Red wine must be the finest drink in the world.
It is delicious and, hopefully, healthy. But above all, no matter how much you drink, it always has the ability to surprise.
Last night was a case in point, no pun intended. With a medium-rare veal loin plonked in front of me, I was treated to a bottle of 2008 Passo Doble, from Argentina.
But this was no ubiquitous Malbec, the traditional grape used to make red wines in Mendoza.
No: it was a blend including the Italian grape Corvina. It was an unusual, odd combination – but a delicious one.
The same could be said of Afghanistan playing cricket, whose debut in the ICC World Cup 2015 was a fantastic triumph.
They lost, of course, to a weak Bangladesh side whose Test-playing status must surely be in jeopardy.
But that was hardly the point.
The war-ravaged nation has fallen in love with the bat and ball an odd combination, most would say, but a heart-warming one.
The story of the Afghan’s rise to cricket’s premier cru is so remarkable that, if the film rights to the story haven’t been snapped-up yet, they should be.
They entered the sport as recently as 2008, playing in cricket’s bottom tier against the likes of Jersey.
The team bears the scars of a nation that has been almost constantly at war since 1978 – Mohammad Nabi, the Afghan captain, grew up in a refugee camp, as an example.
But just seven years after taking up the sport, the streets of Kabul and Kandahar thronged with enthusiasm after the Afghan’s qualified for the World Cup.
Naturally, they may struggle to win matches at this tournament. Their warm-up form has been patchy much to Scotland’s delight.
But whatever their form at the tournament, it doesn’t detract from the fact that Afghanistan have already won, rightly capturing to use an awkward phrase the hearts and minds of the cricketing world, and beyond.
Much like a 2008 Passo Doble, Afghanistan playing cricket is an unusual blend. But that doesn’t stop it being delicious.