Facing fear with a Torres ski wine

Trysil is a fantastic place to come skiing. The snow here has been perfect. There are plenty of slopes, catering for skiers of varying abilities. And despite the fact that it's the winter holdiday for east Norway, the resort doesn't feel crowded and there aren't long queues for the lifts.

Today I faced my fear a bit. I'm not keen on heights. Wimpy, I know, but I can't help it - it's not like you can rationalize these things. But I took a chair lift, which for agarophobics is pretty full on. And then I skied down a run beyond my ability. However, I only wiped out twice - once at some ferocious speed where I just couldn't carry on!

My ski wine has been Torres Gran Coronas Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2004, purchased for £8 from 'duty free' at Stansted. It's actually quite nice, and I managed to make it last three days. It has a strong oak imprint, but in this case it's not the sickly vanilla and coconut that is the besetting sin of so much Spanish wine, but a sort of spicy, cedary character that melds well with the warm, plummy blackcurrant fruit. It's not the sort of wine you set out to buy, but if you find it on a restaurant list where there's not much good stuff, or in a limited selection such as Stansted 'duty free', it's a safe, satisfying bet. I think Torres are one of the most reliable of the big wine brands.

The good news is that I wandered down into town today and found a Vinmonopolet shop. I purchased four bottles of wine. We're now sorted for a few more days.