Millennium fizz - all froth and bubble The trickle of bubbly designed to cash in on the "millennium" craze has already turned into a flood, with liquor shops rapidly stocking up on specially bottled fizz carrying tags such as Y2K, Y2M, Cuvee 2000, Millennium Brut and similar. (Readers may recall my prediction about this Y2K hype from January.) And not only are these puffed up products exploitative but they are also offensive to the eye, with ostentatious label designs and gaudy advertising featuring unoriginal themes such as balloons, streamers, stars, sparklers and fireworks. Naive consumers will of course have to pay more for bottles bearing millennium connotations as prices will surge inevitably to subsidise the cost of associated marketing campaigns. All of this when mathematicians concede that the new millennium, when calculated from the Christian calendar, will not commence until 1 January 2001. Hindus, Jews, Muslims and others with different calendars will most likely observe all the fuss with amusement, if not bewilderment. And the Year 2000 beat up will include an Australian angle, a white wine, First Light Chardonnay 2000, scheduled for production on 1 January 2000. The wine will be made by so-called "flying winemaker" Dr Richard Smart, using grapes from that little-known but undoubtedly high quality hot climate vineyard area of Bourke, situated in outback New South Wales. The good doctor hopes to sell the wine for $500 the bottle. First Light may be of interest to speculators but I won't be in the queue on New Year's Eve. Sobering news Survey results released this month by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre indicate that at least one million Australians are alcoholics. That is, more than five per cent of the total population is physically and/or psychologically dependent on alcohol. A strong argument indeed for re-examination of current campaigns and educational programs concerning the dangers of alcohol and the benefits of moderate consumption. A game of petanque and a glass of vin blanc Forget cricket, soccer, tennis and all other spectator sports, the game for 2000 is definitely petanque. Invented, obviously with the dissolute wine drinking crowd in mind, petanque (pronounced pet-onk) or in French, "boules" (balls to you) is the ideal participation sport for lounge lizards and the slothful. Most popular in France, its country of origin, petanque is a sort of cross between Italian bocce and WASP lawn bowls. To play petanque two or more contestants hurl heavy (600-700 grams) chromium plated steel balls (roughly the size of a baseball) at a small wooden jack called a cochonnet (lit. little pig ), over a distance of some six to ten metres. The ball nearest to the cochonnet at the end each round scores. Though it is nowhere stated in the rules, the bit I like about the game is that it seems obligatory for players to have a glass of wine and/or a plate of food in hand while playing. Also, at the beginners' level, little skill is required, short of minimal vision and the ability to toss a ball. I am grateful to M. Sigmund Jorgensen for introducing me to the game at his Petanque Classique Tournament. As we competed against a selection of Melbourne's top French chefs, I suggested to Siggy that the game probably originated during the Hundred Years War. He and I envisioned bored French soldiers, at say the 75 year break, drinking vin tres ordinaire while tossing slightly used English cannonballs at farmyard piglets. Of course whenever there was a direct hit there would be a thud and a squeal, hence "pet-oink!" A new game with a new name was born. Now the beauty of petanque is that unless you're in a tournament you don't need a special pitch, or as the French say, piste. A handy river bank, the front lawn, the local park, a gravel drive way, in fact any mildly uneven surface will serve equally for a spontaneous game. Consequently fans usually carry a set of boules in the car boot, next to the car fridge, on the off-chance that a suitable piste will eventuate. A petanquing friend of mine says his idea of the perfect afternoon is a drive in the country with his lady friend for, "a game of petanque, a glass of vin blanc, and whatever else.." He shall remain nameless. A set of boules is not cheap but being made of steel they should last forever. I bought a set of six in a nifty little wooden suitcase The package, including boules, cochonnet, measuring tape and rules, cost $65. If you shop around you can pay much more. Tastings Peter Lehmann Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz 1994 Deep dark red with a vigorous bead. The nose is rich and reminiscent of blackberry cordial. Four and a half years of yeast lees contact has produced a faint but pleasing yeast character. Ripeness continues in the mouth with intense berry flavours and a hint of sweet oak. The finish is delicious and persistent. Available only from cellar door via Peter Lehmann Wines. Rating: 90/100. Cellar: to 2010. Price: $35. © Martin Field