RKS 2024 Wine: Chilean/Argentinian Slugfest: Argentinian Thin Man Pinot Noir

On our higher end retail shelves for quality wine Chile and Argentina are duking it out for the moderately priced wine championship. Chile is undercutting Argentina pricewise and possibly quality wise. Writers from jamessuckling.com seeming to be playing both sides and with their inflated ratings rest assured they receive lots of print in our Vintages Release catalogue. The magic of 91 plus ratings to sell wine to the masses! I am sure there are many, perhaps too many, wineries saying, “Long live Jamessuckling.com.”

We try a Rebel Pinot Noir from Patagonia. Catchy label. Great eye bait but quality?

Aroma: Unmistakably Pinot Noir despite its muscularity. Raspberry, strawberry and red cherry with the faintest bit of blackberry.

Palate: More delicate than its bouquet portends. Unfortunately, the delicacy has more to do with the lack of fruit than a particular winemaking style. Struggling raspberry and strawberry sink this wine.

Personality: The “Thin Man”.

Food Match: Black bean meatloaf…..aaargh!!!

Cellarbility: Would be a waste of space to cellar.

Price: $16.95 CDN (Ontario).

RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 75/100. Tim Atkin 91.

(Rebel 2022 Pinot Noir, Patagónica, Secreto Patagónico, Neuquen, Argentina, 750 mL, 13%).

Comments from the peanut gallery: Stay away.

“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” : The Final Cut: What Makes Me Sad and Angry: “Planet of the Dogs”? Dillie the Westie and I Love Truffle Pizza! Chapter Fifty Seven (57)

Many humans are kind and compassionate towards dogs but unfortunately there are many cruel and nasty ones that hurt, abuse, kill, ignore or try to intimidate us. Why are these humans so evil? We surrendered to your care thousands of years ago to protect, hunt and serve you. We are compassion dogs, police and army dogs, narcotic and bomb sniffers, healing dogs. service dogs, animal herders and guide dogs for the blind. But pardon me so many of you humans are ASSHOLES. We have a social contract with you humans. In return for our services to you we want and DESERVE respect, love, decency and care. But some of you are worse than the animals you think are below you. You beat us. You eat us. You abuse us. You kill us. You ignore us. You chain us. You starve us. What is wrong with you? I can only hope when your time is done on earth when you go to The Land Beyond that Allah, Jesus or Buddha or whatever God you believe in will treat you as you deserve to be treated. Some of you humans are so low you make me sick and angry. Most of you give us the respect we deserve. Thank you and may you be blessed.

You humans are frequently idiotic killing each other in the names of Allah or Christ. Terrorist bombings in the name of Allah. Who perverted Allah’s name to justify such atrocities? Who sanctions drone attacks and chlorine bombings of hospitals and innocent civilians in Syria? You humans say it’s a dog-eat-dog world but believe you me dogs would not do to each other what you humans do to each other. It is bad enough what you do to us dogs but what you do to each other makes me sick. I often put my paws over my eyes when I watch the BBC news with Fay because you humans were given the earth to prosper and co-exist with other species in but instead you are destroying it and yourselves. Dare I say it but could it be if dogs ruled the world it would be a better place. No not a “Planet of the Dogs” a la Charlton Heston but a caring and compassionate world.

Of course, I could devise a long list of what makes me sad and angry but I am too sad and angry to continue.

This COVID plague has been a blessing for us dogs! You must stay with us all day. No dog walkers and hours of loneliness. If matters ever return to “normal” many of us will not know what it is like to be left alone for so long!

Of course, dogs do not get COVID! Perhaps we are not so inferior as many of you think. Perhaps it will soon be “Planet of the Dogs”? All the humans have been felled by the plague. Didn’t Moses and God do a number on ancient Egypt! Perhaps God is doing a plague number on humans?

Tomorrow Dylan the Westie and I are going to Niagara-On-the-Lake for three nights. This will be our second overnight trip there for us. I love Niagara Falls and especially when Bob holds me and Dylan the Westie over the rails looking at the Falls and we get that spray al over our snouts! I love the walk along the river leading up to the Horseshoe Falls but we will need our coats as it is winter.

We are eagerly anticipating this adventure. I love Niagara Falls and Bob and Fay may pick up some pizza at Two Sisters winery restaurant called Kitchen 76 and we will get some delicious chunks. I mean what dog wouldn’t love a piece of their truffle pizza.

RKS Literature: Why the Aristocrats Heads Rolled in the French Revolution (Charles Dickens)

“We were so robbed by the man that stands there, as all we common dogs are by those Superior beings-taxed by him without mercy, obliged to work for him without pay, obliged to grind our corn at his mill, obliged to feed scores of his tame birds on our wretched crops, and forbidden for our lives to keep a single tame bird of our own, pillaged and plundered to that degree when we chanced to have a bit of meat, we ate it in fear, with the door barred and windows shuttered, that his people should not see it and take it from us-I say we were robbed, and hunted, and were made so poor that our father told us it was a dreadful thing to bring a child into the world, and what we should most pray for, was, that our women might be barren and our miserable race die out.”

Charles Dickens, “A Tale of Two Cities”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 12July2005 Viano do Castelo/Guimares, Portugal

We are doing our best to manage the jet lag. It seems to be working well as we had a good sleep until 09:00. We had our breakfast on the terrace overlooking the basilica and the town. Unfortunately, there are wildfires in the distance and water bombers are continually landing on the ocean and filling up with water. The breakfasts here are amazing with an incredible fruit salad, eggs, bacon, cheese and freshly baked whole grain loaves. And with our view below the breakfasts are the more enjoyable. We made a mess on the tablecloth. We packed up and headed southeast in our “fat assed” Renault. A two-lane road winding through groves of trees almost like a green tunnel. There are no large patches of open space but village after village. After this 50 km drive we ended up in our pousada Santa Marinha up in the hills overlooking Guimares. It was a former monastery converted into a luxury hotel. The beds are in on a lower level with a step up to a sitting area with chairs and a table with large wooden planked floors. Large widows look out at the garden and the mountain above. Off the reception area are the cloisters with taped monk chants which you can contemplate while watching water in a most elaborate fountain. The fifth floor resembles a museum with hugged arched ceilings. The sitting room is spectacular and there is a terrace with fountain. After checking in off to the Duke of Bragança Palace in town which is a nobleman’s palace. One of the rooms has an exhibit of all the gifts received by the prime ministers of Portugal. One gift from Canada was a huge Inuit soapstone carving. Returned home for a swim in an immaculately clean swimming pool.

Dinner for all was a rather dry duck. Not on their game tonight.

RKS 2024 Wine: Rasteau Man Vibrations!

Perhaps wishful thinking with this miserably cold and damp weather made me think of this as a Rasta Man wine. But returning to reality I realize the wine has been incorrectly described! It has nothing to do with Jamaica as it is French. There is no Rasta Man in sight as the wine is a Rasteau and there are no Rasteau Men in France. Boy that was complicated! Simile is a difficult poetic device.

70% Grenache. 20% Syrah. 10% Mourvèdre.

Aroma: A creamy assemblage of blackberry, black cherry, milk chocolate and a tad of coconut.

Palate: Youthful exuberance jumps out. Sharp and tight almost as it is trying to grab your attention. Wet cement, ripe black cherry with a tannic rage that attacks the tongue but dies instantly leaving a long finish with pepper and tar.

Personality: A wine with swagger and confidence….hopefully not too much.

Food Match: Lake Erie Perch Gumbo with Asparagus.

Cellarbility: Drink by 2027-year end. Expect big things starting at the end of 2024.

Price: $20.95 CDN (Ontario).

RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 91/100. Michael Godel 90.

(Château Courançonne 2021Rasteau Côtes du Rhône Villages, 750 mL, 14.5%).

Comments from the Peanut Gallery: Consider this as a baby Châteauneuf-du-Pape which is but 24 miles away.

Travels to a Different Time:11July2005 Viano do Castelo/Ponte de Lima, Portugal

All of us had a good sleep and up at 09:00 a bit groggy. We could have slept more but best get acclimatized to the 6-hour time difference sooner or later. Greeted by a very elegant dining room for breakfast. There are about 15 tables and all with a view of the town below. We enjoyed a superb buffet breakfast out on the veranda. Some choices of food included fresh fruit salad, sausages, scrambled eggs, bacon, Portuguese ham, cakes, cheeses and an extensive selection of fresh bread. I had a fantastic café au lait. After breakfast we walked down the steps from the pousada to the Basilica de Santa Luiza which was completed in 1926 and is modeled after the Sacre Coeur in Paris. Immaculate and beautifully landscaped and the mobs of Portuguese tourists here on Sunday, the day we arrived, were nowhere to be seen. We had the basilica to ourselves. It is very small with only 14 pews with a large domed ceiling with a picture of Jesus on it in its centre. I think Santa Luiza is the patron saint of the sick. At one point there were several limping Portuguese walking up the steps of the basilica. The grounds are full of eucalyptus trees. Excellent view of the coast below but our rom has an even more spectacular view. We can see the coast on the Atlantic and the town below. We had four Sumols in a café outside the basilica then returned to our pousada and drove to Ponte de Lima some 40 kms distance. Ponte de Lima has a famous bridge something to do with lovers. The youngsters of the village were swimming in the river below.

There is a huge outdoor market set up along the river with countless stalls with canvas awnings for shade.  You can buy anything here. After browsing had coffee and pastries. Small streets in the town very European but here not so charming.

Returned to the pousada for dinner. I had the cabrito (baby goat). Alex and Andrew had the giant prawns. There was a dessert buffet with 9 different cheeses ranging from mild to pungent. I had no idea the Portuguese are cheese lovers. Every morning for breakfast we have a very mild goat cheese. Played some pool before retiring for the night.

“Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog”: The Final Cut: What Makes Me Happy? Chapter Fifty Six (56)

I am a happy and grateful dog. That Rottenwiler dog that bit me so badly in Cairo in some fashion probably saved my life. I do not know how much longer I could have survived in the street. I forgive that dog as he was only doing his job guarding the market and I did steal some of his food. The result is that I am safe and in Canada. CANADA MAKES ME HAPPY!

I am so very happy to have such wonderful masters. They love me. I can tell that by the way they speak to me and how they treat me. I get lots of belly rubs and if you were a dog like me I think you would say there is nothing better.

I am happy about living with Dylan the Westie. He is a brave Scot with a heart of gold. He is so wise and helped me adapt to live with Bob and Fay. I would be lonely without him. He is the BEST dog in the world!

I am happy that I have so much good food to eat. No need to beg or fight for it. I love chicken kibble and that cool and clean Canadian water. On the streets of Cairo so much of the water is contaminated with bilharzia and a few of us died of poisoned water. So if I wax repeatedly about clean Canadian water in my bowl excuse me.  These treats I get are so yummy. I love turkey so much! And the morning treat of a piece of toast or bagel with a chunk of fruit makes every day extra special. Watermelon in the summer! I love carrots raw and cooked. I love cooked cauliflower and broccoli. Why not say I love human food! Bob and Fay are very careful not to feed me onions leeks, grapes, chocolate and garlic as they would make me sick.

I love my walks especially at the off-leash dog trail at Sherwood Park and the golf course when it’s closed to golfers. I love rolling in the snow there and running around with Dylan the Westie. We don’t run too far away as both Dylan the Westie and I have seen coyotes on the golf course.

I love my fame but not in a selfish way. The money raised for Reggie’s Dogs helps rescue dogs all over the world. And the story Bob wrote about me and the movie “Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog” that Disney released has helped educate the world about rescue dogs and even helped repair relations with Muslims and “the West” because I am after all a Muslim dog although I think that Allah, Jesus and all other Gods are identical.

I am happy my story and the film have delighted so many children. There is so much unhappiness in the world I know a bit of happiness can go a long way. I receive hundreds of letters a week from children asking a variety of questions including what makes me happy.

I love sleeping and a nap or two! And when I get to go under the covers with Dylan the Westie, Fay and Bob especially in the winter wowsers!

I love watching the news with Fay especially my favourite BBC News. And any show with dogs in it is so fun to watch although “Paw Patrol” is over the top.

I love car rides. Dylan the Westie does not like car rides especially when the car goes over bumps and is in reverse. The poor fellow moans.

You might sum it all up by saying I love my life and sharing some of it with you. And there are many of you. Bob’s book has been published in 32 different languages! Disney estimates close to a billion people have seen my movie!

And of course, I love my friend Bosco and his master Mr. Gordon Lightfoot whom I have got to know very well since we became neighbours. He is so kind and when he sings and plays his guitar it takes me to a peaceful place. I LOVE “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”!

Lest I forget my crew Penny, The Mookster, Ollie and Kit Kat. WE ARE THE RAT PACK.

I suppose what I should discuss next is what I don’t like.

RKS 2024 Film: “Sometimes I Think About Dying”: Triple Captivation

“Sometimes I Think About Dying” offers viewers triple captivation. Daisy Ridley as Fran captivates. The offbeat musical score captivates. The inventive and tight directing and writing captivates.

Fran is a most uncaptivating woman. Awkward, isolated, lonely and seemingly unable to make any meaningful human connection. In the midst of fellow workers at a small office she is the perpetual outsider nervously intertwining her feet when forced into any human interaction. And the incessant lip touching. She dreams of her death. Your interest begins to steamroll and Fran becomes entirely captivating as a spectator sport. What is it that causes this massive disconnect? Can she snap out of it? Like a moth to the flame, she draws you in almost obsessively. Ridley excels in the role of an introverted if not helpless character. You, like Fran, are almost fingering your lips in nervous anticipation as she meets a new office worker Robert Naser (Dave Merheje). Finally in fits and starts she transcends her alienation struggling to make a connection with Naser. Her anger is the first true emotion shown.

The musical score suits the quirky beat of the film. In fact it is captivating.

The writing and directing is equally captivating.

A beautiful and moving performance by Carol (Marcia De Bonis) as the retiring office worker simply must be flagged.

Limited theatrical run in Canada started on 9February2024.

Directed by Rachel Lambert.

RKS 2024 Film Rating: 94/100.  

RKS 2024 Wine: Bonarda A Second Fiddle to Malbec? Break Free from Malbec Hegemony!

In New Zealand Pinot Gris plays second fiddle to Sauvignon Blanc. In Argentina Bonarda plays second fiddle to Malbec. Don’t confuse volume of exports as the beacon for quality. Both Bonarda and Pinot Gris have their strong points but are they being trampled by retail stampedes (perhaps right over the cliff)?

Location of vineyard is Tupungato at a 1100 meter altitude.Vines were planted between 1977 and 1990. 15,000 bottles produced.

We try a Bonarda from Mendoza also the home of Argentinian Malbec.

Aroma: Ultra ripe raspberry complimented by blackberry, root beer, black cherry and dark chocolate.

Palate: While Malbec often exhibits lush and plush on the palate in a lazy fashion this Bonarda is more alert and sharply defined. Discrete and perky blackberry mingles with blueberry pie and raspberry tarts. Well integrated “everything” here. Moderately long finish. Full bodied with no flaws.

Personality: Strong, forceful but well behaved if not dignified.

Food Match: Grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce with a red onion and cherry tomato salad on the side.

Cellarbility: Drink by 2026-year end.

Price: $16.95 CDN (Ontario).

RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 93/100. Jamessuckling.com 91.

(Ricardo Santos 2021 Tercos Bonarda, Bodega y Viñas Lunlunta, Mendoza, Argentina, 750 mL, 13.5%).

Comments from the peanut gallery: Break free, at least momentarily, of Malbec and try this delicious risk free Bonarda.

“Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog”: The Final Cut: We Are Proud of Mr. Gordon Lightfoot and Our Bosco!: Chapter Fifty Five (55)

You may recall Fay and Bob gave Bosco, my fellow Egyptian Rescue Dog, to our neighbour and very famous Canadian singer Mr. Gordon Lightfoot. We see our comrade Bosco and Mr. Gordon Lightfoot at least a couple of times a week for jasmine tea and cake from our favourite Toronto bakery “The Dessert Ladies”. Dylan the Westie and I bark for a song or two and Mr. Gordon Lightfoot knows we howl a few times with delight when we hear him sing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.

Bosco tells us he is so very happy living with Mr. Gordon Lightfoot. We see this great musician walking Bosco around the Bridle Path in Toronto and we often run into him there and at Sherwood Park at the off-leash dog trail. We all talk and us dogs check out all the other dogs. We are in heaven and I think Bob, Fay and Mr. Gordon Lightfoot are also in heaven seeing how happy we are. Life can be so good. I may have hobnobbed with some powerful people and even won a Nobel Peace Price but a snort or two of poop and piddle is not beyond me. I am “just a dog” after all.

One day Mr. Gordon Lightfoot appears at our door with VIP tickets to his 168th performance at Massey Hall which is opening in Toronto after three years of renovations and he will grace it with its first three performances.

We travel in Mr. Gordon Lightfoot’s limousine to Massey Hall and go backstage with him for a light sushi supper for the humans and deluxe chicken kibble and Greek spring water in our own separate bowls. Bob walks me, Bosco and Dylan the Westie before the show. Bosco sits at Mr. Gordon Lightfoot’s feet for the performance by this remarkable man in his 80’s. The crowd holds this musician in wonderment. After the last encore the crowd roars in applause and Mr. Gordon Lightfoot motions for Bob, Fay, Dylan the Westie and me Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog to join him on stage with Bosco. We dogs run around in circles and Mr. Gordon Lightfoot pets us and says to the audience that he has a special encore song for all the dogs in the world. It is “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. This song brings down the house. We dogs can’t clap but get some good barks and howls in. Yes, life can be so good. Strangely had I not had that street dog experience in Egypt I wouldn’t have realized how good it can be. Life can be so bizarre!

We also took our recruit Poofy the Poodle for security training to the concert. Poofy is visiting us from Perth, Australia. He was with Virgil Cowala and his Gatorboys honing his skill in sea water crocodile management. We wonder if Poofy can make the grade and be welcomed into our Rat Pack? With his accent we can hardly understand Poofy.