Friday, July 18, 2014

Blend, Blend, Blend Your Wine

This is a quick one: just sharing one of my newfound joys in life: wine tasting on steroids (well, not really).  Still, if you enjoy sampling different varietals and vintages, you might really enjoy creating your own blends.  Here is a great resource infographic from Wine Folly:

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<a href="http://winefolly.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Famous-Wine-Blends-Infographic.jpg"><img src="http://winefolly.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Famous-Wine-Blends-Infographic.jpg" /></a>
<p>Original Source: <a href="http://winefolly.com/update/famous-wine-blends-poster/" title="Famous Wine Blends of the World" rel="dofollow">Famous Wine Blends of the World</a></p>
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I have had success with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot.  You can have fun playing winemaker with simple beakers and pipettes.  More details on this in the next entry.

Let me know if you've done this and what your recommendations are!

Friday, June 22, 2012

A Dubious Inauguration

Why?

The world needs a lot of things -- common courtesy; peace; eradication of hunger, poverty, and disease -- but another voice in the food blogosphere?  Not so much.

Still I soldier on because, frankly, it pleases me.  And eventually I hope that means it pleases someone else, even if that someone is my one follower, my son Ben, to whom I dedicate this fledgling blog.

I begin with a brief anecdote: how I got my name.  My previous car, a pearl white Infiniti G20, had a wonderfully deep trunk for the size car it was.  Alas, the car aged much as I am, and things didn't always work the way they used to.  So one day when I was sprawled nearly fully into that deep trunk, reaching for who knows what, with my butt unceremoniously sticking out and my lumbar region completely exposed, the hydrolic piston gave way and the trunk door came smashing down with the pointy lock mechanism right into that most tender exposed part of my back.  I literally saw stars.  To make matters better, I had a witness, to whom I spontaneously exclaimed, "It got me in the marrow!  The juicy marrow!"

I don't know what, besides stupefying pain, possessed me to say this, but my witness's concern transformed into giggles, and I had to smile in spite of the fact that I could barely extricate myself from the trunk.  Not the story you were expecting?  Thought the reason for the name might be the delicious dish I once had at Wood Tavern?  Or the fact that after surviving cancer, I philosophically want to slurp the juicy marrow from life like I once did at that fine Oakland eatery?

Not from Wood Tavern - stock image

Those would be excellent reasons.  But I bet getting slammed in the keister wasn't exactly the expected story, which it makes it the most fitting reason of all: I hope to surprise and amuse my reader(s).  And I hope it's a lot less painful.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Coming soon: my musings on food and life. In the meantime, eat up today and feel the gratitude.