RKS 2024 Wine: Chilean Wines a Flash in the Pan? Nationalism Losing to The Wallet?

In terms of price and quality here in Canada Chilean red wines rule the roost. I await export statistics as to both volume and monetary value for 2023.

In the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s Vintages 6January2024 release there are 5 Chilean reds and they are all under $20. There are a paltry 3 Canadian reds (shame on you LCBO) one is $17, one $35 and the other $26.95. If the quality is there what are Ontario consumers going to be reaching for? As for many consumers at the LCBO I speak to they are grabbing Chilean wines and not even bothering to lament the poor selection of Canadian red wines.

With a name like Montgras Day One New Range 2022 Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon the North American and UK markets would seem to be the target.

Aroma: Opulent and thick raspberry, blackberry, cassis and all of this suggesting a powerful and rich red wine.

Palate: Blackberry, violets, cassis and dark chocolate. Moderate tannins and a medium finish.

Personality: A 360-pound linebacker wine that plays on the palate like a swift 264-pound tight end. Save me for your Super Bowl viewing. I am no flash in the pan.

Food Match: Since we mention the Super Bowl give up your beer, at least until half time to educate your palate with this wine and pair the wine with a flank steak Fajita with guacamole and corn chips on the side.  Will win points as a sipper until the 3rd quarter starts and you have finished your fajitas and you may wish to switch to some sparkling water.

Cellarbility: Drink by 2025-year end.

Price: $17.95 CDN (Ontario).

RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 89/100.

(Montgras Gran 2022 Reserva Day One Cabernet Sauvignon, D.O. Valle del Maipo, Vina Montgras, Chile, 750 mL. 14%).

RKS Literature: Cocktails and a Life of Nothingness of the Idle Rich

“Back in his apartment the grayness returned. His cocktails had died, making him sleepy, somewhat befogged and inclined to be surly. Lord Verulam-he? The very thought was bitter. Anthony Patch with no record of achievement, without courage, without strength to be satisfied with truth when it was given to him. Oh, he was a pretentious fool, making careers out of cocktails and meanwhile regretting, weakly and secretly, the collapse of a wretched idealism. He had garnished his soul in the subtlest taste and now he longed for the old rubbish. He was empty it seemed, empty as on old bottle- “

F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Beautiful and the Damned”, 1922

Travels to a Different Time: Travels of My Mother: ? February1971: Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Dear Barb:

I went to the bank at 9:30 this morning to get my money situation fixed up and then I went to the market and bought 4 oranges huge and delicious for four cents. I ate some Mallorcian dish at a stand with a little beer for 39 cents. You should see this market which is about 4 kilometres away. The doorman at the hotel thinks I am nuts for walking so far.

Someone knocked at my door again and my heart goes in my mouth. It’s that man again. I think he is a con man. I am more curious than ever about him. VT thinks there is something screwy about him. I asked her if she ever found anything about him to let me know. You should get to know her. She is about your age and looks like your friend Sandy. Poor kid she has an infection in her eyes and throat and has been in bed for 5 days. I see her every day and sometimes bring her some food. Feels like she is you. It must be awful to be away from home and be sick.

I took the Time Man to see VT. He has been bothering her too. We are trying to figure out if he is a phony and we are both sure he is.

I am sorry if you have never discovered this beautiful heaven here. I mean it! I believe your only way to learn about a city is on foot even if they are sore at the end of the day. VT tells me she is sorry that she as not done what I am doing. She just never has the chance. If it wasn’t for you I never would have had the chance. Thank you.

Good nite.

Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog: The Final Cut :Rescue Dog Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Chapter Four

So here I am in Canada with my foster parents Anthony and Susan. Gradually I am starting to feel good about myself. I am gaining confidence. I am saddled with countless bad dreams about my treatment on the streets of Cairo, master Anwar’s state abduction and execution for simply being critical of the Egyptian government. But I can not change what has already happened. If I keep thinking about these negative human interactions it will be akin to chasing my tail and running around in circles. Although I can accept what has happened to me incessant worrying and judging translates everything to unhappiness. Perhaps one day I can forgive those who forever altered my life and took away Anwar’s.

I have forgiven the Rottenwhiler who attacked and injured me in Cairo as after all I was the one attempting to steal food from his bowl. Extreme hunger breeds desperation. Strangely if that big dog had not bitten me I never would have ended up in the Cairo pet hospital making it possible to leave Egypt and come to Canada. Unfortunately my fear of large dogs causes me to growl and sometimes lunge at them but Anthony and Susan are not angered by my bad manners as they have familiarity with my history. I am not ill mannered just frightened by this experience. After watching a BBC documentary with Anwar on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder of British soldiers in Ireland I think I am suffering from PTSD. This is why humans must have compassion for many rescue dogs. Their loving canine soul has been damaged by unpleasant if not horrific experiences.

I am now starting to forgive many of the Egyptian people for how badly they treated me. They have little compassion for street dogs because they have no tradition of loving and caring for pets but do they have to poison and shoot street dogs? They are slaves to their feelings as for almost all they do not know the concept and joy of having a pet. I would hope that time and education will help them like dogs and treat them better. A thank you for those Egyptians in the pet hospital that saved my life.

My experiences in Canada show that Canadians love and care for their dogs but I am sure not all pets are loved and cared for here. I hear there are “puppy mills” where puppies are bred and kept in horrible conditions.  Roy, a neighborhood rescue dog, told me of the horrific conditions he was subjected to and how he survived his “imprisonment” in a Taiwanese puppy mill. How he survived is a miracle. There are 4 rescue dogs in our neighbourhood so I am not alone.

So here I am in Canada under the care and control of my foster parents and feel my luck is in an upward trajectory. I am in a strange country and a bit frightened as everything is so unfamiliar but I feel so much love and respect for me “just an” Egyptian street dog. I am tough and resilient and proud. I am going to show all these Canadians just how good Reggie the Egyptian street dog can be! I do this for myself, Anwar and all the street dogs in Egypt. Can my story be told one day?

RKS Literature: United States Congress as a Pigsty

“On this minor his dream faded-work to do: he tried to imagine himself in Congress rooting around that litter of that incredible pigsty with narrow and porcine brows he saw pictured sometimes in the rotogravure sections of the Sunday newspapers, those glorified proletarians babbling to the nation the ideas of high school seniors! Little men with copy-book ambitions who by mediocrity had thought to emerge from mediocrity into the lustreless and unromantic heaven of a government by the people-and the best, the dozen shrewd men at the top, egotistic and cynical, were content to lead this choir of white ties and wire collar-buttons in a discordant  and amazing hymn, compounded of a vague confusion between wealth and reward of virtue and wealth as a proof of vice, and continued cheers for God, the Constitution and the Rocky Mountains.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Beautiful and Damned”, 1922

Travels to a Different Time: Travels of My Mother: ? February1971: Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Dear Barb:

And what a night. V.T. the ATS hostess whom I insist you must write to thank for her being so good to me gave me a ticket to the welcoming BBQ for the incoming tour. A women’s conference. Sure pick the winners but some had their sons there. Mostly dear old women like me but a few brought their husbands. If you ever have a chance to go to one of their affairs GO! We left the hotel at 7:30 p.m. for a twenty-minute ride in a beautiful new bus. There were 500 people at the do in a huge fabulous building and they started off with a Spanish cocktail party. Brother! Tables loaded with olives, almonds, you know the usual stuff. Then on to dinner. A bottle of red and white wine on each table. Started off with a huge salad, then chicken then a big suckling pig, then Champagne and ice cream. After this we went outside for an equestrian show. While sitting around the ring we were served hot rum. I will never ever forget this night. On the bus back to the hotel on the bus some 23-year-old asked me to go to Barcelona with him. I said NO! My daughter is your age! He said I figured you were 25!

I have a terrific tan and am too thin but I will put it back on soon. VT gave me a ticket for the farewell party for the outgoing group. There was salad, roast beef, potatoes, asparagus then fruit in brandy. No wonder Americans love their tours. They are fabulous price wise.

Tomorrow a real estate woman is picking me up to look at apartments as if you are still with the airline I will bring Rob here for the summer with Andy coming on his holidays.

I ate one of the oranges I bought yesterday and it was so sweet and full of juice.

Sunday

The real estate lady picked me up and we drove 12 miles to Palma Nova where the beaches are. The apartments all have marble floors and are absolutely new. A huge three-bedroom apartment rents for $300 a month and a smaller 3 bedroom for $200.

I had some money stolen from my purse after leaving it for a minute. It wasn’t much but they left the travellers cheques and Canadian cash. From now on I will go out with only the cash I need and put the rest in the safe. I will go out for my afternoon coffee and brandy at the outdoor café then come home for a bath and go out for dinner.

Once in bed someone knocked at the door at 2 a.m. then phoned at 2:15 and 2:45 and knocked at my door at 8:30 a.m. I was furious and answered nothing. I called VT at 10 a.m. to ask her out. We are getting a big kick out of all of this. He told her he’d been in London all day yesterday but I could have sworn I saw him out on the patio in the sun. So now we are more curious than ever.

Love Mum

Monday

Today I spent $25 on three pairs of shoes all gorgeous. One pair of these shoes in Montreal would be $50.

This place is heaven on earth and I love it.

Mum

Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog: The Final Cut: Canada My New Home! Chapter Three

There is a big stir at Toronto Pearson Airport when our crates are unloaded from the airplane and placed in the cargo area. There are television cameras and journalists like my deceased master Anwar. I wonder if anyone is watching us in Egypt? Many journalists are interested in me knowing Anwar was my master. They know of his execution and are curious to see me.

I am very tired and so frightened I am shaking but I am also excited. The foster parents are picking us up to take us to their home. Are they kind masters and mistresses?  I am off the street for now. Are foster parents arrested in the middle of the night like Anwar was? I am a bit mixed up and so very tired. So tired.

A tall man with a beard and a lady come up to me and softly call my name. They attempt to pet me but I am afraid of stranger’s hands and feet as I was hit and kicked so many times in Egypt. I move back and give a little growl but they do not try and hit or kick me.

Oh it has been so long since I had a leash and collar! It feels good although strange. I have been a street dog for a few months but this leash and collar remind me of Anwar who is gone and I will never see him again until I go to The Land Beyond.

The man’s name is Anthony and the lady is called Susan. They give me a treat they called dried liver which tastes scrumptious. If I do what they say they are so happy and say, “Good boy Reggie” and sometimes even give me a treat. I think I would do just about anything for these liver treats! We all go to my foster parent’s car and there is a big blanket on the back seat and they put me on it saying we will be home soon. I have not had a real home in many months. I wonder if we can watch the BBC news every night like I used to do with Anwar.

I fall asleep in the car and wake up in front of a house so different than the houses in Egypt. Anthony and Susan have a green backyard full of plants and thick grass and I have a good roll in it and bark a thank you to these strangers. They show me their house and I have my own bed and blanket and my own bowl for water and food! I have a big drink of cold and clean water and I have some crunchy food they call chicken kibble.

We all go out for a walk and I pull hard on the leash. I am so excited to see other dogs being walked and many are happy to see me. They sniff me and wag their tails and some want to play. No one shouts or curses me. I am beginning to like Canada! But suddenly a big dog like the one who attacked me in Cairo barks at me and although I am terrified, I lunge and bark at him furiously. I have never lost my temper like this before. Susan and Anthony calmly pull me back knowing I was attacked and they say that they will protect me from all dangers and what happened to me in Egypt will never happen in Canada.

So, we go home and Anthony watches the BBC news and this makes me feel sad and happy at the same time. I fall asleep at Anthony’s feet. Soon it is time for bed and Anthony takes me out for a walk saying I should pee and poo outside. I understand this as this is what Anwar taught me.

I am looking forward to a sleep in my new bed and having clean water to drink anytime I want! As I fall asleep I think about all the dogs that were on the airplane with me. I am sure they do not understand English and I hope they are having a good time in their new country. I have only been here a few hours but I am finding out what feeling safe is like. But will I be loved? I do not know what foster parents are but I am certain I will learn.

I wake up howling in the dark in the kitchen where my bed is. Where am I? Are there soldiers at the door? Anthony comes down and speaks to me softly. I jump in his arms and he pats me and rocks me back and forth on the sofa. We both fall asleep and I now know I am safe in Canada.

RKS 2024 Film: “All To Play For” (Rien à Perdre): Boxed in by the State!

Sylvie (Virgine Efira) is a widow in Bretange, France with teenage son Jean Jacques and a younger boy Sofiane. While at work as a barmaid on the evening shift Sofiane, who has behavioural problems, suffers second degree burns while attempting to cook some fries. Older brother Jean Jacques was on his way home from trumpet practice and was not at home when the accident happened so the hospital treating Sofiane reported that Sofiane was alone at home and days later the police and child welfare services swoop in and take Sofiane into protective custody without any warning so viewers may think is state kidnapping and take poor Sylvie’s side as a victim of state abuse.

Sylvie retains counsel for a hearing before a judge who agrees with child welfare that Sofiane should be placed in foster care for 6 months with visitation rights of twice a month. Sylvie is advised by her lawyer to play it cool but her frustration and anger snowballs and she falls further away from Sofiane by not “playing the game” which is be passive and acquiesce to state kidnapping. She spins out of control and there are incidents that may cause you to question her fitness as a mother. Each act of her aggression is but a potential example to the state of her unsuitability as a parent. Her defiance of the state is understandable but is this is a question of her immaturity and ultimately her proper judgement as a parent to care for Sofiane?

The result is she has boxed herself in so deeply she has nothing to lose which is the proper translation of “Rien à Perdre”. And when you have nothing to lose you take desperate measures.

A tremendous performance by Efira in this Delphine Deloget film.

You can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/889985378.

Limited Canadian release on 12January2024 in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Sudbury.

If you would like to watch a documentary on how corrupt and inefficient the California foster care system is see my review of “Failure to Protect” https://a-little-birdie-told-me.ca/2023/10/14/rks-2023-film-failure-to-protect-criminals-having-more-rights-than-parents-in-the-web-of-child-protective-services-state-child-abduction-a-k-a-protective-custody/

RKS 2024 Film Rating: 84/100.

RKS 2024 Wine: Do You Believe in the Score? Farmer’s Leap Random Shot 2020 Shiraz’s 96

Retailers of wine love to display over 89 wines that will capture the consumer’s eye. Yes, every once and awhile my name pops up on the shelves or in a magazine advertising the wine. Take or leave it as to scores. My advice is to find a reviewer you are consistently in agreement with and follow your guru. Perhaps you may just want to ask if they are in the “business of reviewing wine”. Who pays their salary? Are they in the over 89 game simply to be featured in the shelf displays to “gain recognition”? Are their scores suspiciously high on a consistent basis? Are they charging winemakers a fee to review or some other fee such as having a critic’s rating affixed to bottle with the critic’s name? You are the best critic of course and if you are happy with that bottle of peach flavoured Chardonnay good on you mate!

This Farmer’s Leap Random Shot 2020 Shiraz from Padthaway in South Australia has an impressive 96 from the Limestone Coast Wine Show. And yes want to compete in the show? Well often you must pay an entrance fee, table fees and even a fee for affixing a wine show sticker on your bottle. Wine shows and competitions are for profit. Follow the money!

Aroma: A good measure of oak in this with corresponding vanilla and coconut. Big time blackberry, black cherry, cola and a small dribble of dark chocolate.

Palate: Broad based and evenly spread tannins. Blackberry and black currant rule the roost but it lacks depth obfuscated by a bit of sourness. It is hot at 14.5% alcohol.

Personality: A real charmer on the nose with skillful use of oak but flash does not always equate with cash.

Food Match: Hot Italian sausage on a bun aka a Friday night wine. 

Cellarbility: Given its moderate cost perhaps there is nothing to lose by setting aside a few and trying over a three-year period but I would expect minimal ageing improvability.

Price: $16.95 CDN (Ontario).

RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 89/100. 2021 Limestone Coast Wine Show 96.

(Farmer’s Leap Random Shot 2020 Padthaway Shiraz, Farmer’s Leap Wines, Padthaway, South Australia, 750 mL, 14.5%).

Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog: The Final Cut: My Master is Dead What Hope Exists for Me? Chapter Two

As my health improves, I pay some attention to the television monitor in the recovery room of the animal hospital. I had watched BBC News with Anwar many times and I hear with crushing sorrow, so great I query if you can feel my heart breaking, that Anwar has been executed as a traitor to Egypt. An article or two critical of the current government and he is a doomed seditionist!

I am so sad I want to crawl up and die. My master killed like a street dog.

My friends tell me we are travelling to a distant land called Canada. I have seen a few BBC documentaries on Canada. I remember snow and terrible cold. But I am so devastated and unhappy about Egypt if I can escape this murderous nation to both humans and dogs I have hope.

There was a Canadian woman in our hospital and she pointed to me as a refugee for rescue. I think a refugee is some creature that has no home to welcome it. I am contemplating a new life with people that care and respect me. I do not want to be beaten, kicked and spat on. I have the ancient blood of the Pharaohs in me. If I go to this strange land I will bring the Pharaohs’ spirit with me.

Many of us are excited about this strange land Canada. I tell my dog friends that from what I know about Canada from the BBC news and documentaries I have seen that it is a calm country. There are no big demonstrations and bloody confrontations like there are here in Egypt. These Canadians respect dogs much more than in Egypt, I hope!

There is some talk I hear from the Canadian lady at our hospital that there are many Canadian humans waiting to help us. Some dogs are so frightened by a bad rumour we are going to be made into sausages in Canada. I tell them based on BBC broadcasts this is impossible as Canadians are compassionate.

We are selected for transport to Canada. We have been spayed, deloused and undergone parasitic treatment.

The big day has come. We are transported in a big truck to the airport in Cairo as we await our flight to Toronto. We are given a last walk and have a chance to pee and poo and we are given some chopped goat meat that makes us very sleepy. We are placed in cages and placed in what I know as an airplane from the BBC news I have seen. I hear people talking in English we have all be given sedatives that make us sleep and reduce our anxiety.

We are very sleepy and do not pay attention to the dark and cool place we are placed in the airplane. There is a veterinarian from Canada on the airplane called Dr. Murray who sits with us for 12 hours until we arrive in Toronto and makes sure we are let out of our cages so we can do our business.

So we arrive and there are foster parents who will help us get acclimatized to this strange country. Are foster parents new masters and mistresses? Many are crying being so happy to see us safe and they try and hug us and tell us we are safe. We are smart street dogs and can’t simply trust humans that have abused us.  I try to bark out that I think we are safe. We are in CANADA. A country that loves dogs. We have hope. Where are the families that will take care of us?