Birthday!

Just starting to wind down. Night shift working is over. It’s been an interesting Christmas here. We had five ‘million-bottle days'. That's enough wine to cause major road chaos! Record sales are lovely but do produce stresses. However, people rise to the occasion. Running out of Black Stump could have been a disaster but Arnold and Stuart worked through the night, got the wine out of the docks in record time and disaster was avoided.

Justin MW rowed a marathon and raised thousands for Prostate Cancer. Anne Linder raised £24,000 for the Princes Trust by all sorts of things.

And Len Sexon is Man of the Month for getting so many people through WSET wine courses. Now he's done just about everyone at Laithwaites he's started on the customers. Four just passed the test. Don't worry, we are not going to make it compulsory.

These and other very encouraging tales were the gist of Glenn (UK CEO)'s Christmas update which played to several packed houses in the canteen.

Giorgio Flessati dropped in on his way between Chile and Moldova … just a day. He's like that. So we took him to Myalcarte, our great little restaurant in Caversham. Opened a few bottles. Including the last of the 2002 Alta Tierra – Giorgio's first Chilean, which won a trophy and introduced the whole world to the amazing Elqui Valley.

Today I celebrate!! My 66th birthday started at the gym 7.30. Lovely Louise attempting to repair the damage. Then over to Will's brewery to pick up the delivery for Theale Shop. Then root canal work at the dentist. Finally out here on the empty golf course walking Max and Snoop who are wondering why I'm tapping a blackberry when we should be chasing rabbits.

Party tonight.