Wine around the world

The Champagne and Sparkling Wine Conference: April 16-17, New Orleans

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

Chances are, you don't drink nearly enough Champagne. I don't either, and I try to make an effort. Chances are you don't know as much about Champagne and other sparkling wines as you do about red, white and rosé. Most people don't. And if you're like most people, you haven't been to New Orleans lately.

There's a simple fix to all of the above, and it's called the Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational. And just like it sounds, it's a conference (and more importantly, a tasting event) dedicated solely to bubbles.

I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds like a hell of a good time.

The event starts on Friday April 16th, with a seminar on the sparkling wines of the world. Then around mid-day, the Grand Tasting hall opens to the public, and you have the opportunity to taste hundreds of sparkling wines and Champagnes. In the evening, winemaker dinners are followed by an after-party on Bourbon Street. The next day offers more of the same, with a grand bash on Saturday night on Rue street.

Unfortunately the event web site isn't great, so its quite difficult to tell, for instance, what the winemaker dinners are, which winemakers will be attending, or where they will be held.

However, the one thing that is quite clear is the list of producers that will be attending and pouring, and I've started salivating just reading it.

Independent Champagne and Sparkling Wine Invitational 2010
Friday April 16 - Saturday, April 17, 2010
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tickets for the event start at $200 (or $150 if you just want to attend a winemaker dinner), and go up to $400 for a Grand Cru VIP ticket. Tickets can be purchased online. Of course you gotta get yourself to New Orleans (assuming you aren't lucky enough to live there) but tickets look to be pretty cheap this time of year. If any of you folks go, let me know how it is !

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Luxurious Bounty In Wharfside Café

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

Wharfside café is a place that provides you with countless pleasure and fun filled moments. You can have a wonderful experience over there and can have a great time with your friends and mates. This is an excellent pace for those who like to have fun wherever they go. This place is for those who want to have a quality time and fun filled moments with their friends and pals. If you are looking for enjoying the best environment along with the delicious food then you must go to this place in order to fulfill all of your needs related to dining. There are many different places for eating but what makes wharfside different from the other ones is due to the view as well as the services provided by this. It is present in the port of Eden and is located in a place which has water views & licensed to make your dining experience vaster. You can enjoy your meals by sitting in the calm and beautiful place that is enough to turn your bad day into a day which is filled with fun, laughter and joy. Even if you are alone and want to have a relaxing and fun filled time then you must go to this place and taste the best meals you have ever tasted.

There are many different deals available by this place and you can enjoy the sumptuous and delicious meals by sitting in a dream place. The whole look of the place is really romantic and worth seeing. You would be lost in the beauty of this place as soon as you would enter this place. You can take your laptops, PDAs, or any wireless devices over there and can easily surf through the Internet while enjoying your cup of coffee as there is the facility of the WI-FI available in this place. There are many breakfast and lunch deals available in this place and you can easily get to eat a variety of foods by paying a little sum of money. You would be inspired by the beauty of this place and would be attracted by the beauty of this place. If you would go this café then you would actually be treating yourself with a bounty that would make your day even more special and joyous. There can be no better place than wharfside when it comes to providing best taste to your taste buds and have a wonderful dining experience that would always be cherished by you and your friends.

With magnificent water views in the Port of Eden, the Wharfside Cafe has built a widely recognised reputation for the freshness and quality of the food and beverages it serves. For more information please visit: http://www.wharfsidecafe.com.au/

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Domestic Violence: Story of my Life

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

I thought that those terrible years of finding my Mother, or worse, seeing my mother beaten to a pulp were over. How wrong was I?

I feel so sick, and angry. I’m angry that once again she’s allowed this to happen, with a man, who has previously shown that he would if he could, a man who everyone has warned her against. I know she’s not an innocent victim in this, I know it. I know her. I know how she is, even without being fuelled by a night of continuous drinking, and spliffs. I know how she’s even more intolerable, even more obscure and fucked up in this state. I’m angry that she allows herself to still find herself in this position.

Worse, there was someone here who could have stopped it.

See, I was asleep. When I’m asleep I’m paralysed, and deaf. I don’t hear a thing, there was utterly no way of me knowing that my Mother was being punched around the face nearly two-dozen times if nobody got me. My Brother, who is nearly seventeen years old was awake however, and he heard what was going on. He’s strong, he could have stepped in, or if he didn’t (which is apparently the case) he could have at least come into my room and told me to get out of bed – but did he?

No.

So I’m also angry at him. I’m angry that he didn’t do a single bloody thing. He knows the consequences of these things, he’s seen it all before – although when he was younger, Mother and I tried to shelter him from the true realities of what occurred; but he’s no fool. He knows my Mother just as well I do, and he knows enough that he should have stepped in to help, to have done something.

Worse still, right now I’m not even meant to be at home. I was invited out by my school, with a few other of the geekiest students for a Breakfast on the school. It’s a really nice idea, and I was quite looking forward to it. Yet I find myself cowering up in my bedroom, waiting for some other family to arrive, brewing even more anger.

Why does this have to keep happening? Why on earth am I surrounded by people, or more specifically a person, who just attracts all of the bastards to her? Why am I always the one expected to pick up the pieces?

I can’t handle it anymore. In fact, I’ve never been able to handle it, but at least when it happened when I was younger, I was a harder person. I could at least pretend to carry on (even when I couldn’t), in fact I would often wake up in the morning, see my mother in a terrible state, try to console her, then walk to school and talk to my friends as if nothing has happened. I just can’t be that person any more. I can’t carry the weight of her shit any more. I can’t.

Worse though, is that I look at her and I feel absolutely no sympathy. She’s still drunk, she stinks of alcohol and weed, talking utter shit (which I know may be in part to semi-concussion – head punching tends to have that effect), but I feel nothing for her except contempt and anger.

I don’t know what to do anymore. At least for the next five or so weeks I have left at school, I have somewhere to escape during the day. Somewhere to go where I can pretend to be happy, to lead a life reflective of a typical eighteen year old. But what happens when I have a fifteen week Summer ahead of me? What do I do then? I can’t be around her, I can’t be here, I won’t be able to remain sane.

Fuck.

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Debauchery in Tahoe

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

I took a lot of video during my time in Tahoe and Arizona, but since my Macbook Pro is currently at the hospital known as the Apple store, and because I hate iMovie 09, I can’t make a video until I get that sucker back. Although I am watching the clips and wondering if anyone that went to Tahoe really wants me to make a video, especially one named Alex. Anyway, more pictures after the jump, but trust me, they aren’t anything to write home about. I think regular readers know by now that the original core Seattle group are a bunch of raging alcoholics.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Nyetimber 2003 Classic Cuvée

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

Things have been fairly quiet on here recently as preparations for a work-related interview have cut down not only my spare time, but also our sampling. However, the results of my recent WSET exam (I did much better than I’d expected) gave us cause to open a bottle of bubbles.

I’ve followed the rise of English sparkling wines with some interest, partly because we know the predominant growing area in Sussex quite well. My aunt lives in West Chiltington, where Nyetimber is produced, and it’s been served on family occasions, including our engagement lunch.

I was therefore really chuffed when the Nyetimber 2003 Classic Cuvée was crowned ‘Champion of Worldwide Sparkling Wines’ back in January in the 2nd annual ‘Bollicine Del Mondo’ competition in Italy. Champagnes and sparkling wines competed against each other on a level playing field, and the Nyetimber was up against Champagnes including Louis Roederer (Millesimè 2000), the Bollinger-owned Champagne Ayala, (Dosage Zero), and Pommery (Blancs de Blanc and Brut Apanage).

Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s now almost impossible to get hold of the wine, but I managed to secure a few bottles via Slurp.co.uk.

Nyetimber 2003 Classic Cuvee

The Classic Cuvée is made using the Traditional Method, and the richness of the 2003 vintage is probably due at least in part to the incredibly hot summer we experienced in the South of England that year. The wine is a pale lemon colour, and Chardonnay predominates. On the nose, there were strong notes of green apple, with just a hint of toast. The palate was lovely and fruity with, again, green apple and apricot, plus citrus and a touch of minerality on the finish. A lovely, refreshing aperitif. (16/20)

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Wine and food pairing - The goal is synergy and balance

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

When pairing food and wine, the goal is synergy and balance. The wine shouldn’t overpower the food, nor should the food overpower the wine.

Think of wine as if it were a condiment — it should compliment the food.

Wine drunk by itself tastes different than wine with food, because wine acts on food similar to the way a spice does. Acids, tannins and sugars in the wine interact with the food to provide different taste sensations.

Wine can enhance the flavour of food. A good match will bring out the nuances and enhance the flavours and unique characteristics of both the food and the wine.

Memorable food and wine pairing is achieved when you find similarities and/or contrasts of flavour, body (texture), intensity, and taste.

Some random thoughts

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

I finally took home the box of wines that we got through GetWine. I was getting odd looks for having a case of wine on my desk at work. Although, some days, I think that that’s not a bad thing.

Large box of wine. Yay!

Once I got the box home, I opened it (of course) and admire how pretty they looked. All lined up.

Ah...happiness.

I took the bottles out to have a look-see and remind myself what we bought and why…

Wait...there's something missing here....

What’s this? No label? Oh that’s right! GetWine sells a lot of unlabeled wines for very good prices. So, sometimes, when you receive your wine, it’ll look like this. The foil around the cork will usually have the vineyard on it, and there’s a little sticker with the variety (shiraz etc), and the year, but that’s it.

So…

...a plan must be made.

Insulation tape and a permanent marker (or Magic Marker for those of us who grew up in Zimbabwe!) results in…

Custom labelled wine!

Although sometimes, the little sticker is a bit more informative…

I'm thinking a nice roast to go with this...

Oh and by the way, GetWine have NO idea who I am, other than that-person-who-ordered-wine-from-us-last-week. This was written because I had my phone out and I needed to label the wines…! Can’t wait for an excuse to have something special from our ‘custom labelled’ wines! Maybe we’ll take some camping…

***

Lasagna last night with the Girls was delicious. I LOVE that the new stove is hot instantly, has such fine controls on the gas plates. And as an unexpected side effect…it warms the kitchen up nicely! Which is great in winter…but may be a problem in summer!

***

I meant to write an update on my Gran yesterday but I forgot. And then I felt terrible. She was moved from ICU to a general ward, which apparently was terrible, so my Uncle threw toys, and the nursing home came a fetched her and she’s now in a small private ward at a private nursing home. She’s apparently doing much better. She is still pretty non-responsive, but less so than before. Does that make sense? She’s still being fed through a tube and whatnot but she is more comfortable and stuff. Grandpa is doing about as well as you’d expect. My folks are trying to keep him busy to keep him occupied but it’s tough. So there you go.

***

J’s away on field work next week, and I have results from a survey I did for my MBA assignment at work so next week I can see myself being very busy in the evenings putting all that together. It’s so different to anything I’ve done before analysing the answers and stuff is going to be tricky! Anyway, I am looking forward to getting stuck in without distractions.

***

I had a very involved dream last night. And unusually for me, I can still remember it this morning. I dreamt I went to visit a friend. No idea who it was, but she was definitely a friend. An older, rotund woman who lived in a house that was underwater. The walls of the house were all glass and the water outside was crystal clear. Very weird. She had cats and bowls of goldfish all over the place. And you can read whatever you like as to what that says about my psyche.

***
I love Kindle on my iPhone. I’m finally getting to read all those classics that I feel I should have read, but haven’t. I’m busy with Jules Verne’s” 20,000 Leagues under the Sea“. It’s not what I expected. I’ve got “Moby Dick” lined up and then I’ll have to see.

***

And now, to work. We’re a staff member short so it’s a bit frantic!

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Christians are the Worst

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

1 Timothy 1:12-16 has Paul describing how bad of a person he was. At one time he was a blasphemer and persecuted Christians. He considered himself to have been the worst sinner of them all. I am assuming because he didn’t just do “normal” sins like fornication or adultery, but because he actually spoke directly against the Lord and His people.

This made me think. Often times the worst sinners are the giants in Christ. They are normally the drug users and alcoholics. The abusers and depressed. The reckless.

I am not sure where people get the notion that Christians are perfect. In fact, this tells that they the called are the normally the most imperfect people. Everyone in the body of Christ has done something ridiculous against our God to make Him do a ridiculous changing within us. It shows His love and patience with us. He shows just how mighty He really is.

I sat and thought to myself I have never done drugs or a drunk (though I have drank before), but that seems to be who God has been calling to the powerful positions in the church. I kept hearing that the lower you are, it seems the higher He brings you. I thought that I wasn’t that low, and honestly I wasn’t by today’s world standards. But I still do many things agianst Christ by defiling my own body, and as I thought back, I could remember how often Satan attacked my mind with depression and suicidal thoughts. I could remember a girlfriend I had was being used by Satan to draw me into darker, more occult-like activity. Then to put the cherry on top, I got caught up (deeply) into astrology. I was all wrong within the spirit and mind. I may not have done drugs, but Satan knew how to use porn to trap me as well.

But by His grace, I am out of all of these things. While I still struggle with temptations and such daily, I have been away from all of the things I was wrapped up in just a year ago.

Had anyone known the full extent of where I was, they would realize that the ones called to Christ are the worst, just so God can show how He can take the roughest rock and turn it into the clearest diamond.

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well i guess it’s been a bit and new idea

Posted by admin on March 31st, 2010

I wish i was british like Bridgit Jones and could have written good idear! That seems to come more naturally for me. So I am trying to pin point what it is I want to blog about. Suggestions have been my wedding which is less than 5 months away and I am so a DIY bride and also wine…well that was my idea because I like it and if I blog about it I have a reason to say to my fiance why I drink it every night… right. Because that would be my first blog post on the wedding – lay off on the wine comments… dude are you planning? Exactly…yeah no you were snowboarding that day or had no comment or had a ridiculous idea that wasn’t even useable at all.

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