RKS 2023 Travel: My Name is Wolfgang Volk! Living in a Different Portuguese Dimension

Our group of 10 meandered into our hotel Senhora da Rosa Tradition & Nature Hotel in Ponta Delgado. It has been a long day, the day of the aborted landing at Ponta Delgado Airport. It is past midnight and we have an early morning pick up for our flight to PICO Island. We have aContinue reading “RKS 2023 Travel: My Name is Wolfgang Volk! Living in a Different Portuguese Dimension”

RKS Travel 2023: Portuguese Groundhog Day: A Bit of Terror in the Sky and Plenty of Boredom Down Below: SATA Air Azores

Part of being invited to attend Wine and Travel Week in Porto this February included a three day side trip to the Azores, Portuguese Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a bit over two hours as the crow flies but it was not a crow I was flying on but an Air Azores A321Continue reading “RKS Travel 2023: Portuguese Groundhog Day: A Bit of Terror in the Sky and Plenty of Boredom Down Below: SATA Air Azores”

RKS 2023 Food: Sardine Rehab

On my trips to Porto you might say I mainline on the tasty grilled sardines served up at Alexandre Osorio’s Postigo do Carvão right by the river in the historic Ribeira District of Porto. I have been sardining there for years. I mean the starters are great, like the octopus salad and the cod fritters.Continue reading “RKS 2023 Food: Sardine Rehab”

RKS Wine 2023: Azores Wine Company: 2018 Verdelho Original António Maçanita

This Verdelho has been grown in the volcanic soils of Pico Island in the Azores Islands of Portugal. Aroma: Pineapple, honey, almonds and apple. Palate: Noticeable minerality and salinity with a gentle acidic bite if not a tad of white pepper. Bits of pineapple, guava and lemon meringue. Cellarability: Will not improve with age butContinue reading “RKS Wine 2023: Azores Wine Company: 2018 Verdelho Original António Maçanita”

RKS 2023 Film: “Katak the Brave Beluga”: Do You Need to be a Brave Parent?

Do you meet the requirement often intended with animated films offered to small children? Are you ready for sappy sweet voices and simplistic plot lines. Perhaps these kiddie animated films are cringeworthy? Even so being a parent put on a brave face and smile as don’t we all have to make sacrifices for our children?Continue reading “RKS 2023 Film: “Katak the Brave Beluga”: Do You Need to be a Brave Parent?”

RKS Literature: White Men and The Ravages of Their Diseases!

“It has been said, that the greatest curse to each of the South Sea Islands, was the first man that discovered it; and everyone who knows anything of the history of our commerce in these parts, knows how much truth there is in this; and that the white men, with their vices, have brought inContinue reading “RKS Literature: White Men and The Ravages of Their Diseases!”

RKS Literature: Revolutions in California!

“Revolutions in California are matters of constant occurrence in California. They are got up by men who are at the foot of the ladder and in desperate circumstances, just as a new political party is started by such men in our own country. The only object, of course, is the loaves and fishes; and insteadContinue reading “RKS Literature: Revolutions in California!”

RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carménère from Viña Koyle

As far as Chilean Carménère goes this year it is hard to find a klunker but you never quite know do you? We put a Koyle Royale Carménère from the Alto Colchagua to the test. Aroma: While many Chilean Carménères have a nice raspberry and strawberry touch characteristic of a  lighter red wine this oneContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carménère from Viña Koyle”

RKS Literature: A Sailor’s Leave

“A sailor’s liberty is but for one day: yet while it lasts it is perfect. He is under no one’s eye, and can do whatever, and go wherever he pleases. This day, for the first time, I may truly say, in my whole life, I felt the meaning of a term I had often heard-theContinue reading “RKS Literature: A Sailor’s Leave”

RKS 2023 Wine: Poor Ignored Greece!

Like so many European wine producing countries Greek wine receives very little attention from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. California is “show me the money”. And as there is no meaningful competition in the Ontario marketplace consumer exploitation! Same old countries over and over and over again. I am off to Portugal shortly forContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Poor Ignored Greece!”