwise of the pylorus except to say that that the statement is plain contradictory as the pylorus is the exit from the stomach not the entrance.

My admittedly superficial reading regarding the body's ability to metabolise alcohol convinces me that the liver's normal rate of processing alcohol is constant and cannot be sped up. Further, the last time I heard breathalyser officers talk on drunk driving they were adamant that there were no products capable of accelerating the removal of blood alcohol content at a rate faster than that of normal bodily metabolism.

I will concede that if the Desalco claims are accurate there should be a great market for the product at bars and restaurants - both to minimise hangovers and especially for drinkers worried about exceeding the legal blood alcohol limit.

Desalco costs about $85 for a pack of 14 doses but I'm not about to risk my hard-earned dollars to verify their claims. If, however, a scientifically inclined reader prepared to purchase some please call. I'll provide the booze and I'm sure we can convince the Police Breathalyser Squad to set up a controlled experiment to test the potion's efficacy.

Tastings

Dalfarras Sauvignon Blanc 1999

Pale with greenish tints. Fruit sourced from the Goulburn Valley and Angle Vale displays a bouquet that is mild and warm with apple-like notes. Medium-bodied palate is soft while varietal flavours veer more towards the tropical than cool-climate vegetal. Rating: silver. Cellar: to 2003. Price: about $13.

Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz 1997

Jim Barry planted his eight-acre Armagh vineyard in 1968 but the first wine to bear the Armagh label wasn't made until 1985. Deep purple red. Lifted and rich bouquet edged with pencil shavings. Solid and sumptuous in the mouth, silkily tannic and showing intense depth of flavour. The fruit reminiscent of a freshly prepared summer pudding. Superb Clare Valley red following in the footsteps of Grange but at about a third of the price. Rating: trophy. Cellar: to 2015. Price: from $105 upward.

© Martin Field