Aug 25 2012

Wine tasting review – 25 August 2012

Today, the tasting at Hope Valley Bottle Shop focused on some juicy French wines (two whites, one sparkling rosé, and two reds). As I am moving away from the Triangle this Friday (31 August 2012), this was my last tasting at HV Bottle Shop. That is sad, as the owner of the shop–Drew–was always incredibly helpful and offered fantastic insight about the wines that he sold.

The first pour of the day was a 2010 Blanc blend from Chateau Lamothe de Haux. It had a vibrant medium yellow colour at the edge, a thin ring, and no legs. I found it to be highly floral, and have a light lemon scent with a hint of honey. It had a nice mid-palate with a very smooth finish. It was a little light for my taste, but I can imagine that it would be quite pleasant when paired with the correct dish.

The second glass was a 2009 Pinot Gris from producer Philippe Zinck. It had a lovely golden colour at the edge, with a medium ring, and very few medium/thick legs. I picked up a combination of lime and green apple, although apparently the 2008 vintage had more of an emphasis on yellow fruit. It had a brighter acidity, and more crisp finish than the previous blanc.

The middle offering was a sparkling rosé, also from Philippe Zinck. It had a beautiful light peach / salmon colour, with many thick, medium-paced legs. With scents of apricot and red currants, it was very pleasant on the nose. However, to me, the carbonation interrupted the mid-palate and finish. Further, I found it to be almost metallic, which was unappealing.

The fourth wine was the 2009 Rouge blend from Chateau Lamothe de Haux. As a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, it had a deep garnet colour with medium contrast between the edge and centre. It also had very few, but slow-moving legs. I picked up notes of licorice and chocolate from it. It was medium bodied, but had a soft mid-palate and even softer finish. Primarily, I found the flavours to focus on ripe red berries.

The last pour of the day was a 2010 Grenache from Le Paradou. It had a gorgeous deep purple colour, with very low contrast between the edge and centre, as well as low visibility when peering through it. There were medium legs, but they were very slow to start. It gave off a very nice aroma of black cherries, but the flavours were of spice and a subtle blueberry. Though it had a nice weight to it, I found the finish to be somewhat disappointing.

Cheers,
Zach

Aug 22 2012

A little piece of my childhood is going away

I read an article yesterday that was somewhat bittersweet to me, for it reminded me of a truly joyful part of my childhood, but also mentioned that it will no longer be produced. Considering the internet was not really an option for most people when I was a kid, and seeing as I was really into video games as a boy, we children of the 80s and 90s had to rely on other sources for our info, hints, and cheats for games. One of the absolute best sources of that information was Nintendo Power magazine.

Though it started in 1988, I wasn’t quite involved in the gaming community at that time as I was barely out of nappies. The first issue that I remember owning was number 30, which featured a lot of information about Final Fantasy II (in the US; in Japan, it was known as Final Fantasy IV):

Nintendo Power Magazine - Final Fantasy II cover - Issue 30

Seeing as the Final Fantasy saga is my favourite of all time, and that Final Fantasy II was the best of the entire series (in my mind), I had to have the magazine. Shortly thereafter, I became one of the hundreds of thousands of subscribers. I also remember calling their tip line when Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past came out for Super Nintendo (still the best gaming system ever released). Not going to lie; when my mother saw that call on the phone bill, she was less than pleased.

Oh boy, good memories, but definitely sad to see that they are calling it quits. I guess with the internet’s prominence, there really isn’t that much of a need for such a magazine.

Cheers,
Zach

Aug 21 2012

Kathleen Madigan – Gone Madigan

One evening when I was a little on the bored side, but was also feeling completely task-avoidant, I was looking for something entertaining on Amazon Instant Video. I found a stand-up routine by comedian Kathleen Madigan, entitled Gone Madigan.

Kathleen Madigan - Gone Madigan

There were some very funny portions of her sketch, even though it was a little dated. One aspect that made her even more entertaining to me was that she was from Saint Louis, MO. Though I’m not from there, I have spent a lot of time in that city, and understood a lot of her references. For instance, she mentioned that her parents now live in the Ozarks, and that there is actually a Bible Factory Outlet. Having been to the area, and actually seeing the store, made that portion even more amusing.

Some of the other highlights, in my opinion (and without ruining all of the humour), were:

  • Her stories about being in Afghanistan with Lewis Black, and the ever-intelligent Kellie Pickler
  • Her ideas about turning immigration into a reality television show
  • Blaming Oprah for the poor economy
  • Her proposal for defining legal alcohol limits based on nationality
  • How home-loan pre-approvals are insanely inflated

That last one was exceptionally funny to me as well, given that I am in the market for a home. After having talked to a “loan officer,” I’ve found that they essentially just want people to have beautiful homes, regardless of whether or not they will be able to eat. 😛 Anyway, if you are looking for a comedy act that is relatively clean (though the language is still there), and enjoy someone who says exactly what’s on her mind, I suggest that you check out some of her routines.

Cheers,
Zach