"T"

Thanks for the link John. Over the next 6 months or so I am going to try and purchase more wines from this area and have a compare and contrast tasting along with Piedmont Nebbiolo. All in the name of education of course.

I'm working on the eve that's bad too isn't it? I have never worked on the 25th of Dec or the 1st of January but I thank all those who do. Whether in coffee houses or restaurants I appreciate your sacrifice. Did I mention I work retail Christmas eve? :)

Valtellina is located in Lombardy Italy where Nebbiolo can be as elegant as it can be in Piedmonte. Valgella is one of the 5 sub-zones for Valtellina Superiore. Medium bodied garnet with a watery brickish rim. Ripe cherries, lightly tarred. Cedar plank on the nose. Medium plus acidity and firm tannin on the palate. Bright cherry almost sour cherry pie. Ashphalt carries over to the palate. After 1 hour. On the nose the cherry has turned into cooked cherries and the ashphalt characteristics of Nebbiolo are much more apparent. Baked cherry pie with licorice whip on the palate. Acid is still quite high but the tannins have softened somewhat but everything is deeper and richer. Unfortunately I gave the rest of the bottle to a friend so he would have something to go with his steaks. Oh well, 2 glasses for me, I can live with that. Two bottles left in the cellar. Think I'll wait until next summer to open the next one. $25.75 Canadian dollars or actually $25.75 Alberta dollars. Most likely if it was available in BC it would be closer to $45.75 Can dollars.

This is true but as coop said it is illegal. mkjr: If interested in a bistro type place PM and I'll send you a line.

Ah Yes Colombia is a 'good shirt' kind of a country-they do like to dress up. Therein lies part of the problem. As someone once said of me I slouch through a door looking something like a down-on-his-luck Russian Mafia Hitman in a dodgy mood-heavy Slavic features, rumpled garb and all that. I must say I've received some excellent service from some very nervous waitstaff in the past-why change? ← If it works for you then I see no reason to change Besides, when considering what passes for cool these days you may fit in just fine.

I was there about a month ago. The food was great, as usual, but when it's a full house it can get a bit loud. Everything from starters to entrees gets a better than passing grade. Drinks are well made, wine could be cheaper but that can be said for 99% of restaurants on this continent. It is a "cool" room so put on a nice shirt, relax and be cooool. Enjoy.

Dress etiquette during dining out should always be adhered to. Last year a group of us, six in total, went to Pastis and the table next to us the male partner was dressed in track pants and a t-shirt. WTF. I don't know. Maybe it's just me but going out for a nice meal is always an event and dressing well shows respect for both the restaurant and the folks you hang out with.

Has anyone been to the place on the corner of Kingsway and Broadway? I think it's called Rancho? Maybe?

Namring is always a reliable estate. One of my favorites lately has been a First flush from Lingia. It brews a very light cup but the flavours are massive.

clickety click ← Why thank you :)

MONO Teapots. I have both the 2.5 cup and the larger 5 cup. For black tea they are simply the best pots for making tea. The size of the infuser ensures the leaves expand to their maximum potential then just lift up the basket and presto, perfect tea from a pot that doesn't drip. Design by award winning designer Tassilo von Grolhman. This teapot shows as part of the permanent collection of many museums and galleries in Europe and NA. If I was more pooty(my wifes petname for a compooooter)) savvvvvy I would have included some kind of link to some kind of site that shows the pot in question. But, me poooty illiterate so hopefully someone else will help a brother out and do it.

Joanne: C'mon. I know you know your teas and I know you know your way around Darjeelings. What teas? Which estates? Which flush? Which screenings? How did they pair with the meals? I know I don't really have the right to be so bosssy, me being more of a lurker than a poster, but, certainly am curious. Cheers

Right now I'm sippin' on a IGT Grillo(grape) from Sicily by Feudo d' Elimi. First time I've had this grape. Quite melony, cooked apples, not brisk or bracing acidity but acid is certainly present. At $12.00 CND or better put $12.00 in Vancouver, (which has perhaps the highest alcohol prices in all of North America), pretty decent wine for the money.

I like the way you think. Agreed, BN is simply a celebration, (well, and a great marketing gimmic also), of the new harvest. Not supposed to be deep, complex, elegant, seductive. That's what Cru Beaujolais is for. And as I'm sure our friend Florida Jim would back me up when I say that when Gamay is good, Gamay is very, very good.

Bit surprised not many people drink SA wines. In Vancouver we seem to have a fairly large selection in the public aend more so the private wine shoppes. One of my faves is always deToren's Fusion 5. Bordeaux blend of the usual suspects. Big and tasty.

Aurora Bistro on Main. Great brunch in a nice room. After brunch if the weather is dry you can walk around and hang out in Vancouvers hippest area.

Saturday night. Ya's gets what yas's gets. Have another glass o' wine. You'll feel better. Promise. If not call me up and we'll drink whisky. :)

Excelent choice. A very tasty bottle.

I love where I live, Vancouver, BC, but, Paris is bar none the greatest place on Earth.

Starbucks Bad. One Fella's Opinion

Villa Santa 2000 Joao Portugal Ramos Vino Regional Alentejano I don't really know much about the wine as far as grapes are concerned. On openning I thought this wine was corked so I poured what was in my glass back into the bottle and openned another. Same musty corked aroma. WTF. So I recork the second bottle and repour from the first and reluctantly drink. After about 20 minutes the mustiness is gone and all this full ripe fruit appears. Firm tannins as well with a good dose of acid. Hmmmmmmmmmmm....... The next day I try again. The tannins have softened much but all this gorgeous ripe dark fruit is leaping from the glass along with some nicely integrated oak. So I'm reading the back label and it says the grapes are...............................................aragones, trincadeira,cab/sauv and alicante bouschet. Now that's a mouthfull and a nice one at that. Sorry, can't remember what I paid for the wine.

Jim, was the Barolo decanted at all? Where would you put the level of tannin?

Yikes!!!! I am not even sure as to how I would react to that. Either turn my head in disgust or break a rib laughing. I guess it depends on how much I haven't spit.

If it's bigger than your head don't eat it. Also applies to beverages. Sorry, I'm drunk.

I would save some money and buy a Rosso di Montalcino. Even a Chianti Classico would do the job and nobody would be able to tell. I honestly doubt if anyone could taste the difference when used to cook with.