A good red wine, Glenn McGrath feels, is like a good fast bowler. “They say a red wine gets better with age. The same can be said about a fast bowler. They mature only in their mid-twenties, a little bit later than batsmen. So a lot of similarities there,” he says. McGrath knows something about fast bowling, having taken 563 Test wickets over a hugely successful career. It would seem that in retirement he has learned a fair bit about wines too.
“I don’t drink bottles and bottles everyday but I do enjoy a glass of wine,” he says. “I like some wine when I go to dinner with my wife, or when I’m just relaxing at home.” The former Australian fast bowler is in the cityas a brand ambassador for Hardy’s Wines. He favours no one wine over another, McGrath says, “Just depends on how I’m feeling, how hot it is, or what food we’re having. I don’t mind starting off with a white wine. I find them fairly easy to drink, the Chardonnays, the Semillons. But among red wines I prefer the Shiraz, something with a little bit more bite.”
The 45-year-old has been educating himself in wine culture. “I wouldn’t say I’m a wine connoisseur but I’ve been learning a lot,” he says. “I’ve been down to the McLaren Vale wine area outside of Adelaide, where Hardys is based. I've been through the whole process, from picking them in the vineyards to the winery. It is just incredible. The history and the heritage are important within the wine industry and also within cricket. There are a lot of similarities there.”
Without the demands of international cricket, McGrath has more time to treat himself to life's little delights. “I do enjoy my wines; I think it’s a great way to relax,” he says. “I live to eat. I enjoy life. It’s all about moderation.”
