Wine around the world

An Upper Peninsula American Indian tribe and several other groups are trying to stop the state-sanctioned rape and pillage of Michigan's northern wilderness by an uncaring mining company and it's minions.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) strongly opposes the "acid mine" on the Yellow Dog Plains because sulfide mining tramples ceded territorial rights and the treaties of 1842 and 1856.

The mine is being built not far from the natural depiction of a Native American - that the winds and waves of Lake Superior carved into the cliffs of Presque Isle below the grave of northern Michigan's most famous American Indian Chief Charles Kawbawgam, last Chief of the Chippewa.  

While sulfuric acid may soon drip like tears from the eyes of this mysterious carving, the real Chief Kawbawgam would undoubtedly be leading the fight against the mine if not for his death about 105 years ago.

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The state of Michigan gave the Upper Peninsula the worst of all possible Christmas gifts promising unimaginable environmental damage - in exchange for a handful of jobs and the threat of even more sulfide "acid" mining to be followed by uranium.

Continuing their valiant fight for northern Michigan's valuable wilderness, environmentalists and Native Americans have sued the state to prevent the mine from opening.

Northern Michigan trout, salmon, deer, bear and other wildlife can not speak for themselves, so it's up to the people to save the woods, streams and lakes of northern Michigan.

Upper Peninsula turned into Land of Kennecott - short-timers who will pillage our minerals, leave behind an enviro-graveyard - and move their shovels from county to county until most remaining pristine areas of the U.P. are reminiscent of Love Canal or the mining ruins of West Virginia.

It's pockets full of cash from other environmental savagery, Kennecott Minerals successfully lured the state down a road of environmental ruin.

At issue is a controversial nickel-copper mine between Marquette and Big Bay with six new mine sites proposed within 50 miles of the Eagle Project - and that's just the beginning.

Those who oppose the "acid mine" protested on Dec. 17, 2007 in front of the federal courthouse in Marquette, MI.

(Marquette Mine Protest Rally Photos by Earth Keeper Gail Griffith, Save the Wild UP (SWUP) board member)

You see, the international mining giant will be long gone in 7 years or less - after creating less than 100 short-term jobs - and local residents will be left with a huge stain (at best) - and possibly a ruined trout stream feeding a soiled Lake Superior.

The Great 2008 Betrayal: 2008 will be year of Great Betrayal of Michigan northwoods unless lawsuits prevail or mines stopped by those with the power

The ink was barely dry on the promised suit when the owners of the "acid mine" admitted what had been feared all along: similar mines will be popping up like mushrooms in all corners of the U.P. - again trading short-term gain for tourism and recreation.

Many residents call the project an "acid" mine because one of its nasty byproducts is sulfuric acid when the ore hits the air.

Just as our railroads and other areas are covered in iron ore pellets - much of the Yellow Dogs Plains near Lake Superior will be covered with acid or other dubious mining leftovers.

At least our iron ore mines are open for a century or more and create thousands of jobs.

Did state watchdogs eat bad mushrooms?:

Acid, Uranium Mines to spring up like mushrooms across northern Michigan wilderness

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality - and democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm - betrayed the people of the Upper Peninsula in mid-December by issuing three permits that will allow the opening of an "acid" mine by the Kennecott Minerals Company.

This time next year northern Michigan's pristine snow will be mixed with sulfuric acid.

The state's top environmental watchdog - the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (aka Quitters) - bit the hand that feeds her - tourism!

"Environmental quality" is in the name of the MDEQ - the top state watchdog for Michigan's gorgeous Upper Pensinula. The agency should be stripped of that name.

How about - MDEQ - Michigan Department of Environmental Quitters?

That way the MDEQ wouldn't have to change the towels that will soak up the lifeblood of the U.P. - tourism.

Protect the Upper Peninsula and our:

Fighting the good fight: KBIC and environmental groups joined by descendants of America's Industrial Revolution

The lawsuit was filed by National Wildlife Federation, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), the Huron Mountain Club and the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.

Thank you to these groups for taking this fight to a judge.

I recently criticized the ultra-exclusive, pro-business and secretive Huron Mountain Club for not joining the fight as the "acid mine" will lay at its doorsteps.

For joining the lawsuit:

I must now say kudos to the Huron Mountain Club (circa 1890) - a private retreat built by those who led America's Industrial Revolution - that owns 13,000 protected acres including one of the largest tracts of primeval forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Thank you to these groups for taking this fight to a judge.

Anatomy of a Murder: Part Two - Site of famous northern Michigan film will be site of mass murder of environment

"Have you left no sense of decency?"

A movie filmed near the location of the planned "acid mine" even has ties to this country's fight against tyranny

We hope the Michigan judge, who could stop this "acid mine," has the common sense of another jurist - Joseph N. Welch - a judge on the screen and in real life - who was portrayed in the famous 1959 movie by Otto Preminger entitled "Anatomy of a Murder" filmed near the site of this mine.

The movie was based on a best selling novel written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice and avid trout fisherman John D. Voelker using the pen name Robert Traver.

A fisherman's fisherman, Voelker spent most of his life wandering the pristine trout streams of the Upper Peninsula.

In a sad irony this mine will dig beneath one of Voelker’s beloved prime trout streams that feeds Lake Superior.

And some experts fear the stream will collapse into the mine releasing a flood of acid and other pollution that will be pouring into Lake uperior in a flash and then the rest of the Great Lakes.

Welch - who was a judge in real life and portrayed an outspoken judge in "An Anatomy of a Murder" - was the lawyer who defended the U.S. Army against Senator Joseph McCarthy during his 1954 anti-communist witch hunt.

Welch uttered the following famous words - that could be used today to describe the people who are allowing this "acid mine" to proceed at lightening speed:

Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

You can bet the late Judges Voelker and Welch would not let this mine open - and would note its tyranny upon the U.P. wildlife, forests and streams is not unlike the scourage of the McCarthy hearings.

Amen !

Native Americans and the environment groups are livid that Rio Tinto, the parent company of Kennecott, is now targeting six other U.P. sites for mines.

"We had long suspected that this was merely the first in a series of new mines, but hiding that information until after the MDEQ approval was announced is certainly contrary to the 'good neighbor' image Kennecott has sought to portray," said Michelle Halley, an attorney for the National Wildlife Federation and the other co-petitioners

"Whether they knew it or not, the MDEQ and the Governor have egg on their faces,' Halley said.

MDEQ, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm lay with mongrels whose plans will ruin Yellow Dog Plains and tourism

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality could also stop the project - but right now those who care about the future of the U.P. are hoping a judge will have more common sense that the state of Michigan and our illustrious governor who did nothing to fight the project.

Shame on the MDEQ and Governor Granholm - but there is still time for the state's top democrat to be a hero.

Kennecott Minerals is hoping to start construction on the mine in January 2008 - but it's awaiting approval of two permits from the Department of Natural Resources.

Disturbing questions:

Why has Governor Granholm kept quiet on the project?

At best, the answer is she is leading a state in the midst of a severe financial crisis - but common sense dictates the effects of these acid and uranium mines will far outweigh any short term gain.

The mine will dig below the Salmon-Trout River - a prstine fishing stream - and some think it will collapse - mixing acid, other pollution, and clean water.

That pollution will then quickly end up in Lake Superior - and down the chain of Great lakes.

Photo by Jackie Donoho, Northwoods Wilderness Recovery

So I ask again - why is Governor Granholm keeping tight lipped when we need her the most?

Green money means more to the government and media watchdogs than the lush green forests

Why is many members of the northern Michigan media not doing investigative reports on the company, it's history and the effects of other Kennecott operations across the globe.

And why is the majority of the media not writing strong editorials opposing the ill-advised project.

Could it be the tons of advertising dollars?

Most of U.P. media fail as watchdogs: Editors of good heart - please take a firm stance against this sulfide mine and join this fight against our acidic future

Why have Marquette's business leaders gone along with the project betraying their forefathers who founded the U.P. and are undoubtedly spinning in their soon-to-be acid soaked graves?

Again, could the green of money be outweighing the burnt orange color that the rivers will turn?

It boggles the mind that U.P. business leaders can betray their own grandchildren - and that Michigan Governor is willing to leave a legacy of destroying the Upper Peninsula.

Marquette Mine Protest Rally Photos by Earth Keeper Gail Griffith, Save the Wild UP (SWUP) board member

A plea to actor/director Jeff Daniels: Please film a sequel to Scrooge here and bring the ghosts of Christmas past and future to bear on those who ignore the acid mine effects on our wildlife

I am also disappointed in actor/director Jeff Daniels - who has made U.P. movies and supported local theatres - but has also remained quiet on the aicd mine and is not trying to stop this project.

I beg these business leaders, Governor Granholm and Mr. Daniels to look deep into their hearts - the time is now to step forward and stop this looming disaster.

While a real life sequel to the famous movie Anatomy of Murder is being played out in real life here in northern Michigan - maybe Mr. Daniels could film the sequel to another movie classic.

If only the sequel of Scrooge could be filmed here - and have the ghosts of Christmas past and Christmas future scare some sense into these people.

The Great Burnt-Orange North: an acid and uranium mine is coming to the wilderness theatre near you!

Other possible future movie titles if the mines are not stopped:

Pirates of the Yooperland: Northern Carribean turned into acid seaIt's a Terrible Life - in the once wonderful U.P.: Those responsible for this environmental disaster should all jump off the nearest bridge.

The Sound of Murder: Acid mine is music to ears of greedy, short-sighted.Gone with the Whim: Acid winds blow across yooperland, Marquette is burning.

To Kill a Mockingbird - and the rest of wildlife.

That's why we mock Kennecott - the great killer of birds and wild life.

Wizard of Odds: U.P. biz leaders gamble with northern Michigan's future.

Mines, fines, and big-fat-heels: Planes, trains and Automobiles built with northern Michigan iron ore - fish, deer and bears pre-cooked in acid.

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If you have an idea for a sequel to northern Michigan's cinema legacy - let me know.

Great White North to become Borealis version of West Virginia: The Great Burnt-Orange North will be the new name In closing - while I do believe there is still a glimmer of hope - I recommend anyone who has ever thought about visiting the pristine Upper Peninsula had better do it quickly.Because - unless we are saved by the MDNR, the EPA, a judge - in the next few months northern Michigan will become the West Virginia of the Great White North.

The state-sanctioned destruction of pristine northern Michigan wilderness - that the KBIC tribe says violates land treaties - brings to mind this famous photo of the "Crying Indian" - and the tears of "Iron Eyes Cody" - who was not Native American but lived his life dedicated to American Indian causes, adopted two American Indian children and was married to a First Nations woman.

The historic Keep America Beautiful public service announcement - entitled "People Start Pollution, People Can Stop It" - mesmerized TV audiences after it first aired on Earth Day 1971.

More than any other commercial - it helped add momentum to the newly-launched environmental movement.

Many Native Americans - and other U.P. residents are weeping real tears as they are being betrayed for the sake of the almighty dollar.

Above Marquette Mine Protest Rally Photos by Earth Keeper Gail Griffith, Save the Wild UP (SWUP) board member; photo below courtesy Save the Wild UP.

Holiday or no holidays, intoxicating drinks are already part of the occasions or parties that people shares with families, friends and visitors. This Yule season, booze like beer, wine and liquor usually served on the table as part of the happy celebration. However boozing is inevitable to some party goers because they want their holiday party happy to the max. That is why they emptied their glass or bottle to the last drop.

Drinkers or sots and those newbie “glass lifters” i.e. newly immersed drinkers, commonly use water as chaser. The point is: alcohol is a diuretic. It impairs the kidney’s ability to retain water, resulting in dizziness and nausea. Therefore water, as chaser is good while drinking alcohol. But the downside is you still get hangover the morning after.

Fortunately for the people who love to party all night long, hangover is no longer a problem. Instead of using water as chaser, sea shell soup is the best alternative to neutralize alcohol in the blood stream. The sea shell should be cooked by adding enough water, salt and common ingredients to make it taste good. The soup is worry free because it eliminates headache, dizziness, nausea and hangover after a bout of boozing. This friendly tip is a 100% sure to retain your body’s health, because sea shells are full of essential vitamins. But the best friendly tip is, drink moderately or not at all. Exercise instead.

Well, I was only 11 in 1989, but 1999 was not the best year for me.

Scott and I are leaving to go to his family's house tomorrow. We would've left today, but I couldn't leave the store on one of the busiest Saturdays of the year. We'll be staying at a hotel near his parents'home because I insisted and his relatives will be there in force... again. They better stock up real good, because I will be drinking myself under the table during the FOUR days that we are spending in Alabama.

I've packed all my jeans, none of my slacks or designer heels, and a dress for New Year's Eve that Scott hasn't seen yet. I imagine his jaw will be somewhere near the floor when he sees it. After Scott told me that the New Year's Eve party was more than just family and that I needed to dress up that one night, I spent all night online looking for the perfect party dress. He woke up one time during that night, and once he figured out what I was doing, murmured, "I love your legs, honey."

Then, I found it... Of course, I took the contrasting camisole out because I wanted to make an impression. Part of my black strapless bra will be visible in the front, but it's not in the back... I tried it on and checked when I first got it. Let's just say it definitely shows off my legs- even if they aren't as tan as they should be. (no bending over either)

Georgia is going to stay with Halley and Edward until I get back. Her and Wednesday get along so well that it's scary. Wednesday likes to act like a puppy to around Georgia, but she acts like the mama around me. My dogs are conspiring against me, I know it.

Shit!! I just realized that I'll have to watch the Sugar Bowl in a room full of Auburn fans. Just great... I'll have to bite my tongue and drink beer. Although I know he is secretly a firm UGA fan, he went to Auburn and has some loyalties there too. That's why we are spending a few days apart when the time rolls around when the two teams finally play each other again. That's if we're still dating come football season next year.

Must remain optimistic. Must not look for flaws where none present themselves. Ohm...  :)

I'll post as soon as we get back from Alabama. Until then, Happy New Year's too all. Seen you in 2008!

Took a surprise trip home today.

I wasn't planning on coming back to Ebensburg until long after the new year, but my friend called me up this morning and was headed that way, and wondered if I wanted to ride along.

Sure, why not?

So I came home, watched the Pens win (Woo!), the Nittany Lions win (Yay!), and the Giants lose (Bah!) with my dad. Then I went out-- to an old place, with an old friend.

The Castle Pub was the scene of many of the alcoholic mishaps of my past. During the two years following my brother's suicide it was both my Heaven and my Hell. I made good friends there, and I made destructive friends there. By the time they closed a year or so ago amid noise complaints, I was well on my way to shaping myself up and rebuilding my life.

Well, now they're open again, under new management. I had absoultely no intentions of visiting there, ever. But tonight my old pal Greg (one of the good friends I met during that time) wanted me to meet him up there for a couple drinks. And so I went. It was quite alright-- strange to me, because while nothing had really changed (same decor, down to the swords on the walls and the suit of armor by the jukebox) it was completely different. It felt different. It felt low and crass. There was no Tim behind the bar. I didn't know anybody. It was wonderful to see Greg and Mikey, but other than that, I just felt lonely and old.  

Anyway, one of the things Greg spoke with me about was a mutual friend that I don't talk to anymore. He told me how her alcoholic adventures continue still to this day. He told me about driving 25 miles to Johnstown to get her at 3 o'clock on a Wednesday morning when she had been caught attempting to drive home drunk (and blew a whopping .24 on the breathalyzer...... a .24!) This is a girl that I ran with for about 3 years. This is a girl that helped unleash the alcoholic monster in me. With her by my side, I did things that to this day I still regret and am trying to forgive myself for. I managed to get away, but she's still at it. I wish I could say I feel sorry for her.

I suppose that I do, but mostly what I feel is gladness.... I'm so glad I'm not there anymore. I'm glad that I somehow managed to extricate myself from that downward spiral of self-destruction. I'm so grateful that two beers usually just makes me want to go to sleep-- it means that my tolerance is low again. I'm grateful that I don't waste entire days in bed with a hangover anymore. I'm grateful that I no longer have mornings where I wake up  and wonder what the hell I said/did the night before. I do feel sorry for her. And I wish I could help her, but I know from experience that you've just gotta do it yourself.

I left the Pub at 12:30, only having had two drinks. It feels nice to be in control. It feels great to be going home and going to bed, knowing exactly what I've been up to for the past two hours.

And most of all, I am so glad.

 Is It Champagne or a Substitute? Refined Palates Can Be Fooled

From NYTimes.  Critic's sophisticate friends can't tell Champagne from $10 sparkling wines.

Best value for money: Boyer Brut.

my week has been busy, mainly visiting with friends who i rarely get to see. well, some of them that was because i was away for a year, and others it's because they live away now.

i've been shopping too, for things for the new house. i find i need all these little things, like hooks and nails and decorative crap (that i swore i would not buy any more of, but...i'm having fun decorating, something i haven't done in a long time) and curtain rods and curtains and picture hangers and well, the list goes on and on. i have a special idea for my bedroom (still waiting on the new bed) and i'm excited about it. when it's all done, i'll post a photo of it. my bedroom is big enough that i think i may even put my antique drafting table in one corner, which seems to get the most light in the house.

i've definitely been more creative since moving in--singing and playing my guitar and reading and writing more too. it's all good. i love the fact that i can see both a library and a music hall from windows in my house. it seems good chi, or something like that. i bought a Feng Shui book and was looking at it today as well.

so i've been to caffe aroma on bidwell, fridays downtown, saigon cafe on elmwood,  the AKAG for Gusto at the Gallery, mythos restaurant on elmwood, and out to several friends houses throughout the week. it's been so low-key and relaxed and i've been enjoying just talking and being with the people that i love---especially after last christmas was so awful--my grandfather dying on the eve. this year was much much better, of course.

but i miss him still.

reading david sedaris' book NAKED and finding it very enjoyable.

drinking lots of wine. well, i had to try out my new fancy wine opener i received as a gift. i guess that's one of the by-products of living in wine country last year (and i suppose i live quite close to two wine areas here as well). increased interest in wine-tasting :)

i've gotten my hair done, and tomorrow i have my physical therapy appt. i'm going to talk to him about joining a gym. i've been looking into several things, one of them boxing classes (there's no contact as in real boxing). i know. i know. but i think it would be fun :)

tomorrow night plans with friends and then new year's day the annual day-long party.

Todos alguna vez hemos intentado emular algún programita que requiera de el motor Gecko bajo Wine, y he aquí un nuevo "G"owTo para explicar en unos simples pasos cómo instalar el módulo Gecko para Wine.

Hay dos maneras de instalar Gecko para Wine, desde un pequeño script gracias a Dan Kegel o desde un simple archivo comprimido que también es válido.

Aquí tenemos el código del script para la instalación de Gecko para Wine (así como también otros runtime para wine).
Podemos guardarlo como winetricks.sh.
Su uso es simple;

cross@genlinux:~$ sh winetricks.sh gecko

Si no nos da errores todo estará perfecto y ya podríamos ejecutar esa aplicación que requiere de Gecko.
La otra forma sería descargarse un gecko ya comprimido de la siguiente forma;

cross@genlinux:~$  wget http://gerwazy.lo3.wroc.pl/~jcaban/wine/wine_gecko.tar.bz2

lo descomprimimos

cross@genlinux:~$ bunzip2 wine_gecko.tar.bz2

Seguidamente sería mover los archivos descomprimidos a nuestro directorio Wine.

cross@genlinux:~$ mv wine_gecko /home/<tuusuario>/.wine/drive_c/windows

Ya tendríamos instalado Gecko para funcionar con las aplicaciones emuladas atraves de Wine.

Espero que haya sido de ayuda este nuevo GowTo.

Wine Official Site

Edifying memoir about WW2 and booze and Patton.

i myself have been drunk for most of this weekend. Not staggeringly, grotesquely drunk, just tipsy. Booze affects an Elberry thus: he finds everything extremely amusing, and cannot refrain from appreciative laughter; he tends to move diagonally, with a maximum of arm waving, gesticulating, Tom Waits-like crooning, and hopping.

This is how life should be.

some people like their wine dry. some people like their wine oaky. some people like their wine earthy with moderate tannins.

i like my wine to be well-labelled. and if the producing winery has a nice website, bonus points.

so here are ten favourites.

ten: mad housewife

flavours: merlot, chardonnay, white zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon

easy to come by and inexpensive, mad housewife comes in a variety of flavours, each with its own clever notquiteright housewife photo. their website isn't great, but they get bonus points for their serial labelling.

nine: the maitre d

flavour: cabernet sauvignon

one of many great wines from mollydooker wines, the maitre d's label is all around good design. good use of pattern, typography and imagery, with a touch of humour to boot. it gets bonus points, of course, for the website.

eight: the innocent bystander
flavour: sangiovese merlot, shiraz viognier, pinot gris and pinot rosé

simple and elegant, the innocent bystander's design is a combination of careful stencilling and serendipitous ink splatter. the site, unfortunately, doesn't follow the same minimalist approach.

seven: bitch

flavour: grenache

perhaps i only like this wine because of its provocative title, all in pink. and the seventyseven repetitions of the word "bitch" on the back. more likely, it's the bottle's alternating dagger heart dagger heart border. you can find this barossa grenache at the grateful palate, but the sweet little red doesn't have a site of her own.

six: root:1

flavours: cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc

root:1 is a lovely example of straight on the bottle printing. these bottles possess a classy combination of serif typeface with simple imagery, a design that translates well to their website.

five: lo tengo

flavours: torrontés and malbec

these aren't labels you can appreciate until you have the bottles in front of you. they're holographic, and, depending on whether you're sipping a white or a red, show either a couple's feet dancing or a classic dip kiss. they're a product of bodega norton, but you'll have a hard time finding anything to do with lo tengo on the site.

four: 7 deadly zins and 7 heavenly chards

flavours: zinfandel and chardonnay

two bottles from lodi vineyards take fourth in the battle for good labelling. each has a clever name, made even more clever by its counterpart. better yet, both have even managed to inspire artist michael godard.

three: mia's playground

flavour: cabernet sauvignon, merlot and zinfandel

this wine is all about threes, so i couldn't help but to make it third on the list. the label contains the perfect combination of quirky text and imagery, topped off with a barrel of [three] monkeys. all made possible by three loose screws.

two: (oops)

flavour: carmenere merlot, cabernet franc, carmenere rose, carmenere, sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon

oops wines come in a variety of distinctly coloured flavours, such as "spicy splendor" and "gentle giant". the labels are heavy with newspaperlike text, but hardly difficult to look at, especially with the prominent (oops) logo providing an anchor. the website is consistent with the label design, and the brand even manages their own blog.

one: bonny doon framboise

flavour: framboise [dessert]

bonny doon vineyards have a history of incredible wine label design, which is largely why their framboise tops my chart. the bottle's slender shape is perfectly accented with the encircling lace. it's the perfect combination of thoroughly elegant yet slightly suggestive - everything a wine should be.

In the spirit of clearing out all the useless crap from 2007 to get ready for great new things in 2008, I am finally forcing myself to write a book review of a book I've had sitting here in my office for over a month. Against my better judgement, I hung on to it, figuring I'd get around to writing about it once my wrists stopped aching. That has sort of happened, but in the meantime (despite my hopes it would wander off and find itself a new home) the annoying book hasn't gone away.

As readers can likely guess, it was a freebie, arriving at my door accompanied by a bottle of wine. The free wine didn't make the book more interesting, and the book didn't make the wine more palatable, although, presumably if I drank the whole bottle of wine before reading the book, that might have improved the situation.

The truth is that I don't know a whole lot about wine, and This Food, That Wine: Food and Wine Pairing Made Easy! by Angie MacRae, Stacy Metulynsky and Chris Knight should have been just the primer I needed. Unfortunately, the! foreshadowing! evident! in! the! title! did! not! offer! enough! warning! about! the! excessive! use! of! exclamation! marks!!!!! Because these gals are perky -in that "someone please pass me a fork to jam into my temple" kind of way.

Do they know about wine? Probably, but I honestly didn't have the patience to read much of the text and learn from them. The premise of the books is that sommelier Stacy offers some basic info on wine, different varieties, etc, while chef Angie offers recipes to pair with various wines. Angie apparently doesn't believe that vegetarians like to drink wine, because the vegetarian offerings are a sparse side of meagre.

The writing in general is like having a conversation with a ditzy girlfriend:

Nebbiolo reminds me of tar and roses. I know that sounds like a bad glamour rock band from the 80s, but seriously, next time you have the opportunity, take a glass of Nebbiolo, give it a swirl, and tell me you don't smell the distinctive nose of sweet perfumed rose petals, and pungent, earthy tar.

Okay, first it's Guns and Roses, the genre in the 80s was called GLAM rock, not glamour rock, and sweet sassy molassy I hate it when writers write as if they're talking directly to their readers. Do they really expect readers to give them a call after tracking down a bottle of Nebbiolo to confirm their assessment? This makes them sound like the hosts of some bad cooking show. Oh... wait... these gals are the hosts of a show by the same name on Food TV. That explains a lot.

I suspect that the demographic for this show (never having seen it) is probably women, and that the premise, like so many shows on the Food Network, is of the dumbing down variety. Wine info coming from your best girlfriend, or a reasonable, if overly perky facsimile, is probably easier to take than from the cliched wine snob in a tweed jacket and bow tie, slurping and spitting and making the amateurs feel foolish. They're supposed to make their readers and viewers feel comfortable and unintimidated.

Which probably works on the folks who think Ray Ray is a great cook, but mostly makes me want to run screaming into the streets and punch the first woman I see with blonde hi-lights and frosted eyeshadow.

As for the wine, it was a bottle of Plantatree Chardonnay, a carbon-positive wine. Shipped in bulk containers from California to Niagara and bottled in PET plastic bottles to reduce the wine's carbon footprint. Except that it's still California wine shipped to Ontario. Why not use an Ontario wine? And plastic bottle are almost as ooky as tetra paks. Sure it's great that they plant a tree for each bottle sold, but hey... why not just do something nice for the environment without making a profit from it? The effort here really isn't worth the end result, as the wine itself is too light and insipid. It would be perfect for a group of perky girlfriends to sip while watching This Food That Wine on the food network. Me, I had one glass and dumped the rest down the drain.