RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner’s Engagement Party: Secondi (Vegetarian)

PP is a meat-eating guy who equates vegetarians as communists, socialists and hippies but he keeps his opinions to himself except for me as I am becoming a confidant of the man for better or worse. The vegetarian secondi will be mushroom ragout served over polenta. The sides will be a Greek Briam and East Gwillimbury carrots tossed in toasted pine nuts and honey.

Having eaten this dish before it is extremely rich and a full-bodied red would be needed. Of course, a Barolo or a Greek Xinomavro sufficiently aged (20 years) would be my choice but as PP is paying for the bar bill the mantra as you know is cheap, cheap and cheap so forget my thoughts on the ideal wine. PP likes the fact this wine is from Bordeaux and is from 2015. It also has Château in its name so yes he is going for the BIG Bluff! It will look so good on the printed menu for the guests!

So we try the 2015 Château Gaillot Fournier which has been rated a 91 by James Suckling PP’s favourite wine critic. I feel like saying that if he’s your favourite let him pick your damn wines.

Putting my pride and emotions aside we delve into this $15.95 wine.

There is some mould on the top of the cork which need not be fatal. The nose is earthy with raspberry, ripe local strawberries just picked, blackberry and boysenberry. As for the palate the wine is assertive but not too bold. There are black cherry, raspberry and loganberry notes. The tannins are light which cause a bit of concern with a rich dish but there is a slight peppery finish that can take the tannic slack and stand up to and compliment the dish. The 14% alcohol also will help in complimenting the dish. A quirky but delightful Bordeaux.

This is a low-level Bordeaux and I ask PP if he is willing to shell out $24.95 for A Château D’Aiguilhe a Bordeaux darling according to Wine Spectator. PP knows the winery but is convinced the “artsy fartsy” crowd of Celine Serpent’s friends, all terrible lushes, will be so pickled by the time the secondi arrives they could be drinking up wine from Carlo Rossi and they wouldn’t know the difference!

I ask PP who will be attending the engagement party as who will be his guests but as PP has been disbarred by the Law Society of Ontario he says he is poison. He does have a couple of friends who have stuck through all the shit PP has been through and will attend provided there is no media present and no one will take their photographs. PP muses, “How about that for true friendship”. In his rather low rent apartment complex which Celine Serpent describes as “sheik Bohemian” PP developed a friendship with a recent Kabul refugee who was a sommelier at “Chez Bin Laden” but his English is poor and only bathes once a week. PP says this is no guest to bring to a high society engagement party. “I mean I like the man and he knew the wines of Pakistan and Afghanistan like the back of his hand but I have to think of my reputation!”

Interestingly enough it seems from the label that Jean Luc Thunevin was involved in the production of this wine. Thunevin was known as a “garagiste” in Bordeaux in the early 90’s that term referring to a small group of winemakers flaunting the Bordeaux traditions and making very good wines in their “garages”. PP snorts at these rebels but is smirking with a little bit of low-cost gold we have hit.

(Château Gaillot Fournier 2015, AP Bordeaux, Château Gaillot Fournier, Gironde, France, $ 15.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario #18640, 750 mL, 14%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 91/100)

RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner’s Engagement Party: Secondi (non-Vegetarian)

As you may recall the Penniless Pensioner is engaged to Celine Serpent. They have a small engagement party planned to take place in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I have a consulting contract with Serpent for wine selection for the engagement party and for the wedding. Since PP is footing the wine bill I am compelled to go as cheap as possible as that Bernie Madoff litigation cleaned him out. Those New York attorneys can be expensive. PP calls them snakes in the grass. But my contract is with Serpent should I care what PP has to say or does this put me in a conflict of interest as some sort of fiduciary?

So the non-vegetarian main will be rabbit marinated in tarragon, Balkan style yogurt and a medley of Dijon mustards. On the side there will be Greek Briam and East Gwillimbury carrots tossed in honey and pine nuts. PP and I look at each other and say, “no brainer”. Viognier it is. So I try a low end Viognier from Paul Mas from the bargain basement Languedoc region of France. Light gold in colour. On the nose full throttle notes of honey, pear, mango, Niagara peach and tangerine. On the palate sumptuous and full bodied. Notes of mango nectar, honey and lychee with a moderately long finish.

This wine is just a perfect match for the secondi there is no need to search further. PP is excited as he loves Viognier from Condrieu in the Northern Rhône but that starts at $60 a bottle if you can even find it. The grapes were grown in the Nicole Vineyard in soils of clay, chalk and fossils. Keep your eye Jean-Claude Mas whose winery was Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 European Winery of the year.

(Paul Mas Single Vineyard Collection Reserve Viognier 2019, Nicole Vineyard, IGP Pays d’Oc, Paul Mas, Péznas, France, $14.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 370098, 750 mL, 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 94/100).

RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner’s Engagement Party: Primi

For the Primi course it is fresh Ontario peas in a field tomato, basil, oregano and rosemary sauce with a very light infusion of red-hot chili peppers served over fresh egg noodle pasta. There is also 500 mL of Ontario craft lager in the sauce per 4 persons.

This is a bit of a robust dish and there is no room for white wine. I am thinking a mid weight red might be called for. There is no room for a heavy hitter considering the secondi.

At $12.95 we are going to try a Le Noble Bordeaux a rather low-level Bordeaux rated by a couple of wine writers at a 90. PP is absolutely delighted at the price considering the first growths from Bordeaux he used to drink clocked in around $900 a bottle. It is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon so it should be smooth and not overbearing. Can we pull this off?

On the nose a rich lush black cherry zaps your nostrils like a ray gun! On the palate very smooth and almost silky. Chilling it a bit will give it the power it needs to match the Primi. On the palate it is an accommodating wine meant to match and not overpower. There are notes of black cherry, coconut, cassis and blackberry.

No need to try another red wine. This one will outperform its price point and match with the Primi. PP will be laughing all the way to the bank. Ooops, considering PP’s troubles with his Panamanian bank accounts I should watch what I say.

This one was easy.

(Le Noble Cuvée Reserve 2018, AC Bordeaux, Caves de Rauzan, Rauzan, France, $12.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 18782, 13.5 %, 750 mL, Robert K. Stephen A little Birdie Told Me So Rating, 90/100).

“499”: The Colonization of Mexico: Fantasy Melded to Horror

“499” recreates the steps and strategy used by Cortes in 1521 in his conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico.

The film is a mix of fantasy and horror. Fantasy as it begins with a conquistador swimming to a beach in Veracruz. Who is he? Well he is the sole survivor of a shipwreck of soldiers returning to Spain with plunder but it is 499 years after the conquest that he swims to shore. The conquistador has arrived where the Cortes forces landed in modern day Mexico. He wants to retrace his steps as part of the conquering expedition. At points the fantasy turns into a bit of a Don Quixote adventure as a man out of place and out of time coping with the realities that he faces.

The fantasy ends rather abruptly as he hacks to death two men he sees committing sodomy on the beach. Then reality sets in with real victims and loved ones of murdered Mexicans mostly Indians caught in a vicious drug war where to speak your mind means disappearance and or death. Criminality gone wild that spills into pure criminality that transcends a drug war.

In some respects, the Cortes conquest echoes the French and English conquest of Canada where native tribes were pitted against each other depending on their alliances with the English or French. Cortes also used the Indians to attack the Aztecs but of course next was the conquest of the Indians by the Spaniards. So no moral judgements required on Cortes if you think such trickery was not used against First Nation’s aboriginals in Canada!

Everywhere he goes the conquistador encounters victims of violence. Most are Indians. Mexico is a rathole of violence and corruption. Is there law and order at all?

Does the conquistador regret his role in the 1521 conquest? You’ll see near the conclusion of the film that answer. A colonizer realizing the desperate situation in Mexico that perhaps colonization contributed to. Would things be different if the Aztec Empire had not been conquered and Mexico not been colonized? The film may cause you to come to your conclusion but it would be speculation.

Ironically the conquistador ends up as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant in New York in the land of gold for many Indians of Mexico trying to escape the poverty and violence of Mexico and Central America. Is the point that they are invading the United States looking for a type of gold being that of escaping from the rathole?

A thought- provoking film probing the violence endemic in modern Mexico. Most likely as the conquistador was you may be disgusted at the shambles of modern Mexico. The drug war has oozed into what might call a massacre and intimidation society. Vigilante self protection by the Indians most likely will escalate the violence further.

The musical score is brilliant. The cinematography spectacular. The concept innovative. Eduardo San Juan Breña as the conquistador plays his role to absolute perfection.

The film was the winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2020 Toronto Hot Docs Festival.

The film will be showing at the Paradise Theatre in Toronto (In Cinema Screening) on August 28/29 with more theatrical dates to be announced shortly.

This 88 minute 2019 film is in Spanish with English subtitles.

It is directed by Rodrigo Reyes. Reyes had the following comment about the film, “Colonialism has different impacts on everyone. That is why I love the idea of an anonymous conquistador so much, a wanderer lost in the world who serves as a link between contemporary Mexico and our colonial past. The conquistador is fiction, but he has to find his place in the real world by listening, for perhaps the first time, to the stories of the real people impacted by new modes of violence. He is a ghost, a vessel for the audience to experience this incredible journey and arrive at their own conclusions.”

You can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/591016878

RKS Wine: The Penniless Pensioner’s Engagement Party: Wine Planning: Another Set-Back; The Canapés

PP has suffered a set-back. In addition to not being able to access his Panamanian bank accounts the publisher’s advance cheque for his upcoming book “Fall from Grace” bounced due to bankruptcy of the publisher. So here he is with a looming wine bill for the engagement party short on cash. But PP always surprises and he says he has a “few” gold bars in a safety deposit box he was planning to keep for a rainy day. So he urges me to go classy but cheap! There are some thirty people invited but he rolls his eyes and tells me they all drink like lushes. I’ve got a bit of bad news myself as the wine consulting contract had a schedule of events the contract applied to and it includes both the engagement party and the wedding but I thought it only applied to the engagement party. PP guffaws and says I should have read the contract and assume nothing. He is right.

So for the canapés of Wagyu Beef Sliders, Mulmur Hills Lamb skewers, stuffed cremini mushrooms topped with gremolata and cold Vietnamese vegetable spring rolls. I am thinking we can get away with a lighter red wine but knowing about these events as I have consulted to many corporate events there will be need for some white wine. But let’s deal with the white after the red.

Will the Stratus Wildass Red 2019 Merlot do the trick?  On the nose it conveys an impression of lush and plush like a good Merlot from the Rutherford Valley in California. It positively glows with cherry, blackberry and cranberry. It could be equally plush and lush on the palate but it is low on tannins and nice and smooth with a personality of agreeableness. Not too heavy and not flimsy. Just right for the canapés and considering the dipping sauce for the Vietnamese Spring Rolls it might suit that canapé. Back to the palate there is some light cherry and loganberry jam and a short finish that will not overpower the canapés.

PP and I strategize that while this is not a great wine the opening toasts might dull the tastebuds and the risqué name of the wine might gain a few nods from the artsy fartsy guests as PP refers to them as. This PP is more deceptive than I thought. Perhaps there is a bit of Bernie Madoff in him?

(Stratus Wildass 2019 Merlot, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Stratus Vineyards, Nagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, $19.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 376822, 750 mL, 12.6%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 90/100).

South Africa is attractive due to its low labour and land costs so its wines are what you might call a bargain. However, bargain in my mind means a low cost and a quality wine. South Africa has a reputation for its white Chenin Blanc. Considering the canapés it might suit the Vietnamese cold spring rolls but not the others. However there are always white wine drinkers in the crowd. PP thinks Chenin Blanc has a ritzy French name that might pump up the guests. And if there is any left over it will suit the main course!

Solid aroma of pear, apple, guava and quince jam from this Simonsig 2020 Chenin Blanc from the Stellenbosch. On the palate a solid body that just might stand up to the stuffed Cremini mushrooms. Notes of grapefruit, lime and applesauce. A bit of a brackish finish mixed in with sweet white grapefruit.

(Simonsig Stellenbosch 2020 Chenin Blanc, W.O. Stellenbosch, Simonsig, Stellenbosch, South Africa, $13.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 610907, 13.5%, 750 mL, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog ” :Reggie Asks Why Did Karim Die?

On New Year’s morning Dillie and I howled after Karim’s death. It was Dillie that got me howling for two reasons. He thought if we were loud enough Karim could hear us and our howling would be a good-bye we never had the time to say. Secondly, we were so sad it was as if some instinct made us howl. It just took us over.

Dillie, Bob and Fay’s West Highland Terrier told me he had heard many neighbourhood dogs he had seen and known on his walks had died and he had felt sad but to see Karim dead before his eyes was something he had never seen so he was just as shook up as I was.

New Year’s Day was one of the longest days in my life. It was damp, overcast and freezing rain started in the afternoon. When a dog is sad and distressed such gloomy weather only makes your heart heavier with grief.

One of the BBC documentaries I saw was an interview with Tara Brach a famous mind doctor for humans. Her theory was called “Radical Acceptance”. If you can accept what has happened and move on you will be healthier than if you refuse to accept it and constantly think about it in a negative and hurtful way. I used this philosophy to deal with the execution of Anwar my first master in Egypt and me being thrown out into the street. I could not change what had happened to me but it was a long process.

I can accept what happened to Karim but all of us in the house need to know why Karim died. Dr. Murray at the animal hospital said he would see us on January 2cnd in the morning and that we were to bring Karim’s body with us.

Bob took Karim’s body in the garage to keep it cold until we went to the animal hospital. When he left with Karim’s body Dillie and I barked furiously. I grabbed his pant legs and I think he got the message that this was to be the last ride of the Rat Pack. Bob put us in the back seat and put Karim’s body in the middle. This was to be a ride of honour and tribute.

We arrived at the animal hospital and we went into Dr. Murray’s examination room but when we saw Karim’s body so cold and lifeless, we started howling again. Dr. Murray knew he should do a private examination. He returned 30 minutes later saying they had done an MRI on Karim’s brain and determined it was an aneurism of his brain that killed him. I am not sure what aneurism means so I listened carefully to Dr. Murray speaking to Bob and he said it was a rogue blood clot and that no one could have predicted it. Well at least it was not caused by Dillie and I and the fact it was not preventable made all of us feel much better.

But we left Karim behind for cremation and again that enormous feeling of loneliness swept over our hearts. Bob would pick up Karim’s ashes in a few days. Bob was unsteady as he walked back to the car and cried for many minutes before we went home. It was cold and miserable and that night without barking we went upstairs to sleep with Bob and Fay. I started shivering although I was not cold. Fay hugged me tightly and spoke to me softly saying she was so sorry…so sorry…so sorry and I fell asleep. Two days later we picked up Karim’s ashes and we all went to a golf course up the street as the snow fell. Karim had loved walking in this park with no one around so we went to a place where Karim knew there were squirrels and he loved barking at them thinking they were some type of Canadian rat. There are no squirrels in Cairo just rats. We scattered his ashes and had a long walk. It was a quiet ride back to a home that was missing one of its beloved dogs.

“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” :Reggie’s Painful Start to the New Year ( A Children’s Story)

These people in Toronto seem to like to celebrate as New Year’s Eve is coming soon and Toronto people like to party. I am not sure if they are happy to end the year or begin a new year. These humans can be puzzling!

I am happy with the past year as I arrived safely in Canada and luckily landed with Bob, Fay and Dillie. Even Karim has joined us. I have much to be thankful for.

Karim and I are so excited as we feel there is something electric in the air. Dillie is a bit more chilled as he has been through it many times. I hear Bob and Fay talking and they say Paul and Patricia are coming over for a special dinner called the dinner of the Seven Fishes. Bob and Fay have been working for days on it. The smells are incredible.

Paul and Patricia come over and they have brought peanut butter cupcakes for doggies as a special present for us dogs. If you want to know how to win over a dog’s heart peanut butter is a good start. We all split one and what a delicious treat. A good way to end the year!

The Christmas tree lights are turned on and the fireplace crackles and we dogs sit by it until its too warm to stay in front of the fire. The humans are drinking some special liquid called wine and talking. Then dinner is served and it lasts for several hours. Us dogs get a treat of some fish called tuna with some rice after we eat our chicken kibble. We are so full and tired all three of us go for a nap and are woken up by Fay so we can “see the ball drop”. The ball drops and everyone shouts, “Happy New Year”! Something in a bottle goes pop and the humans clink their glasses full of the liquid. Paul and Patricia leave shortly after and Bob and Fay work to clean up all the dishes.

Bob then takes us for a walk. It is the first one for us in this new year and it is cold and we can see our breath. We joke about us being the Rat Pack. I notice Karim is a bit unsteady on his feet and I ask him if he is feeling fine and he responds he is just so tired he wants to sleep. So that’s where we go and we are dreaming of beef as tomorrow there will be a special New Years dinner of roast beef and we dogs know we will get a piece as a treat.

I have a special dream that I am back with Karim in the pack and we find a door to slip through and we are in a butcher’s shop in the main market at Cairo with all sorts of meat in the open for us to eat and there are no humans about.

In the early morning I am woken up half asleep by Dillie howling. I am very confused about why Dillie is acting so out of character. I see Dillie trying to nudge Karim to wake him up. But there is blood on Dillie’s snout. Has he hurt himself and is howling in pain? Then I see Karim is not moving and there is a pool of blood oozing out of his mouth. He is cold. Karim has left us to the world beyond. I say a quick prayer to Allah and pray he will guide Karim to the world beyond. Bob is with us and he knows instantly that our dearest Karim has gone to the world beyond. He picks up Karim and wraps him in a blanket. Then I see Bob and Fay putting their heads down and crying. Bob says a prayer wishing Karim a safe journey. I go outside with Dillie and we howl like wolves. We are so sad. We are hurting. Why did this happen to Karim? What did he do wrong? One moment happy the next dead. Why is life so unfair? Karim my dear friend Dillie and will miss you terribly. Our little Rat Pack is down to two now. Safe travels dear brother.

“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog ” : Bob and Fay Speak About Reggie

When we first met Reggie it was a chance meeting at Sherwood Park in Toronto at an off leash trail. Reggie was with his foster parents. Our West Highland Terrier Dillie and Reggie hit it off. Reggie was well mannered and even shook Bob’s hand. Buddhists believe in auspicious connections meaning that a random meeting is not so random. There is a purpose to such a meeting. Call it fate if you wish. We learnt from the foster parents that Reggie was with a rescue society and was up for adoption. We completed the application too late and missed out on our destiny with fate.

Fate came back two weeks later as the new owner was going to be transferred by the bank he worked for to Singapore and Reggie was not in his plans so we became owners of the cute fellow. Aside from nipping Bob on the first day and being a bit surly and hiding behind the sofa he quickly fit into our family life. Most importantly he and Dillie got along like brothers, you know the ones that get along with each other.

What is Reggie like? He is one very smart dog and we swear he understands English! He has a strange passion for watching the BBC and we can’t figure that out. He also loves that British never ending soap opera “Coronation Street”. Dillie hangs out with Bob and prefers jazz and classical music to television.

We know that rescue dogs can suffer from trauma but aside from that first day we see no outward signs of trauma. It was as if some voice had spoken to him after nipping Bob on day 1 as he very quickly nuzzled up to him and whimpered as if he was apologizing. Isn’t that so strange? We know his rough past with the loss of his master Anwar, his time on the street and the injury caused to him by a big dog on the streets of Cairo. If he is hurting emotionally he is hiding it well.

He does have a strange habit of prostrating himself at the same time each morning and evening for 5 minutes or so. It is almost as if he is praying?

Reggie enjoys his kibble and lots of cold water. He looks at us after dinner as if he is thanking us.

One reason we adopted Reggie was to keep our ageing Dillie on his toes and stimulated both to enrich and lengthen his life.

Reggie has only been with us for a few months but is popular with humans and their dogs. He has a very unique story about living on the streets of a tough city. And my goodness he loves his walks especially the long ones. We are apprehensive about letting him off leash until we finish with his training at “puppy school”. But we know he has had enough of wandering alone and we think off leash he will stay close to us like Dillie.

Is he different from Dillie? Both love belly rubs, walking, food, treats and toys but Reggie is quieter than Dillie. Dillie is more territorial when it comes to anyone coming in our house that he does not know well. Reggie might give a few barks but soon is wagging his tail and greeting them looking for a pat on the head. Not exactly a guard dog.

He is now a member of our family!

“A Wake”: Reminding us of the Pain and Struggle with Life

“A Wake” reminds us that life can be painful and full of emotional struggles. The themes raised in the plot may not be innovative but deserving to be related to us again.

My first reaction on reading the brief PR synopsis provided the me by distributor Breaking Glass Pictures was due to two Disney actors involved it was going to be puerile and squeaky clean but knowing the films that Breaking Glass Pictures releases that didn’t make sense. Breaking Glass specializes in creative “indie” releases some of which are in the LGBTQ genre. In fact, the synopsis refers to “A Wake” as an “LGBTQ Family Drama” of which it is but the topics of suicide, religious hypocrisy, social media bullying and dysfunctional families are subplots within the film that are linked to an LGBTQ film.

In a sense the film pays attention to a posthumous coming out of homosexual Mitch (Noah Urrea). Mitch dies from a suicidal overdose after being bullied and “exposed” on social media. We have seen the damage of social media bullying in Canada as the act of cruel cowards and to bring this topic into the public eye never hurts.

And “coming out” can be painful and socially humiliating for a conservative religious family with the end result “of a cover-up” sanctioned by the church which could have been the case in “A Wake”. It can also be self liberating and accepted with love and compassion which some of Mitch’s family exhibit. But Mitch couldn’t bring himself to come out. And that is worrisome in itself but common I am sure.

For fear of ruining the plot I’ll refrain from dealing with it further.

The technical production is flawless. The acting kudos belong to Mason/Mitch (Noah Urrea), Molly (Sofia Rosinsky), Jameson (Kolton Stewart), Megan (Megan Trout) and bickering but loveable grandma Loretta (Bettina Devin). Pastor Bob (Scott Cox) and his scantily dressed wife Sheila (Tiffany Heggebo) are portrayed as hypocritical anti-LGBTQ characters almost comical and so easy to dislike! The rest of the acting is passable however during a rather explosive wake the acting of all is raised several notches. And what a scene of a family implosion you must have seen in your life with the death of a family member. The film delivers on this subplot so very well.

So this is no Disney film but it looks like it is heading that way for the first thirty minutes but after it takes a dark twist that makes it worth watching.

You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_emfxasHBV8

This American film is directed by Scott Boswell and will be available August 31 on iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu and through local and satellite providers as well as on DVD.

Charlie Watts Rolling Stone Drummer Passes

Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones’ Drummer and Inimitable Backbone, Dead at 80

Rock & roll legend “passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier [Tuesday] surrounded by his family,” according to publicist

ByJOE GROSS 

Charlie Watts, drummer with The Rolling Stones, Great Britain, circa 1970. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Charles Robert “Charlie” Watts, the Rolling Stones’ drummer and the band’s irreplaceable heartbeat, has died at age 80. No cause of death was given.

Watts’ publicist confirmed his death in a statement. “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts,” it read. “He passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier [Tuesday] surrounded by his family.” The statement referred to Watts as “one of the greatest drummers of his generation” and closed by requesting that “the privacy of his family, band members, and close friends is respected at this difficult time.”

Watts’ death comes several weeks after it was announced that the drummer would not be able to perform on the Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour of U.S. stadiums. “Charlie has had a procedure which was completely successful, but his doctors this week concluded that he now needs proper rest and recuperation,” a rep for the band said in a statement at the time. “With rehearsals starting in a couple of weeks, it’s very disappointing to say the least, but it’s also fair to say no one saw this coming.”about:blankabout:blank