October 04 Friday 2002
Warne puts new spin on his interest in wine

MELBOURNE: Australia's Shane Warne has turned his back on the working-class image of an icy cold beer after a hard day of cricket and will launch his own collection of wines later this month.

Local media received invitations on Thursday for the Melbourne launch of the "Shane Warne Collection" of wines.

Warne, 33, has overcome several injuries in recent years and a new fitness regime has stripped around 14kg from the frame of the man named in 2000 as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the century. The leg-break bowler's focus this year on health included daily gym workouts and a preference for the occasional drop of wine instead of beer.

Warne's love of meat pies, beer and pizzas has been well-documented.

He made his Test debut against India in January 1992 in Sydney, just a few days after watching the Melbourne Test from the stands with Steve and Mark Waugh's younger brother Dean and consuming plenty of beer and meat pies.

Warne famously celebrated an Ashes victory over England in 1997 with a victory jig on the Trent Bridge balcony as he sprayed champagne in the air.