My sermon this week dear brethren, and sistren, is on water. For did not Jesus, in his first miracle at Cana of Galilee, turn the contents of six pots, each holding two or three firkins of water, into wine? And, verily, the Chateau Cana Semillon Chardonnay blend, vintage circa AD 30, was a good drop. For, according to the Bible (John ch. 21.10), the governor of the wedding feast liked it so much that he said to the bridegroom, "but thou hast kept the good wine until last."

One can only imagine the biblical implications if the governor had said instead, "This wine is off, goest thou and bring me another firkin!"

But what’s water got to do with serious drinking? I hear readers and the ghost of W.C. Fields (no relation) ask. Water has been consumed alongside booze for centuries. It has been used to dilute wine for the young or delicate of palate. As soda water it goes well with scotch and bourbon, and as a coolant in the form of ice cubes and shaved ice it is indispensable in warm climates. And unadulterated water is the perfect palate refresher between alcoholic drinks. So for the occasional user it is important that water is of the highest purity, bacteriologically and aesthetically.

Which brings me to that oft-repeated claim that Melbourne’s water supply is one of the purest in the world. With the addition of chlorine, fluoride, aluminium and so forth I’m sure it is relatively bug free and possibly beneficial to the teeth. But in at least two definitive features I have found Melbourne water sadly deficient: tasteless and odourless it ain’t. In fact I reckon that some of the Melbourne tap water I’ve tasted over the last few years is corked. That’s right, the water exhibits the same earthy, musty characters I find in corked wine. I’m no scientist but believe that the taint could be the same as that found in faulty corks - a substance known as TCA that results from a chlorine reaction with bacteria.

Am I too critical? I don’t think so. Recently I poured some Carlton tap water for a group of wine students - more than half thought it was musty and similar to corked wine.

Whatever, the taint is offensive to me, to a degree that I bought one of those Kambrook filter jugs and now use only filtered water for coffee, tea, ice and cooking, and when desperate, drinking on its own.

A firkin, by the way, measures about 45 litres - in those days they must have had big boisterous weddings in Cana.

Tastings

Taltarni Sauvignon Blanc 1999
Pale, shade of green. Generous, aromatic bouquet, ripe fruit with a slight herbal edge. Mouth-filling flavours reminiscent of kiwifruit. Finishes dry, firm and zesty. Excellent with main dishes. Rating: gold. Cellar: to 2005. Price: RRP $18.50.

Lindemans St George Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
Deep red, purple-hued. A nose of dusty French oak and black currants. The palate full and concentrated with tannins aplenty contributing a very assertive, grippy texture. Heavily oaked to my taste and ideally the wine needs at least a couple of years in the cellar to soften the astringency. It will drink well now as an accompaniment to well-seasoned main courses. Rating: gold. Cellar: to 2010. Price: RRP $35.

© Martin Field