Every Monday, discover new wines, regions, and ways to understand this fermenting sea.
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Munching Vidal Blanc on Keuka Lake, New York
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Memorial Day: 1997 Archery Summit, Pinot Noir, Oregon
If Memorial Day is about remembrance, I can think of no better memorial to America’s dead than opening an old bottle of our own. Militant sacrifice created the world we live in. Tonight’s wine would not have existed without the world they created. So let’s turn to the past…
1997 saw my sophomore year in high school. Girls still confused me. MMMbop, Backstreet Boys, and Spice Girl pop had usurped Grunge’s musical devolution (at least we still had the Smashing Pumpkins? Bush? Foo Fighters? Come on! Anybody?). Continue reading
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Tagged Archery Summit, Hanson, Oregon, pinot noir, Sean Connery, Spice Girls, Willamette Valley
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Adios Madrid! Egyptian Temples. Royal Palaces. Fine People.
Our EU Austerity Drinking Tour continues this Monday back in Madrid. Alcohol intake remains on hold until Tracy feels better. After cultural-packed Toledo, We wake up sober in our shed on top of a deck.
It is humble but warm and cheap. Lovely crêpes wait for us in our host’s kitchen (which taste better than those in Bordeaux). It may be winter, but the sun shines, so we decide to hike the city.
Tucked in a park hides the ancient Egyptian Temple of Debod. Continue reading
Heat Wave Salve: Pine Ridge, Forefront, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2011
This Thirsty Thursday needs to cool it. My car thermometer claimed it hit 93F today…in Oregon…in May! My black, leather seat and I are now one. We’ve already exchanged vows. Slightly worse, my family had to evacuate their home: raging fires swept through Southern California today (ok…that’s far worse).
They’re fine. But we could all use a drink.
Tonight I turn to a native Pinot Gris produced by Pine Ridge. They call this line “Forefront” (I’m sure that sounded brave during marketing meetings…”Oh, now what. we’re Californian. Hey! Let’s make Pinot Gris in Oregon! That cutting-edge sense of adventure will appeal to our Caucasian male, desk-job slave, marketing demographic of 30 to 50 year olds. Genius! Now let’s be indecisive and slap an austere, slick, yet generic label on it”). Continue reading
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Tagged 2011, Forefront, Oregon, Pine Ridge, Pinot Gris, Summer wine, Willamette Valley, wine
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Many-Layered Toledo
A 25 minute train takes us to Toledo on Day 113 of our EU Austerity Drinking Tour. The ancient city lies South of Madrid, and although not known for wine, should get us drunk on culture.
We walk from the oddly Moroccan-looking train station, along the river, to the citadel’s bridge.
Western walls crowned with Christian churches and Renaissance pavillons make Toledo look like any old, mind-blowingly impressive, European citadel. But then we cross the bridge.
Islamic arches and ornaments interweave with the stone and brickwork.
Imagine your Ford truck with a Chinese dragon statue where the chair should be.
Three centuries of Islamic rule paint Toledo. We climb then weave through city square, alleys, and paths. Toledo’s massive yet intricate Cathedral demands a tour. Continue reading
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Tagged Cathedral, Islam, Muslim, Roman, Spain, Toledo, toledo cathedral
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WAYWARD WINE 