RKS Wine: The Life of Portugal’s Runner Up!

As for Portuguese wines on the California centric shelves of Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s the big guy is the Douro and in a somewhat distant second place but gaining ground are the wines from Alentejano.

We try a Monte Velho from the Alentejano a blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional and Syrah.

On the nose the first impression is that the wine is a spicy little fellow. Black cherry, blueberry, dark chocolate, Santa Rosa plum and a bit of Tellicherry pepper on the nose.

On the palate there is a certain softness and plushness but not to the degree there is flabbiness. Loads of blueberry tinged by some black licorice and home-made raspberry jam. Short finish.

As with most Portuguese red wines built for food. Good with grilled octopus and with beef. For vegheads brave enough to break their backs preparing Eggplant Parmesan with local field tomatoes/garlic/basil. If you want to make this dish act soon while local produce is available. Moving to colder months another backbreaking dish that would suit the wine would be Mushroom Wellington.

(Monte Velho 2019, Vinho Regional Alentejano, Esporão, Portugal, $14.05, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 146778, 13%, 750 mL, RKS Wine Rating 88/100).

RKS Literature: Mikhail Sholokhov “Virgin Soil Upturned”

“Yes, you are right there. Wait a little then, don’t join yet. Well fight relentlessly against all shortcomings in the collective farm; all the collars will be fitted to the right horses. But if you see your old bullocks in your sleep, then you can’t be in the Party. You must come into the Party without any suffering over property. You have to come into the Party when you’re clean all through and are driven by the one thought of achieving the world revolution. My father was comfortably off, and he got me used to the farm from my childhood. But I wasn’t in the least attached to it, the farm meant nothing to me whatever. I gave up a well-fed life and four yoke of oxen to be a poor labourer. So don’t you join until you’ve got clean rid of that scab of property.”

Mikhail Sholokhov, “Virgin Soil Upturned” first published in the USSR in 1932.

RKS Literature: Mikhail Sholokhov “Virgin Soil Upturned”

“……I’d pass a decree forbidding youngsters to get married. What sort of revolutionaries will they make if they get used to hanging on women’s’ skirts?  A women is to us what honey is to a greedy fly. We get stuck at once. I’ve seen it in my own case, and I know only too well. I’d sit down to an evening to read, to develop myself, and my wife would lie down to sleep. I’d read a little and then lie down too, and she’d turn her arse towards me. Then I’d feel insulted by her position and I’d either begin to swear at her or I’d light a cigarette, fuming at her insolence and unable to get off to sleep. So I wouldn’t get enough sleep, and in the morning I’d have a heavy head and would make some political mistake. I’ve had some! And for those that have children they’re completely lost to the party. In a jiffy they’ve learnt how to look after their babies, got used to their milky smell, and they’re done for. They make bad fighters and hopeless workers. In the Tsarist days I used to instruct the young Cossack recruits, and I saw that the single youngsters had cheerful faces and looked intelligent. But when they left their young wives to join the regiment they’d go wooden with yearning and become blockheads. You’d only get confusion from them, and you couldn’t teach them a thing.”

Mikhail Sholokhov “Virgin Soil Upturned” First published in 1932 in the U.S.S.R.

RKS Film: “Bullet Proof” :Canadians Making Nasty Films

After watching two Canadian films lately one being “River Road” and “Bullet Proof” the subject of this review there is no doubt Canadians can make nasty films full of rotten and despicable characters.

The Frenchman a well dressed hitman!

In “Bullet Proof” the Thief (never actually named in the film) played by James C. Clayton rips off drug Dealer Temple (Vinnie Jones) and such heists rarely end up with a happy ending. The chase is on with Temple and his thugs fond of facial tatoos with hitman The Frenchman (Janvier Katabarwa). Temple is a ruthless maniac and The Frenchman a low key and efficient killer. The Thief has a little problem. Hiding in his getaway car is Temple’s pregnant wife Mia (Lina Lecompte) desperate to escape abusive Temple. Temple is a mean bugger but becomes even more vicious taking the attempted escape of his wife very personally.

So who would like this film;

  1. Fans of Canadian cinema always anxious to see how the film stacks up internationally. These fans will not be disappointed with this film. While there is some of that gee golly Canadian touches to the film the fact that Lionsgate is distributing the movie rather gives it a seal of potential mass market appeal.
  2. Fans liking a shoot em up film will see lots of bullets fly.
  3. Fans liking hateable bad guys. Plenty of them here.
  4. Fans liking a good” chase film”. In fact the entire film is a chase film!
  5. Fans liking a proper sense of retribution.

The acting throughout is solid so much so do not throw popcorn on the screen when you see Temple.

Yes The Thief, James C. Clayton, makes his directorial debut.

You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hOfNvRaPuQ&list=PPSV

The film opens in select North American theatres, Apple TV and on VOD on August 19.

RKS Film Rating 83/100.

RKS Wine: Château Joinin as Château Pipeau’s Younger Brother

It is the Mestreguilhem family that vints both Château Joinin and Château Pipeau. Château Pipeau St. Émilion Grand Cru as it sits on the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s shelves is $43.95. The Château Joinin a simple 2019 AC Bordeaux is a humble $14.95 but the 2018 I tried certainly must be a top of the rung for a $14.95 Bordeaux. So what about the 2019 Château Joinin?

On the nose there is a strong streak of black cherry, cassis, blackberry and black plum. On the palate the tannins are not intense but laid back. There is a generous flurry of blueberries scurrying about with a tad of milk chocolate. A moderate finish. This would suit a leg of lamb coated with rosemary pesto and slow cooked on the grill with garlic mashed potatoes and summer fresh green beans. Simple is good.

The result I think is a solid Bordeaux that doesn’t belong in the $14.95 club. It may be a younger brother to Château Pipeau but let’s not get into a Romulus and Remus comparison please.

James.suckling.com rates this a 91 and says it is “fresher than past vintages” and advises to drink now. It is indeed a bit more lightheaded than the 2018 but I would give it until 2023 to reach its peak before it declines and that is where it falters with big brother Château Pipeau or it better as I have two magnums of the 2005 Château Pipeau!

The author wishes to disclose that he is a younger brother in fact the baby of the family.

(Château Joinin 2019 Bordeaux, AC Bordeaux, Château Joinin, Jugazan, France, $14.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 527853, 14.5%, 750 mL, RKS Wine Rating 89/100).

RKS Film: “Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic”

“Sextortion” can be defined as the manipulation of a child to send inappropriate pictures or to do inappropriate things on camera or eventually meet up with a predator. The predator obtains a inappropriate picture or video of the child and extorts that child to send more compromising pictures or do more acts that are captured on camera or else the predator will expose that child to shame by circulating the offensive material online to that child’s social network. The predator needs a never-ending stream of images to remain in its pedophile group on the dark web.

Sextortion is on the rise to the extent that law enforcement simply can’t keep up. There are an increasing number of predators and as they congregate often in groups they share experiences and techniques on how to ingratiate themselves with victims. The number of social media apps aimed at youth only exacerbates the problem.

One of the predators Daniel Harris was a Navy flier with a wife and two children who admitted to going a bit too far with one of his victims maintaining it was an isolated incident. Well there certainly was more than one victim! Harris ended up with a 50-year sentence. Unfortunate victims, mostly young girls, internalize the shame without telling their parents to the point they fall victim to depression, cutting and even suicide like Amanda Todd from Canada. Todd was victimized by a predator but additionally once photos of her circulated on social media then the cyber bullying began.

Predators focus on girls from 7-18 years of age but the most vulnerable are in the 10-15 year old bracket.

The problem is a global one. One victim thinking initially she was in love with her predator later finds out the one man was really 12 different men from different countries.

The documentary presents views of victims, parents, lawyers, prosecutors, survivor groups and police mostly located in Virginia. Practical advice is given on how to spot children who are in the process of being victimized.

For many the techniques of predators are understood but the documentary explains the huge extent of sextortion in the United States. The documentary has been restricted to the United States so far but there is a global digital release scheduled for October 4, 2022. To learn more visit www.sextortionfilm.com.

You can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/673752770

The director and producer is Maria Peek.

“Virus # 26 Director’s Cut: Chapter 17 “Lessons Learnt from COVIDs: Governments with No Money Left”

Wealthy capitalist countries handed out money like candy canes to both individuals and businesses. Various augmentations to unemployment insurance, wage subsidies and low interest loans to businesses just to name a few. The money was so easy millions preferred staying at home collecting it instead of working!

Just ask the late Tsar Alexander of Russia about this. Hungry and unemployed people are desperate and quite frankly dangerous to social stability. It makes a ruling elite extremely nervous as it can mean off to the guillotine courtesy of angry mobs, murder, sedition, assassinations, political extremism and if it continues for too long revolution.

Western governments shovelled money out the door to stop or delay these nasty social events. Was it a question of care or compassion or self preservation! And given their acts had shut down the economy the amount doled out was not supported by any tax revenue. It was if the politicos were sitting on a pile of dynamite with the fuse slowly burning and heading in their direction. When the money dried out BOOM!

All the brave talk of shutting down a reopened economy was the bravado of a deluded bankrupt. Meaningless tough talk.

Aside from so many governments letting their medical systems deteriorate and the refusal of many to have socialized medicine in place can you blame governments for emptying their coffers? By the time Virus#26 rolled into town in 2030 there had been some restocking of government coffers but carrying such a massive debt load and with high unemployment there was very minimal tax revenue flowing in and with such low credit ratings who wanted to lend any money to a government? Government financing 101 and that is save up and avoid deficits in anticipation one day this extra money saved will be needed. Not that maniacal savings really would have kept the ship afloat.

Governments that can offer no relief to distressed citizens fall into Revolution 101.

“Travels to a Different Time” : 15March2001: New York City: The Wonders of Central Park

For the trip to Toronto Pearson Airport paid a bit extra for limo service. I have had bad luck with airport taxis. On my last trip to Boston when returning home from Toronto Pearson Airport I had an airport taxi that stalled at each stop. And before that a driver that took me towards Hamilton instead of Toronto! Rosedale Livery Service arrived on time. Immaculate and modern Lincoln. Zipped to airport in 20 minutes for a 58-minute flight to LaGuardia. We hopped into a taxi that smelt like toilet bowl cleanser. Virtually crawled out of the deodorized taxi in an overly fumigated state to the Hemsley Windsor. Leona Helmsley a nasty piece of work. A very tired but large room but at $155 a night with continental breakfast included a good deal.

Unpacked and off to Central Park where son Andrew climbed a few of the rock formations you’ll find in Central Park. After that walked along The Mall which is a broad tree lined path with statutes of famous authors such as Robbie Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Then to the “lake” with swans and ducks and a restaurant nearby for greasy clam chowder and some anemic fries. Walked to the Cooper Hewitt Museum to see an Alexander Girard exhibit. Girard had a great influence on American modernism. He designed tiles and had a big influence on American architecture. So much walking and poor Andrew ended up limping the last 10 blocks home. All of us had a nap for two hours. New York is a walking city! I walked up the street on West 58th and ordered a pizza at Ray’s for dinner. Ordered large pizza one half cheese and the other ½ mushrooms. Watched “Joan of Arc: The Messenger” and crashed out.

RKS Film: “Returning Home”: Canada’s Genocide?

Canada’s aboriginal people, like all aboriginal societies cursed with colonization, have suffered from what many call genocide. While it serves no purpose for a mere film critic to determine if Canadian aboriginals have suffered genocide they have received the raw end of the stick through European colonization. Lands stolen and then “treaties” to make their dispossession appear legitimate.

And yes Canada with its sterling reputation priding itself from being so distinct and caring has been shattered of late over and above the poor living conditions, poisoned water and sky high substance abuse in its aboriginal communities with the issue of “residential schools” causing death, dislocation, societal destruction and high emotional trauma.

If you are keyed into the documentary film circuit you no doubt have seen the plight of aboriginal populations in Columbia, Brazil, Peru and the Philippines. But now just add on a withering view of a happy and so called caring Canadian nation getting a stinging international slap in the face with the Pope visiting Canada to apologize, sort of, for the havoc caused by Catholic residential schools that yanked children as young as 7 from aboriginal communities and placed them in residential schools stripping them of their language, dignity and community. Cruel Catholic priests and nuns some of which were pedophiles and not shy of infanticide. Babies burnt in incinerators and children buried in unmarked graves. I will not go into detail here as I will let the film do that. What I will say this horrific system has shattered the mental health of thousands of aboriginals and perhaps of many Canadians that such a horrific and cruel endeavour could have ever happened in Canada. Wake up Canada.

Getting personal here I grew up in Montreal with a large Mohawk reservation across the river yet despite the residential school system operating as early as 1860 in Canada we elementary students of 1960’s Canada learnt about Nanook in Northern Canada and Bunga in Africa with no mention of abuse of our aboriginal population. So in the film we see Phyllis Jack-Webstad, founder of the Orange Shirt Day, making appearances at schools throughout Canada teaching their young students about her life and that of her mother and grandmother suffering through the residential school system. Three generations of trauma!

So in addition to an explanation of the residential school system the documentary explores another aspect of possible genocide being the depletion of the salmon fishery of aboriginals on the Fraser River in British Columbia. The average salmon run up the Fraser River in 1950-1990 was 6 million salmon. In 2020 it is estimated at 283,000. The salmon fishing industry, commercial salmon farming, chemical leaks from mining and pulp and paper mills and climate change have decimated the salmon fishing culture of aboriginal communities. Salmon for many is a key aspect of their cultural and socioeconomic survival. The salmon fishery disappears their salmon centric society crumbles. Genocide is not simply about murder of which there seems ample evidence of in the residential school system but includes cultural and economic decimation. Mining, logging, salmon farming, hydro electric projects and damning may not be so crude as Nazi concentration camps but don’t they have the same effect?

I have 7 pages of detailed notes on this documentary and I have watched it twice so I will just leave you with my impressions and ask you watch this documentary and stop waving your Canadian flag. And Canadians when we have our statutory holiday on September 30th called National Truth and Reconciliation Day we give some thought to the harm caused to our aboriginal populations and listen to them how to stop the harm we have caused to them and our environment through our greed and stupidity.

It will be playing at Toronto Hot Docs Cinema from August 14-20 but I am sure it will be seen beyond that!

You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jhDD0NBEKI&t=40s

Directed by Sean Stiller.

RKS Wine: leaning post’s The Fifty Chardonnay from Niagara: A Goldie Hawn Wine?

At 540 cases produced this concrete aged Chardonnay can be considered a micro cuvée.

The wine is platinum coloured which may be indicative this is no big Chardonnay. On the nose somewhat of a classic Chardonnay bouquet with lots of apple, pear, guava, slate and just a bit of pineapple and ginger. A gentle Chardonnay on the palate and this palate appreciates an acidity that is well ensconced in the wine. Discrete apple pear and melon with a short but baked apple-tinged finish. A dainty yet vibrant wine with a perky personality. Positively early Goldie Hawn!

Best consumed by the end of 2024 although I do not think it will improve with ageing.

Would suit simply prepared lake fish, poultry and since it is summer here in Ontario a zucchini blossom pasta.

(leaning post Chardonnay 2020 The Fifty, VQA Niagara Peninsula, $22.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 578864, 12.5%, 750 mL, RKS Wine Rating 91/100).