I refer of course to England's shambolic performances in the World Cup. They thoroughly deserved their defeat at the hands of Germany and no wrongly disallowed goal is going to change that. Perhaps it is the demands of the domestic game, but they were poor from start to finish in the tournament.

For the final game my wife and I were invited to a BBQ at our friends Justin's house (not Justin from India). He'd borrowed a projector from work to show the game on his dining room wall and  had a 32in flat screen in the kitchen. To placate the children there was a TV in the lounge showing Peppa Pig, Thomas Tank Engine and outside in the garden a paddling pool and various toys.
My William spent most of the afternoon covered from head to toe in sun block happily pushing cars around the garden, whilst I concentrated with the other Dads on the serious business of football.

I purchased a bottle of Rustenburg John Merriman X 2007 a highly rated South African red to get in the spirit of the World Cup (this wine rarely seems to be available online but they had a couple of bottle in Waitrose Rickmansworth). When I mentioned my intention to drink this wine on Tom Cavanagh's wine forum I was told that I'd probably be better of aging it a little more before opening it. Taking this information on board and the fact my wife has just entered week 40 of her pregnancy I decided to tuck into a full bodied red at 14.5% alcohol at this point in time was probably not well advised in case I needed to make an emergency dash to the hospital. Instead I decided to take along another highly rated wine, a Dr Loosen Riesling and a wine originating from Germany our opponents on this day (very disloyal I know).

It is very unusually these days to have a low alcohol content wine. The full bodied wines championed by Robert Parker and other are often close on 16% - a fortified wine. The Dr Loosen Riesling is remarkably only 8.5%, meaning I could have a couple of small glasses over the course of the afternoon and still be safely under the limit should I be called upon to make the emergency dash. I've had this wine many times before. It has won awards and has had praise heaped upon it by those wine writers in the press. I know most of you will be put off by the low alcohol content but I urge you to give it a try. The wine is smooth, fruity and floral with a slightly effervescent quality -great with a curry incidentally.

Here are a couple of other wines of note I have tried since my last update:

Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz - This wine for me typifies the best of Australian Shiraz, full on thick and rich, lusciously plumy and fruity with rounded tannins and a lengthy finish.

Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir - My son bought me this for Father's Day and a very choice it was especially so as he is only two years old! This is not a cheap bottle of wine £20.89 online more like £24 if you buy it in store, however good Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape to cultivate and because of this it carries a high price tag. This wine has a fruity red cherry taste on the initial sip followed by a long smooth velvety finish with very subtle tannins and light acidity. A good Pinot Noir is probably my favourite wine and I would happily drink this all the time - unfortunately I can't afford this wine other than on the odd special occasion.

In between writing this update and posting it online my wife gave birth to another baby boy - Sam 9lb 12oz - a big one. I have a bottle of Joseph Perrier NV Champagne to celebrate and will be sure to include tasting notes in my next update.