It’s 11:30 PM, 14.5 hours into the work day. I am kneeling in a pool of water as a barrage of Chardonnay skins, seed and stems rains down upon me from the pneumatic press above. I make a feeble attempt to keep up as I use my hands to shovel the glut of discarded grape parts into […] Continue reading
As I stand at sunset overlooking the picturesque Seven Springs Vineyard in Oregon’s Eola hills, I can’t help but think that Alfred Hitchcock must have been a vineyard manager. The birds, the birds are coming… They maintain a tight formation, flying low over the unsuspecting vines like the darkened shadows of a bomber squadron over […] Continue reading
Japan is at it again! I recently blogged about one of my favorite new beers from Japan (Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout) and as luck would have it I recently came across another great product from the land of the rising sun, Nikka Whisky, from the barrel. Upon seeing Nikka for the first time […] Continue reading
I recently celebrated the 27th anniversary of my jailbreak from the womb. Through the years I have come to realize some fundamental truths about both myself and the world I call home. Here are five personal revelations I would like to share with you today. 1. I hate Onions! – I tried. I really did. And although I’ve […] Continue reading
Well, let’s assume that you are not a 1940′s hipster and when you say “bird” you are indeed referring to “turkey” and not your sweetheart. Keeping this in mind, I have a few suggestions that should satisfy all tastes. 1. German Riesling This is by far the best pairing. I know there are […] Continue reading
“Everything you do irritates me, and when you’re not here, the things you’ll do when you come in irritate me. You leave me little notes on my pillow. I’ve told you 158 times I cannot stand little notes on my pillow. ‘We are all out of cornflakes. F.U.’ Took me three hours to figure out […] Continue reading
Although Carmenere has not caught on the way Malbec has in the last few years, it is still an interesting and noteworthy grape variety in my book. Synonymous with Chile (much as Malbec is synonymous with Argentina) Carmenere was actually an import from France. Although it has all but faded away in its homeland, Carmenere is very much alive in […] Continue reading
Lillet Blanc, one of my favorite aperitifs in the world, has recently arrived in the Alberta market. I first tried this wine based aperitif in Seattle 5 years ago. We were in a crazy little cocktail bar just outside of Pikes Market called “The Zig Zag Café“. One of the owners, a human “wiki” on […] Continue reading
