My experience with field blend is a Portuguese one. Once upon a time grapes were grapes and wine was wine. Different grapes could be planted willy nilly in the vineyard. Harvest them and you got a bit of this and that grape. Another type of field blend is where two or more different grape varietiesContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: A Field Blend from Russian River: Groggy and Sluggish?”
Category Archives: Food
RKS 2024 Wine: Can Christopher Michael Save Face with Its Chardonnay
The Christopher Michael 2022 Pinot Noir I recently sampled limped in, as vacant faced as it was, with a 73/100. My retail contacts agreed and suggested their Chardonnay and Pinot Gris would fare better. Is that correct? So why not try the Christopher Michael 2021 Chardonnay? Aroma: Apple, pear, cantaloupe with some scant butterscotch andContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Can Christopher Michael Save Face with Its Chardonnay”
RKS 2024 Wine: McManis 2022 Petite Sirah: Berlin Wall of Blackberry: Bland? Predictable? Reliable? Uninspiring? Consumer Friendly? Cali Conundrum
It is not common to encounter a Petite Sirah as a single varietal wine. It produces tannic wines with a savoury and almost meaty character and dense blackberry fruit making it a useful blender but if the tannins are carefully managed it can make an age worthy and supple wine on its lonesome. Aroma: WowContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: McManis 2022 Petite Sirah: Berlin Wall of Blackberry: Bland? Predictable? Reliable? Uninspiring? Consumer Friendly? Cali Conundrum”
RKS 2024 Wine: A Montepulciano Lost in Letters and Numbers at a Bunga Bunga Party Frequented by Punters
Although Montepulciano is almost always an easy drinking wine in this case it is lost, or perhaps I am, in too many letters and numbers. The wine was bottled by ICQRF/4495/IT on behalf of TG SRL 72015. If we dig further are there Cayman and Bulgarian offshore accounts involved further complicating the matter. Wanna betContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: A Montepulciano Lost in Letters and Numbers at a Bunga Bunga Party Frequented by Punters”
RKS 2024 Wine: Herdade Do Sobroso from Portugal: The 2020 Was an 89: The 2021?
I rated the 2020 Herdade do Sobroso from Portugal an 89. What fate will I assign to the 2021? The 2021 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Aragonez (30%), Alicante Bouschet (30%) and Syrah (20%). The grapes were handpicked and aged in 500 litre French oak barrels for 6 months. Aroma: Creamy blackberry. Palate:Continue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Herdade Do Sobroso from Portugal: The 2020 Was an 89: The 2021?”
RKS 2024 Wine: A Crustacean’s Best Friend? The Hermit Crab: Memories of The Singing Crabs on Pico Island!
When it is lobster, crab and shrimp on the plate simply prepared with lots of garlic and butter in the mix it could be The Hermit Crab, a Viognier and Marsanne blend from Australia, is your man in Havana. Over the years it has proven its worth for me and it has been consistently good.Continue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: A Crustacean’s Best Friend? The Hermit Crab: Memories of The Singing Crabs on Pico Island!”
The Great Toronto Tim Hortons Near Riot!
On 26March2024 I received an e-mail from “Your Friends at Yorkdale VW” showing how much they appreciated me being part of the VW family. Golly as Sally Field once said at the Oscars, “You really love me!” So nice to be loved by a large German corporation! I was so loved an offer was madeContinue reading “The Great Toronto Tim Hortons Near Riot!”
RKS 2024 Film: “Doubles”: Canadian Film Fest
Doubles are a Trinidadian street food. Curried chickpeas (channa) between two pieces of fried flatbread in tamarind and coriander sauce with mango chutney, kuchela and cucumbers. Dhani (Sanjiv Boodhu) who is of Indian descent and his mother run a small roadside stand selling doubles in Trinidad. It is a marginal existence worsened by a robberyContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Doubles”: Canadian Film Fest”
RKS 2024 Wine: 2020 Château Grand Escalion Costières de Nîmes: Boxer and Cash
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. Aroma: Big juicy local strawberries which have not suffered the indignity of too long a voyage. Some raspberry and blackberry thrown in for good measure. Palate: If this was George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” this would be Boxer. The good natured and simplistic horse. Solid and muscular with sourContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: 2020 Château Grand Escalion Costières de Nîmes: Boxer and Cash”
RKS 2024 Wine: Côtes-du-Rhône Preferred to Côtes du Moan
You won’t be emitting moans when imbibing most Côtes du Rhônes. That is not to say you won’t encounter tastelessness or excess acidity but rarely. Expect Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault in the mix for a Côtes-du-Rhône red. We try La Croix de Beauliac Creation 2021 Côtes-du-Rhône. 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. Aroma: With aContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Côtes-du-Rhône Preferred to Côtes du Moan”
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