Typical of Hugh Johnson, the world’s best-selling wine author, to accumulate and design the best collection of wine accessories I have ever seen. Certain of these have now been commercially reproduced at an exceptional level of quality. The leather cases are the real thing and anything which looks like silver is not silver plate, but the true Sterling stuff. At the budget end is a boxed set of Waiter’s Friend corkscrew in an ivory-looking resin, Champagne Pliers and Cork Retriever for $89.50, although the items may be bought separately. Brilliant silver decanter labels depict ‘Claret’, ‘Port’, ‘Sherry’ and the like for $59.50, while a favourite labelled ‘PLONK’ sells at $89.50. A new heavy cone-shaped silver ‘Klonk’ Champagne Stopper retails at $59.50. Pairs of glasses retail between $89.50 and $99.50. Serious drinkers and recent lottery winners may well be tempted by a 3-ringed Georgian decanter for $360 (also available at greater expense in magnum size), a superb conical carafe for $129.50, a classical claret just topped with a sterling silver top and handle for $950, silver icebuckets between $800-1200 each or a truly sumpuous mahogany boxed set of four decanters and a set of spirit glasses for around $5,000. The only Australian stockists for the Hugh Johnson Collection are Hyde Park Cellars in Sydney (ph 02 9233 3411) and the Brookland Valley Galley at Margaret River (ph 097 556 250).
