The Grange Hermitage Scam! ... The Real Story

On the road again
As reported in Rick’s report in last months club magazine the Mulga View property and self drive track were fantastic. Some really great rock sections, in fact the whole of the track consisted of rocks and more rocks. Combine this with some magnificent scenery Mulga View is definitely a place to visit again.

The Group
We had a great group and as it often happens you get to meet some new, interesting people. They were Michael & Anna Hein, Ruth & Ian’s friend, Peter & Bill Bedford, along with the rest of our members. A really fun & harmonious lot, thank you all for your company.

Rick the Birthday Boy
What a rascal! Thinking back, almost from the start of the trip he started out setting up the scam by suggesting to all with no subtlety at all, that he was a cheapskate when it came to his red wine selection and taste.

We, in the most part, ignored his outbursts about the magnificent quality of his $4.99 bottles of cheap red wine and how disliked the taste of more expensive wine, especially my $20.00 bottle of cabinet sauvignon I gave him to sample.

But I do remember him talking about his brother’s expensive wine taste and how he had given him a bottle for his birthday.

Happy Birthday Rick or the Day of the Scam
After happy hour on the Saturday night at Mulga View it was time to wish Rick happy birthday and out of the kindness of his very generous heart he uncorked a bottle of red for us to toast his celebration. He hesitated as he said "My brother said this was the best but I don’t know one good wine from the next". He then said "What is Grange Hermitage like, okay I hope?"

The rest is history; we all cheered, we drank and sang him a very rowdy cheer. From the time we had taken the first sip and thought "What is this (c- -p)!" he couldn’t contain his glee and loudly spilled the beans. It was more of his $4.99 cheap red in a genuine 1980 Grange Hermitage bottle, which it turns out he has had prepared for some time, waiting for the right opportunity.

(Of course I new it was a fake all of the time)
JC

Disclaimer : please note