Robert K Stephen (CSW)

RKS Literature: Do You Want to Be Cared for By a Sick Doctor?

“A warm relationship between doctor and patient is certainly to be welcomed, and there is something to the proposition that only he who suffers can be the guide and healer of the suffering. But can someone truly be the intellectual master of a power to which he himself is enslaved. Can he liberate if heContinue reading “RKS Literature: Do You Want to Be Cared for By a Sick Doctor?”

RKS 2023 Wine: “The Wines of the Algarve”: Escaping the Sun and Sea Conundrum

I attended the Wine and Tourism Week in late February in Porto, Portugal. The direction seemingly taken by many exhibitors was to move away from promoting wine and broaden it to encompass not only wine but culture and heritage, leisure activities and gastronomic experiences therefore giving a broader definition of wine tourism. Wine is notContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: “The Wines of the Algarve”: Escaping the Sun and Sea Conundrum”

RKS Literature: Looking Forward to Funerals!

“I think of a coffin as an absolutely lovely piece of furniture, even when it’s empty, and if there is someone lying in it, it’s quite sublime in my eyes. There’s something so edifying about funerals-I’ve sometime thought that when we need a little spiritual uplift, we should attend funerals rather than church. People wearContinue reading “RKS Literature: Looking Forward to Funerals!”

RKS 2023 Wine: Drinking Prohibited Wine in The Azores! Please Crowdfund Me to Liberate Me from My Prison!

I sit in the Pico Island Prison for Foreign Wine Writers! The food is so damn good here and the weather is so shitty in Toronto plus the wine they serve beats the shit they serve at the South Detention Centre in Toronto so I think the slammer here ain’t so bad. In fact IContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Drinking Prohibited Wine in The Azores! Please Crowdfund Me to Liberate Me from My Prison!”

RKS 2023 Wines: Drinking the Way of the Dinosaur!

Terrantez do Pico is one of three indigenous Azorean grapes and it is close to going the way of the dinosaur. It has somewhat of a tropical nose with pineapple, guava and mango. The palate is creamy with tropical notes mixed with spice and just a bit of Prince Edward Island red soil potatoes withContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wines: Drinking the Way of the Dinosaur!”

RKS Wine 2023: Falerina Reserva Syrah from Valle de Elqui

The Elqui Valley is set at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert and is one of Chile’s northernmost wine producing regions. Its crystal-clear skies attract some of the world’s most important observatories and create unique opportunities for winegrowing as well. New vineyards have expanded beyond its riverbanks and high up into the mountains inContinue reading “RKS Wine 2023: Falerina Reserva Syrah from Valle de Elqui”

RKS 2023 Wine: Portugal Charging Ahead with Wine and Tourism Strategy

I was invited to apply to attend the first Wine and Travel Week in Porto from 20-26 February 2023. There were sessions on wine and food, mega lunches featuring Portuguese seafood and meat prepared by Portugal’s leading chefs. There was an awards ceremony for tourism which due to administrative error and clerical lack of discretionContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Portugal Charging Ahead with Wine and Tourism Strategy”

RKS 2023 Wine: António Maçanita’s 2020 Reserva Palpite: An Alentejo Classic?

Red wines from Portugal’s Alentejo region often nip at the heels of red wines from Portugal’s Douro region. António Maçanita’s 2020 Reserva Palpite is up there with some of the best reds from the Douro. It is a blend of Alicante Bouschet (27%), Aragonez (25%), Castelăo (14%), Tricanderia (14%), Alfrochiero (12%) and 8 % ofContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: António Maçanita’s 2020 Reserva Palpite: An Alentejo Classic?”

RKS 2023 Wines: 2020 Vinha Centenária from Azores Wine Company

The 2020 Vinha Centenária António Maçanita from the Azores Wine Company on Pico Island is a blend of Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho, Alicante Branco and Boal. 13.5% alcohol. Aroma: There is volcanic rock, salinity, oranges and pineapple. Palate: Creamy, peppery, restrained acidity, marmalade, Creamsicle with a super long finish. Food Match: Simply prepared seafood steak.Continue reading “RKS 2023 Wines: 2020 Vinha Centenária from Azores Wine Company”

RKS Travel and Wine: TAP Portugal Airlines Has its 750 mL Wine Bottles Crying

I frequently give most European Airlines a pat on the back for serving wine in economy class from 750 mL bottles instead of those obnoxious mini plastic bottles which is all the more obnoxious in the case of Air Canada which adds insult to injury by serving French wine! A national carrier of Canada servingContinue reading “RKS Travel and Wine: TAP Portugal Airlines Has its 750 mL Wine Bottles Crying”