RKS Wine: Same Grape but Different Countries: Malbec from Argentina and France; Julie Andrews vs. Marylin Monroe?

There is nothing like travelling on a wine media tour to really understand the grapes of a country or region. I have yet to visit Argentina or Cahors in France to make insightful general comparisons on their differing styles of Malbec. But I’ll try and see where my general experience leads us. Argentinian Malbecs produced with grapes grown at lower altitudes have a certain plushness and lushness to them. As the altitude increases, they tighten up and become more “disciplined”. Malbecs from Cahors would be firmer.

So we try a Mission de Picpus 2018 Malbec from Cahors. On the palate there is nothing oozing and gushing but rather a strict assemblage of blackberry, cassis, black cherry and a dose of sour cherry. On the palate a rather traditional French style of many of their red wines and that is the fruit saying, “I am hiding. Come and find me.” A peek a boo Malbec? Concentrate and you’ll find notes of black cherry and black plum encircled by moderate tannins. The finish is short. I think 3-4 years in the bottle will loosen up the wine but free and easy I think it will never be. For cinematographic comparisons this is Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music”. It would suit a Greek Stifado (stew) of wild rabbit or octopus.

(Mission de Picpus 2018 Cahors Malbec, Vignobles Saint Didier Parnac, Parnac, France, $15.25, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 10573, 750 mL, 14%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

Now to an Argentinian Malbec from ace winemaker Susana Balbo from grapes grown at 1,500 metres altitude in Mendoza. On the palate it is definitely fleshier that the Cahors Malbec. It has a rather expansive nose of blueberry, blueberry pie and some deep blackberry notes. On the palate you are zapped with loads of blueberry. It’s a lip smacker but not jammy. This is no Julie Andrews wine but I can see Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe enjoying a glass of this over a big steak dinner after Dean’s show in Las Vegas.

The 4% Merlot helps give the wine some lushness. The wine spent 13 months in French oak 30% of which was new and 70% which was seasoned. Enjoy with a steak and a Dean Martin recording in the background. This one is a real crowd pleaser. I would say it will hold well into 2024.

(Susana Balbo 2019 Signature Malbec, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina, $20.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 79798, 14.5%, 750 mL, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 94/100).

Poetry Corner : “The Devil’s Game? Have We been Sold a Bill of Goods?”

The Devil’s Game? Have we Been Sold a Bill of Goods?

I recall arriving home on Sunday to hear 666 cases of new COVID
300 amongst those fully vaccinated
has the god saving power of the vaccine been overrated?
they will say at least the fully vaxxed don’t need hospitalization
isn’t that a bit of gyration from the claims of Big Pharma their vaccines were 96% effective
and any attempt to challenge that let the fifth estate claim anti-vaxxer invective
please go ahead and obtain the jab if you want
but beware there may be some “damage control” of Big Pharma claims
the government medico political elite ignores what maims
as the profit of the magic juice makers
by statistics makes them fakers
are we Canadians obedient
or blasted by propaganda subservient?

Robert K. Stephen

RKS Films: “HAB” (Cream): A Quirky, Cutting and Quasi Absurd Hungarian Film

Although “HAB” has already been screened at the 2021 Canadian European Union Film Festival it no doubt may surface throughout the world at various “Indie” cinemas.

Dora (Vica Kerekes) is a quirky young Hungarian lady. She berates herself for always trying to get what she simply can’t have. She has a torrid love affair with a man that is engaged and leaves her. Her bakery “HAB” has pastries named after on screen romantic actors but she has over invested in top notch equipment and her expenses are far greater than her revenue. But the Hungarian government is awarding 95,000€ to certain deserving family businesses. Problem is that she is not married and has no children so when invited to a retreat to discuss the grants she “borrows” a husband Adam who she met 4 days ago and a next door 11-year-old Lacika as her son who has the intellect of a 31-year-old.

Off this “family “goes to this retreat run by an overdone if not absurd woman so full of it she’s comical if not hysterical if she believes the crap she is spouting. And there is a facilitator a hokey pokey New Age author full of ridiculous platitudes. And the few families participating just may not be families. The retreat denigrates into a contest attempting to exploit and demean its participants. Now you may be chortling at the idiocy of this retreat but having been on a few myself there is a thunderbolt of sad reality where the goal is to inculcate you through simulated business cases and exhaust you. Sort of like a re-education camp. But the film resists the inclination to launch a frontal attack on these business retreats instead mocking them through absurdity and the stupidity of its sponsors. If you have been through it you find the film satirically on point. If not you’ll wonder what idiots designed this retreat. After purposeful humiliation exercises the retreat more or less collapses.

Then in its last minutes it becomes a romantic film with Dora not wanting to live a life of lies and fantasy and reopens her bakery on-line renaming her pastries after everyday situations such as “I had a flat tire.”

I am uncertain if director Nóra Lakos intended this to be a savage insight into the corporate retreat but that is the message I took away. This is no romantic comedy as some have described it. At points it reminds me of “The Truman Show”.

This 2020 Hungarian movie is in Hungarian with English subtitles.

The trailer is here https://vimeo.com/518094704

RKS Wines: Niepoort 10 Years Old Tawny Port

If Late Bottled Vintage Port and Vintage Port are the lions in the Port den Tawny Port is the gazelle elegantly leaping in the tall grasses of the savannah.

Aged Tawnies are blends of Ports from several years which are then kept for long periods of time in the barrel. Think of an aged Tawny as finesse and an LBV and Vintage Ports as pure power. While a Vintage Port can be purple in colour Tawnies can have an orange brickish colour. In terms of alcohol they are just about the same as LBV’s and Vintage Ports. Generally speaking it is fair so say they mellow out with age and they suit chocolate desserts, nuts and egg-based desserts like flan or a Molotov.

This Niepoort is transparent in colour and is orange and garnet in colour. On the nose caramel, Christmas cake, burnt orange, overripe strawberry and Grand Marnier. There is a certain marriage of fruit and brandy. Brandy is added to stop the fermentation of the wine making it sweeter than fully fermented table wine.

On the palate there is a bit of a burn but in no way unpleasant and at 19.5% to be expected. Well integrated notes of marmalade galette, orange spice cake, Portuguese roasted almonds and overall a dominance of orange as fruit. There is a bit of a nutty finish. The finish is very long as with most Ports but wanders a bit and lacks precision

Consider this as an introduction to an aged Tawny. A 40-year-old Tawny will be mellower on the palate and complex too. This 10-year-old is playing with our palate and inviting us to up the age.

(Niepoort 10 Years Old Tawny Port, Niepoort, Villa Nova de Gaia, $48.30, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 699727, 750 ml, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

RKS Wine: Wine from the Outer Limits: Bulgarian Mavrud

Mavrud is mainly found in Bulgaria making tannic wines that take well to ageing. The wines are said to have character but little elegance.

But what the heck! Escape the rabbit hole of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Gamay, Pinot Noir and the usual red wine suspects and jump into Groundhog Day with a Mavrud.

Way back in the day I spent a month in Bulgaria. Great people living unhappily under the yoke of Communism. Line ups for food. No shower in my bathroom at a low-end hostel so it was off to a public bath house for the proletarian and not the LGBTQ community. I must have been a strange character with a ponytail particularly if you arrived in Bulgaria by land the border guard would shave your head like you were joining the Marines! Stop that Western decadence and corruption. Yes I had many a people stare at me with my long hair and Romanian shepherd vest. But they were all good and hospitable people perhaps because my presence was a quasi celebrity one. Outside the capital city of Sofia I was an object of disbelief and viewed like an alien.

I arrived in Sofia from Athens on a Balkanair flight. Refreshments were sparkling water and a quasi edible sandwich served Alcatraz style but customs were so awed by the spectacle they saw I escaped without a haircut!

On the nose there is some black cherry and it is indeed charming mixed with chocolate, blackberry, pomegranate, blueberry waffles and cassis. The nose reminds me of a Tawny Port in a straight jacket but there is none of the neutral spirit sweet heft to it. The tannins are moderate. On the palate a very earthy wine but concentrate hard enough there is some fruit lurking on the fringes mostly blackberry and some juicy cherry. Generally speaking an unimpressive finish. However the lurking fruit and moderate tannins hint that the wine might mature over the next few years.

Quite frankly readers often organic wine has a certain purity and vibrancy to it. Sorry to say this wine tastes like it was from grapes grown in overworked and lifeless soil.

No the wine isn’t going to bite you and will suit, as they politely say, a Friday night dinner of pasta, wings or burgers.

I say bring on the Bulgarians! They have been making wine for centuries so there must be some gems out there still in Bulgaria as the Iron Curtain fell decades ago and there has been time for wine to escape the Politburo’s 5 year economic plan as a commodity.

(Zagreus Reserve Mavrud 2018, Zagreus AD, Parvomay, Bulgaria, (organic), $15.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 21275, 750 mL, 14%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 87/100).

Research paper A naturalistic examination of the perceived effects of cannabis on negative affect (Journal of Affective Disorders) (1August2018)

Author links open overlay panelCarrieCuttlerabAlexanderSpradlinaRyan J.McLaughlinabcShow moreAdd to MendeleyShareCitehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.04.054Get rights and contentUnder a Creative Commons licenseopen access

Highlights

•

Cannabis significantly reduced ratings of depression, anxiety, and stress.•

Women reported larger reductions in anxiety as a function of cannabis than did men.•

Low THC/high CBD cannabis was best for reducing perceived symptoms of depression.•

High THC/high CBD cannabis was best for reducing perceived symptoms of stress.•

Use of cannabis to treat depression appears to exacerbate depression over time.

Abstract

Background

Cannabis is commonly used to alleviate symptoms of negative affect. However, a paucity of research has examined the acute effects of cannabis on negative affect in everyday life. The current study provides a naturalistic account of perceived changes in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress as a function of dose and concentration of Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Method

Data from the app StrainprintTM (which provides medical cannabis users a means of tracking changes in symptoms as a function of different doses and chemotypes of cannabis) were analyzed using multilevel modeling. In total, 11,953 tracked sessions were analyzed (3,151 for depression, 5,085 for anxiety, and 3,717 for stress).

Results

Medical cannabis users perceived a 50% reduction in depression and a 58% reduction in anxiety and stress following cannabis use. Two puffs were sufficient to reduce ratings of depression and anxiety, while 10+ puffs produced the greatest perceived reductions in stress. High CBD (>9.5%)/low THC (<5.5%) cannabis was associated with the largest changes in depression ratings, while high CBD (>11%)/high THC (>26.5%) cannabis produced the largest perceived changes in stress. No changes in the perceived efficacy of cannabis were detected across time. However, baseline symptoms of depression (but not anxiety or stress) appeared to be exacerbated across time/tracked sessions.

Limitations

The primary limitations are the self-selected nature of the sample and the inability to control for expectancy effects.

Conclusions

Cannabis reduces perceived symptoms of negative affect in the short-term, but continued use may exacerbate baseline symptoms of depression over time.

RKS Films: Canadian 2021 European Union Film Festival: Antonio Variações-Guardian Angel

This 2019 Portuguese film chronicles the brief but massively influential musical career of singer Antonio Variações who died of AIDS related complications in 1984 but his music is still loved by the Portuguese.

As a young boy he listened to the soulful traditional music of Portugal and I don’t mean American soul music but music from the heart and soul that influenced his unique vocal talents whether it be pop, rock, punk or folk all of it is deeply soulful. Why not think of the film a sort of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Variações had the uncanny ability to appeal to a wide range of ages that perhaps Freddy Mercury never could command.

Variações was a barber with an eccentric dress style who never really strayed from the influence of his inspiration Amália Rodrigues and listen to one of her songs near the end of the film and you’ll immediately understand the soulfulness of her music and how it influenced Variações.

You can see the trailer here https://watch.eventive.org/euff2021/play/61535210b053a1004cb38e4d?m=1

The film was directed by Joäo Maia. Sérgio Praia portrays Variações convincingly.

The film plays between November 28-30 virtually. You can check out the Festival’s website at https://www.euffonline.ca/welcome

The film can only be accessed for the Festival in Canada.

RKS Wine: Graham’s Late Bottled 2015 Vintage Port

Why is it that I have never had a corked Port or one that has suffered from volatile acidity? It may lie with the IDVP the body that regulates Douro wines. The quality control process is rigid and thorough and I have seen these people evaluating and tasting Ports and wines with an incredible thoroughness in a quality control laboratory. Or could it be the producers themselves fearing a no go from the IDVP? Whatever it is I have yet to encounter a faulty Port or Douro wine in the 12 years I have been tasting Douro wine and Ports.

So what about the Graham’s 2015 LBV Port? Graham’s has been producing Port for over 200 years. Obviously, they have a bit of experience under their belts. LBV’s come from a single vintage and are aged in the barrel for 4-6 years before being bottled. LBV’s are of outstanding quality but not as lush or decadent as Vintage Ports. But they are more affordable and for the casual drinker of Port the difference between an LBV and a Vintage Port is razor thin. For this razor edge an LBV can cost under $25 but a Vintage Port can cost you in the three figures. But Vintage Ports can last forever. I have had an 1867 Vintage Port and it still had many years left to it. Vintage Ports may be for your grandchildren but LBV’s are for you now! LBV’s may be the best for the here and now. Vintage Ports that I have are for the next generation and they are so marked in my cellar.

Four estates were used to source the grapes for this LBV. It should be served at 16-18 degrees and a chill will reduce the alcohol on the palate and necessary to balance the acidity with the sweetness. It pairs very well with chocolate and old blue cheese and matches game well.

A nose of dense blueberry, black cherry and cassis. On the palate at 20% if properly chilled is unnoticeable. A wickedly delicious combination of blueberry pie and chocolate covered cherries. I may be on the outside of Port combinations and say this would suit duck, Portuguese ox or Canadian beef.

As a French marketer I met on my first Port Wine Day in Porto said Port is luxury at a discount price. Such truer words have remained with me and just try this LBV and you’ll be convinced. Don’t be deterred by the snobby and incorrect notion this Port is for old British men sitting in a London club. It is here and now and absolutely brilliant. If this LBV doesn’t win you over I’ll eat my shirt. And at $16.25 I am stunned as they are giving away the crown jewels.

(Graham’s 2015 Late Bottled Vintage Port, Symington Family Estates, Villa Nova d. Gaia, Portugal, $ 16.25, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 191239, 750 mL, 20%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating, 94/100).

“My Life as a Golf Marshall” : Final Final Last Thoughts! Golf as Ballet

I just recalled a few wonderful experiences I had on the golf course that I think only a Marshall can relate to. It struck me early in the summer halfway into my shift. The golf course was crowded but everything was running absolutely perfectly. Everyone spaced out like a golf Marshall’s dream. No gaps. No laggards. It was a beautiful form of ballet perhaps only understood by a golf Marshall. A rare occurrence. Almost a fantasy. To the golfers participating in this ballet a smooth well paced game but to the Marshall with an overall picture a masterpiece of synchronicity that took me through some terrible Sundays where it felt like a loss of control and meltdown that only God could fix as it was too overwhelming for a human to deal with.

Have a good winter and if you have any space in your private jet take me somewhere warm with a low COVID rate. With my mindfulness strategy I’ll take ten strokes off your score! Wine consulting included!

Actually coming up withdrawal therapy for Golf Marshalls……..

What are the five major types of anxiety disorders?

The five major types of anxiety disorders are:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
    Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called “rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.
  • Panic Disorder
    Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
    Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.
  • Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
    Social Phobia, or Social Anxiety Disorder, is an anxiety disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation – such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations, or eating or drinking in front of others – or, in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime they are around other people.

(National Institutes of Mental Health)