Every Aussie winemakers dream! Winning the Jimmy Watson Trophy! A cricket tragics dream come true. Seeing Shane Warne's 600th Test wicket live at Old Trafford!
In August 2006, Geoff Merrill was at Old Trafford for the 3rd Ashes test waiting for Shane Warne to take his 600th wicket.
He received a call from winemaker Goe diFabio telling him that he had just won the Jimmy Watson Trophy with his 2004 McLaren Vale Reserve Shiraz.
He stood up and screamed "I've just won the Watson" all of these poms yelled back "sit down you ******* !", so he went out the back and screamed into the phone "you ******* beauty", Goe asked him to tone it down because the phone was up to the microphone and Geoff was actually addressing the gathering at the Jimmy Watson presentation dinner back in Melbourne .
The only down side was that he missed Warney's 600th, truth be known he shed a tear because nothing beats having your best shiraz voted a champion by your peers. (WBM Feb 2008)