Robert K Stephen (CSW)

RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carménère: If You Can’t Do It Right Go Home!

When it is a matter of Chilean Carménère if you can’t do it right go home. The Chileans more often than not vint top rate Carménère. You come to expect a quality red wine with a bottle of Carménère. From my perspective to date raspberry and strawberry notes are a possible tip off to highContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carménère: If You Can’t Do It Right Go Home!”

RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Doing 50/50 So Far

Late in 2022 and early into 2023 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is 50/50. The Maipo leads in the top 50% and the Cachapoal is in the bottom 50…the real bottom. The 2019 Primus Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Maipo yet the 2020 vintage will be from Colchagua being released in Ontario on 21January2023. In Ontario thereContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon Doing 50/50 So Far”

Misadventures in Wine Chapter 6: Wine Drinker Profiles: “The Intimidated”

Do you ever see someone in the aisles looking overwhelmed? What wine to purchase! So many countries! So many regions! So many appellations! Different price ranges! This may the driving reason for the “I don’t care” crowd or the “stuck in the rut” folks. Stick to a limited choice range and preserve your mental health.Continue reading “Misadventures in Wine Chapter 6: Wine Drinker Profiles: “The Intimidated””

RKS 2023 Film: “Pro Pool” (Piscine Pro): Revenge on an Unpleasant Reality

Charles-Olivier is a newly minted graduated with a most relevant Bachelor of Arts in Civilization and Viking History. In his first post graduate job he finds a job as a salesclerk at a suburban pool shop. Be prepared to watch reality meeting miseducation in this short film from Quebec which made the selection for theContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: “Pro Pool” (Piscine Pro): Revenge on an Unpleasant Reality”

Misadventures in Wine Chapter 5: Wine Drinker Profiles: “The Explorer”

An Explorer dislikes being stuck in a rut or comfort zone. The Explorer may have favourite wines but refuses to be imprisoned by them and constantly looks for new wines, new wine regions and new producers. There is the Random Explorer who has no agenda in wine selection but buys on newness. There is alsoContinue reading “Misadventures in Wine Chapter 5: Wine Drinker Profiles: “The Explorer””

“The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous” : Chapter 38: Good-Bye John Lennon

I spent three days in a New York hospital. The bullet had gone clean through my shoulder except for nipping a bit of bone which X rays revealed came to rest a few centimetres from my heart. Those hollow point bullets are nasty things. In considerable pain I headed back to my room at theContinue reading ““The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous” : Chapter 38: Good-Bye John Lennon”

RKS The Tea Meister: Tea Squared’s Cranberry Purifier

For many years I have been steadfastly avoiding “kiddie teas”. Kiddie teas often have no tea at all as an ingredient but nonetheless they list “tea” as one. They have a melange of flavours primarily all types of fruit. I have backed off from avoiding kiddie teas as a result of a recent experience IContinue reading “RKS The Tea Meister: Tea Squared’s Cranberry Purifier”

Misadventures in Wine Chapter 4: Wine Drinker Profiles: “The Higher the Price the Better the Wine”

This could be known as The Filthy Rich Club where money is no object other than a means to glorify “good taste”. A Chilean Carménère at $18.95 could be rated a 93/100 but isn’t that a marker of rotgut…..cheap wines. In no way fitting for a mighty industrialist, tech baron, cardiologist, big time corporate lawyerContinue reading “Misadventures in Wine Chapter 4: Wine Drinker Profiles: “The Higher the Price the Better the Wine””

RKS Literature: Passage of the Day: Eternal Youth? (Nikos Kazantzakis)

“He murmured to himself, ‘It’s really a shame, that youth in human beings doesn’t last a thousand years! Is God perhaps afraid that we’ll take His throne away from Him? Is that why he craftily dismantles us, piece by piece? He pulls out our teeth, screws our knees up stiff, wears out our kidneys, dimsContinue reading “RKS Literature: Passage of the Day: Eternal Youth? (Nikos Kazantzakis)”

RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carménère: Siegel Gran Reserva Carménère

Aromatics: Heavy raspberry markers with black cherry and strawberry in tow. Palate: The tannins are not quite reaching the moderate level. Plenty of stuffing in this wine. Virtually bursting with black cherry but held in a straight jacket for the moment, Put another way the wine may just be on a holding pattern before landingContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Chilean Carménère: Siegel Gran Reserva Carménère”