On June 20th I attended a Vinho Verde trade event in Toronto which was organized by Vinho Verde. Vinho Verde is a wine region in beautiful Northern Portugal perhaps best known for its crisp white wine. As far as trade shows for wine the venue was great but were there some opportunities missed? Given myContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine and Travel: Vinho Verde’s Missed Opportunity?”
Tag Archives: Robert K. Stephen
RKS The Tea Meister: Portuguese Orange Pekoe Black Loose Leaf Tea from the Azores
Yes I said Portuguese tea! This orange pekoe is from Gorreana in the Azores. The only tea plantation in Europe. I was attending Wine and Travel Week in Porto in late February and the organizers sent 10 of us to the Azores Islands specifically to Pico Island a UNESCO World Heritage site. An unforgettable destinationContinue reading “RKS The Tea Meister: Portuguese Orange Pekoe Black Loose Leaf Tea from the Azores”
RKS 2023 Film: “Your Fat Friend”: Just Say FAT!
You might be daring and say that at 350 lbs and wearing size 26 dresses 37-year-old American Aubrey Gordon is obese, chunky, husky, plump and a myriad of other names. You might find her a bit repulsive. You might lay out any number of judgements. You might even be derisive. And you might be takenContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: “Your Fat Friend”: Just Say FAT!”
RKS Literature: The Search For God
“The search for God: the longing of any hound for a master; give me a boss and I shall kneel at his enormous feet. All this is earthly, father, headmaster, rector, president of the board, tsar, God. Numbers, numbers-and one wants so much to find the biggest number, so that all the rest may meanContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Search For God”
RKS 2023 Wine: Alentejo Love Affair with Alicante Bouschet: Alentejo Love Affair with Alicante Bouschet
Red wines from Portugal’s Alentejo are tied at the hip to the Alicante Bouschet grape known more for imparting colour to red wine than for its delectability. Whatever the reason as far as Alentejano blends if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Here we have a Herdade do Rocim a Vinho Regional Alentejano being aContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Alentejo Love Affair with Alicante Bouschet: Alentejo Love Affair with Alicante Bouschet”
RKS 2023 Wine: A Douro White: Três Bagos
We see very little white wine from Portugal’s Douro region here in Toronto. Red is king there but it is not a quality issue. Could it be “the curse of the high reputational wine”. As far as table wines go the Douro produces the highest quality reds so has that frightened off wine drinkers fromContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: A Douro White: Três Bagos”
RKS Poetry: Toronto Hijacked Yet Again But Don’t You Dare Criticize!
Toronto Hijacked Yet Again But Don’t You Dare Criticize! Bike lane tyranny where the miniscule lord over the manyand unlike the Lord brazenly give fingers to motorists while breaking all laws known to cyclingCharity runs down main streetsCharity walks all over the placeCharity hiking down expresswaysCharity bikingStreet festivals Global inclusion touted by exclusionists in powerContinue reading “RKS Poetry: Toronto Hijacked Yet Again But Don’t You Dare Criticize!”
RKS Literature: Politics; The Unpaid and Paid Windbags
“Like many unpaid windbags he thought that he could combine the reports he read in the papers by paid windbags into an orderly scheme, upon following which a logical and sober mind (in this case his mind) could with no effort explain and foresee a multitude of world events. The names of countries and theirContinue reading “RKS Literature: Politics; The Unpaid and Paid Windbags”
RKS 2023 Film: “Here is Better”: Leaving That Box of Horror in the Desert
Yes, haven’t we all witnessed the carnage of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) particularly amongst veterans? Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Korea, France et al. Often it is the violent incidents associated with PTSD we encounter in the media. But there is also a quiet form of suffering without any violence except for violence against theContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: “Here is Better”: Leaving That Box of Horror in the Desert”
RKS 2023 Wine: A Bordeaux That Tastes Like Rusty Nails? Mon Dieu!
The 27May2023 Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) Vintages Release catalogue has a snippet of a jamessuckling.com review for a Château Clou du Pin 2020 stating, “There is a rusty note in the finish that reminds you of rusty nails.” Indeed a most interesting descriptor! Yet “clou” in French means “nail” and thank goodness notContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: A Bordeaux That Tastes Like Rusty Nails? Mon Dieu!”
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