30% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 100% immortal.

Even by the standards of the Southern Rhone, Chateau de Beaucastel are quirky traditionalists:

This wine is a blend of 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 1% Cunoise, and smaller amounts of Vaccarese and Muscardin. It is hand harvested and destemmed and after crushing, undergoes fermentation in cement tanks for three weeks before being aged up to 18 months in large, old oak casks known as foudres. It is lightly fined with egg whites before bottling, but never undergoes any filtration whatsoever — filtering being one of the chief evils of modern winemaking according to the Perrin family tradition.

Fossick hard enough, and you can find this classic for under $100.

1988 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France [Vinography]

Due to what we can only imagine was a sport photographers’ strike in the mid-’60s, Sports Illustrated were forced to fill their magazine with images of bikini-clad models rather than the usual boxers and ball players.

Although relations were patched up, and the snappers all went back to work, SI still commemorate the help of those brave swimsuit photographers who stepped into the breach (on the beach, arf).

They do this annually by releasing one issue consisting only of swimsuit images (a practice which would seem bizarre, without knowledge of its historical significance).

The folks at the (unfortunately-titled) Horny Oyster have compiled all 40 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition covers and, in the process, unearthed some inalienable truths:

• somehow, seeing a girl wring water out of her hair is sexier than seeing one remove a bikini top;
• despite what everyone says, the 1970’s was NOT the decade that fashion forgot; and
• there must be some very attractive 60-something women out there.

40 years of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition covers [*achem* Horny Oyster]

China, famous for its fundamental scientific successes (gunpowder, paper, compasses, printing), can now add a failure to its list of experiments - dogs driving cars.

Mrs Li from Inner Mongolia, seemingly trusting her dog’s judgment better than her own, let the eager mutt take the wheel and, well, need we finish the story?

Even Kommissar Rex, the greatest dog EVER, makes Peter do all the driving.

Dog crashes car during driving lesson [The Register]

Greetings!

I’m Nic, from Melbourne, Australia, and I’m now trying to maintain the fine standards of this publication, starting with my first posts yesterday.

I’m a frustrated former features writer, with an unhealthy passion for gin, cigars and retro gadgetry.

If you’ve any suggestions for my tenure here at TSL (or anything, really), let the comments fly.

Cheers!