A starter at my course and formerly a Marshall related an interesting story to me in the days when he was marshalling. There were four individuals on the golf course praying on a bridge. This spot is a dangerous one as one is caught in a potential crossfire of balls. He alerted them to the danger of being hit by a golf ball informing them it could be a lethal hit. They refused to move saying that God would take of them. Blind faith?
Greek International Film Festival Toronto: “Beauty”
Thanos Liberopolous has crafted a very cutting short called “Beauty”. One might find it amusing or like me entirely depressing. Set in modern day Greece a single mother deals with her daughter Kally and her son Poppy who are so addicted to social media they have lost touch with reality however stark and unpleasant it may be.
Poppy is addicted to his computer and pornography. Kally fancies herself a YouTube sensation. Both are incapable of any meaningful conversation with their mother and they are lost souls to the digital world. I venture to say Poppy and Kally are lost souls and losers who will never make it in the digital world. In fact most likely they will be destroyed by it.
This is a frightening take on the destructive and alienating world of social media where people talk into a social media void rather than directly with family. From a personal perspective I recall over the span of years going with my corporate law group for our “holiday meal” in December with my two colleagues being more engrossed with their Blackberries than in conversing with each other. Perhaps you have seen it too.
The firm’s name “Beauty” is very cutting and an ugly look at the destructive nature of social media. It is also very sad.
Liberopolous has crafted a shredding look at Kally’s hallucination of what reality is. If she could admit it would be very ugly.
Part of the Greek International Film Festival of Toronto running October 1-3. For tickets and information see https://gifft.ca/
You can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/570898612
“My Life as a Golf Marshall”: Stories From the Edge :THE NAKED STONED GOLFER
This little gem was told to me by a starter at my golf course I marshall at. A very stoned golfer ventured out on the course. He was last seen stripping down to his underwear and leaving his clothes and golf clubs behind off he went into the woods. The police were called and took his clothes. What became of the golfer is unknown.
RKS Wine: Paul Mas: Can He Deliver Yet Again?
At $13.95 one can be surprised and delighted at least by the Paul Mas Viognier we recently tried.
Can he deliver with a Rousanne?
It has a pale gold colour.
On the nose a solid blast of peach, apricot, pineapple and honey.
On the palate there is a certain grittiness and traction. This is no flimsy wine but one with body and presence. It has a good underlying acidity which is gentle and rather begs for some seafood particularly shellfish or a chicken stroganoff. Something creamy! There is apricot, marmalade and pineapple on the palate. $13.95 you say? Cheap and cheerful? Not really as a polite term for cheap wine. This goes beyond that and is a true find at a low price. You can find a treasure from southern France. This is one of them.
From the La Forge Vineyard in the Aude Valley on the edge of the Montane Noire.
Drink by the end of 2022.
(Paul Mas Single Vineyard Reserve Marsanne 2018, IGP Pays d”Oc, $13.95, Paul Mas, Peznas, France, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 462457, 750 mL, 13%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 91/100).
“My Life as a Golf Marshall”: True Stories from the Edge : THE FISHERMAN:
I was marshalling and there were two foursomes of thirty somethings playing their annual tournament. I told them my spotting someone fishing on the 4th hole. One of the golfer’s eye’s lit up and he said I have to show you something. He unzips his golf bag and shows me his mini fishing rod. Then he excitedly shows me a picture of him and a smallmouth bass he caught at a golf course out of the city. He then asked if there were fish on the 12 th hole. I replied if he was lucky perhaps goldfish.
RKS Wine :Douro is great but what about the Alentejano?
Let’s face in. The spotlight for international wine lovers in Portugal has been the Douro region about an hour by train from Porto to Douro wine country. Of course, even better is taking a cruise along the Douro River over to wine country. Porto was a bit rough on the edges a decade ago but it has been rejuvenated of late and unfortunately swamped by tourists particularly cruise ships so you really must escape from Porto’s centre to avoid the crush of the cruise ship passengers. As Barcelona suffered the crush with La Ramblas an artisanal centre in the 1970’s morphed into a gaudy and cheap walk for the masses of cruise ship passengers so too will be the fate of Porto. It’s waterfront is crammed with tourists I hate to say this but on my last media trip to Porto I stayed at the Sheraton out in the “business district” which seemed a more authentic area and I even managed to find a couple of local restaurants where I was the only non-Portuguese diner. I think my sardines and salad with a glass of wine was 6 Euros.
I have become increasingly impressed with the wines from the Alentejo region of Portugal which is the biggest wine region in Portugal. And its red wines are not afraid of having Alicante Bouschet in their blend which can add a warm almost creamy nature to wines it is used in. The wines from Alentejo often have “international grapes” in their blend which can make some interesting wines. For example the Quinta do Quetzal has Syrah in its blend. At $16.95 it is not exactly bargain basement but is moderately priced and I’ll guess has more oomph to it that Niagara red wines in that price point.
On the nose this quasi-purplish wine has a forceful presence of blackberry, black cherry, Santa Rosa plums and raspberry cream filling. It is warning you that it’s going to full bodied but I’ve been fooled by the nose more than a few times that can’t translate into the palate. So on the palate? There are definitely tannins to the wine not overwhelming it but giving it a firm structure. There is raspberry jam, black cherry preserves, bits of black licorice, blueberries, some coconut and a nice slab of freshly baked cherry pie. It has a moderately long finish. It will improve in the bottle and cruise nicely into 2025.Beautifully made the wine has aged 12 months in French oak casks.
A blend of Alicante Bouschet, Syrah and Aragonez.
It would suit Portuguese ox filet. Or getting domestic, grilled beef or Prime Rib Roast beef with Yorkshire Pudding!
Try the magic of Alicante Bouschet! There is more to Portuguese wines than those made in the Douro!
(Quinta do Quetzal Guadalupe Wine Maker’s Selection Red 2018, Quinta do Quetzal, Vila de Frades, Portugal, $16.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 408138, 750 mL, 14.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 94/100).
RKS Films: Greek International Film Festival of Toronto: “Highway 13”: Spooky Canadian Short
Welcome to the inaugural Greek International Film of Festival running virtually and in theatre from October 1-3.
The first release I saw was “Highway 13” a short written, directed and produced by former Rogers senior executive Stanley Papulkas. Highway 13 is a highway in Alberta referred to as a Canadian Bermuda Triangle where strange things happen.
Indeed strange and spooky things happen as in 1962 we see Alex (Chris Pereira) and Glenda (Emma Houghton) driving along Highway 13 late at night. They are brought to a screeching halt by a ghoulish figure, Desdemona who Alex refers to smelling like a “rotten hamburger”. Well that so very Canadian innocent Glenda listens to this ghoulish figure who says she is looking for her husband Mollie who went looking for wood but has not been seen for some time. Alex goes into the woods….regrettably in search of Mollie. As he foams at the mouth and his eyeballs turn white he tells Glenda to run. Then in 2021 Ruby (Tess Spentzos) and Frankie (George Scandalis) are travelling the same highway and who appears but Glenda claiming to be looking for Alex. History repeats itself.
Truly a Canadian production where trusting Canadians meet a fate you can decide on. Marvellous cinematography and a delightful offbeat soundtrack. I am steering clear of Highway 13 Canada’s Bermuda Triangle.
Offbeat, thoughtful and genuine. Motto of the story is do not go into the woods at dark.
You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgId_0X7Qs4
Part of the Greek International Film Festival of Toronto. You can access the films available virtually and online at https://gifft.ca
My Life as a Golf Marshall: True Stories: SVEN THE ASSHOLE:A Bullet to the Head:
The golfer, (we will discuss Mr. Lunch later) who pleaded me to take him to his car for his medicine a.k.a. his lunch told me an awful story about Sven. Mr. Lunch was on the green on a par three and Sven let one fly from the tee box which is a no no. You never tee off on a par three with golfers on the green. Mr. Lunch was hit on the neck by Sven’s shot and went down seeing stars in his eyes and experiencing numbness in his hands. Was this a case of permanent paralysis? It didn’t bother Sven who not only failed to apologize but asked to play through while the golfer he injured lay prostrate on the ground. An A + dickhead.
RKS Wine: Enough of those Wimpy Rosés
I try not to impose too many of my dislikes upon your taste buds as if you like a certain style of wine good for you and enjoy it as long as it is well made and without flaws. I suppose what I am saying honour your preferences and don’t let a wine writer bully you into drinking what that wine writer likes! You are your own best critic.
You know I have a beef against most Niagara Riesling as being over acidic and tart but best not let me get started on that. I am also increasingly tired of Brut and Extra Brut sparklers. What about Sec or Demi-Sec? What on earth goes on in the heads of LCBO buyers.
For years I avoided most rosé wine as it seemed like a pink white wine if that makes sense. Then I had a dark rosé from Spain which I think was Vina Aljibes which was a robust pinkie full of red fruit and power. Then another dark rose Rebecca’s Rosé from Kacaba in Niagara was fantastic. So I have gone to the dark side of pink or at least a pink with personality and power. Sounds like a Pink Floyd album!
I selected a Mas des Bressades from Costières de Nîmes for Mas Bressades rarely makes a delicate wine. It looks darker in the bottle than in the glass. On the nose fairly forceful notes of raspberry, cherry and watermelon. On the palate there is some good traction to this copper-colored wine. I would venture to say the grapes must be in pebbly soil as there is some raspy minerality to it. You might say this is an unremarkable wine because nothing grabs your tastebuds initially but in the finish a mini explosion of all manner of red fruits. And the acidity is very muted making it a great sipping wine. I can think it would suit grilled octopus very well or a salad with local tomatoes and if I knew the local cheeses it strikes me a good match for semi-soft goat cheeses. As for meat and poultry you’d have to fly me to Southern France so I could sit in a local restaurant near the winery to give you a food pairing. Although I do not think it would be a match for beef or lamb it might quench the fire of some spicey meat like sausages. So locally here in Canada I’d go with hot Italian sausage or most Indian food..
Although I’d prefer a darker rosé this one does have personality and power.
A perfectly crafted wine.
(Mas Des Bressades 2020 Cuvée Tradition, Costières de Nîmes AOP, Cyril Marès, Manduel, France, $ 17.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 950576 ,750 mL, 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).
“My Life as a Golf Marshall” :“Your Marshalling Style”
There is nothing like marshalling that often draws out the extrovert out of the introvert. Most golfers are devout adherents to the sport and love chatting about all things golf. Having the golfers know you are marshalling to keep the flow steady is important and I think it generates more respect than herding them like naughty sheep. So it is the role of a Marshall to be a diplomat and if you like that style it requires a bit of being a conversationalist, confidant , encourager and strategist . Now does this Marshall chit chat distract the golfer? I don’t think so. After awhile you begin to recognize regulars and establish a deeper relationship with them.
Yet there are the silent Marshall types that watch, fill a chart and about the only time they engage with golfers is to tell them to speed things up. Well that makes the Marshall seem more authoritarian and distant and may lead towards hostility towards an authoritarian figure. One golfer approached me and said,” You are the first Marshall that has spoken to me in 15 years!” That is a good sign. I take the time to chit chat with almost all the golfers I encounter. We exchange stories and I hope to convey the feeling I am “with them”. I really do not accept my own golfing experience of having old men Marshalls only saying pick up your pace. I rather resent them as not understanding that it is not me at fault but some distant foursome ahead of my group. My position is I am on your team and I’ll chase down the laggards and will return to all of you behind the laggards to tell you I have asked them to pick up their game. The Marshall should realise their job is customer service and not the laying down of the law.
What I have heard and experienced a “dickhead Marshall” and there are many at private clubs and this may be because the shit they take from “entitled” and wealthy golfers. There is one club just outside of Toronto where the Chief Marshall (from the Caribbean) was called a shoeshine boy by a “dickhead golfer”. In a public club more diplomatic Marshalling is required. Quite frankly playing the heavy tough Marshall in a public course amounts to asking for termination. Let me put it this way if you are a “dickhead” golfer go ahead and humiliate a Marshall if it makes you feel powerful but in the end you are making a fool of yourself. If you are “dickhead Marshall” do so at your peril. The only people that love a “dickhead” are the “dickheads” themselves!
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