The Wine Commonsewer™

A New Religion That Will Bring You To Your Knees, Global Warming, If You Please

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The Kosmik Kid says Al Gore's favorite documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, won an Oscar the other night in the best Science Fiction category. Rimshot, he's here all week.

Meantime, KC Fox plows nine inches of Global Warming off his Ohio driveway and Patti says they're expecting in Utah as well. Eight inches of the frosty white stuff that is.

In Other News, Mr Gore doesn't exactly walk the walk he'd like the rest of us to walk. His palatial mansion consumes twenty times as much fossil fuel in a year as the average American home.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

Show of hands? How many remember way back in the Dark Ages of Disco, when we were threatened with, no, we were promised a coming ice age that would wipe us out?

We were also promised, like a hail of Biblical fire and brimstone, massive starvation and famine as the population bomb exploded, and yet our lives are better, with more material abundance and a cleaner planet than at any time in our collective lives.

Climate models often cannot replicate weather patterns that actually happened, which casts suspicion on the accuracy of any computerized vision of a hothouse future as seen through a crystal ball.

Computerized models of our climate have had a habit of "drifting" too warm or too cold. This because they still don't contain all of the temperature-stabilizing processes that exist in nature.

Yet now, with the fervor of a Pentecostal preacher at a tent revival, we are promised climate change so dramatic that it will alter everything there is about life as we know it, including the deaths of 4.5 billion people in the next five years.

Gentle Readers, TWC remains skeptical that the pretty people in Malibu are going to have to move up into the hills.

And finally, is GWB, who when asked if he would view Gore's masterpiece replied, doubt it, a closet Greenie?

As Ever,

TWC

tip of the glass to Brian Doherty, Ron Bailey, The Big, Big Slacker, Roy W. Spencer who is principal research scientist at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center of the National Space Science and Technology Center in Huntsville, Charley S, Jolly Waves, Col Hogan for the clarification of who won what, and someone else.

2003 Familia Cara Chianti Riserva

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Sulking. TWC is good at it and I was fuming about the shackles binding my ankles to the floor while La Familia was off to the beach on a sultry February afternoon. That was probably the wrong approach. And, yes, Sultry and February, I know, not in the same sentence, thank you. Global Warming is the likely culprit here.

Then, like a Nike commercial, TWC just did it. Caught the old lady a fraction of an instant before the gate clanged shut and they drove off in the politically incorrect SUV.

Ahhh, the inevitable traffic, surely that’s a got dam reason to move out of this godforsaken state right there. Except it’s like a Twilight Zone episode, you can’t get there from here.

Destination: Zooport Beach, near where the kid's godfather captured the House Blond in 35mm that long past summer afternoon just days after the curtain fell on another annual 4th of July Bash.

Kent's Linda and I shuttled Jim to LAX the following morning. Teary eyed and big hugs, he left us. Easy to say he figured he 'd not see us again and that would be gospel. Maybe reading way too much into it though. Six months later Linda lit a candle.

Despite whatever Gretchen Wilson has to say about California Girls.......

Brian Wilson (live at the Roxy) is STILL right......

The only two places with a similar concentration of gorgeous women is Miami, Fla and the Colorado River. Here's a hot tip: Those guys in the Viagra commercials don’t need drugs, they need the beach on a warm afternoon.

FAMILIA CARA CHIANTI RISERVA

Cut it out with the eye rolling, I AM getting to the point. Mrs TWC suggested bringing wine. She knows I'm easier to manage that way. Unfortunately the ambiance of this surprisingly good Chianti, enjoyed from a plastic traveling coffee cup, left a bit to be desired. The ambiance that is, not the wine.

At first sip, It is readily apparent that the Familia Cara is Chianti, with bright, dry cherries and a bit of pepper. As is true of all Chianti's, Familia Cara is primarily Sangiovese, rounded out with Canaiolo (10%). And sort of like Bob Gonzalez' ex-girlfriend, it went down especially smooth and easy, which was a decidedly unexpected surprise. For under ten bucks US, TWC expected astringent straw bottle wine and was surprised with Quaffable (on the NoStar scale).

Familia Cara is an ideal summer wine, perfect with pasta and red sauce, sauteed sweet peppers and sausages topped with Parmesan, or a light insalata caprese with crusty bread and olive oil (balsamic vinegar too). It lacks pretension and sophistication however it is, well, pretty good wine. Drink it barefoot.

Traditionally, conventional wisdom has held that the Italians keep all the good wine for domestic consumption and export the rest. That assumption, whether valid or not, is beginning to change as American interest in Italian wines grows. We're seeing long term contracts between US importers and Italian vintners, the happy result of which is sometimes finding that jug wine you remember from the sidewalk cafe in Sienna where you and that dark eyed beauty idled away a warm spring afternoon just that many years ago.

I enjoyed it as we strolled the beach whilst the kids frolicked in the freezing surf and the contaminated run off at the mouth of the Santa Ana River. See, the eco-fascists have hammered at this theme long enough that even TWC has begun to buy off on it.

Why the deception? The travel cup deception is what I mean. Oh yeah, no alcohol allowed on any beach in California. I believe that’s a universal law along the entire thousand miles of coastline. Beth-Ann hadn't heard about it though.

One thing I liked about Mamma’s Ami** (Miami) was that you could wander around in public with a Pina Colada without getting ticketed or arrested.

We stayed for the sunset over Catalina Island and then adjourned to a local eatery for spicy Jamaican jerk chicken, some oddball shrimp enchilada-like thing that you would only run across in California, and another glass of the red (Smoking Loon). Hey, I waddn't driving.

Beat the hell out of working all day Saturday, which was the original plan.

As Ever,

The Wine Commonsewer

**Mrs TWC had talked about Miami for a couple of months before her trip. Jake was just old enough to hear her say it was My Ami. So any time anyone else would talk about Miami he would set them straight. It’s not Your Ami. It’s Mama’s Ami. 

The Gay Blades

Gentle Readers,

I'd say, only in LA, but that wouldn't be accurate.

As Ever,

TWC

Pretty Soon You're Talking About Real Money

Gentle Readers,

Harry Browne, author of How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World and Why Government Doesn't Work, has a lot to say on that latter subject. One gem I'm fond of is....

In 1886 the federal government spent $242 million. In 2003 the federal government will spend over $2 trillion — 10,000 times as much.

So how much is that really? How much is 242 million dollars in inflation adjusted dollars?

$242 million in 1886 grows to $4.81 billion in inflation adjusted 2003 dollars.

Okay, but do we need to account for population growth?

US population has increased five fold while US government spending has increased 10,000 fold since 1886. Whoa.

To put this all into perspective, let's see how fast the US Treasury burns through GWB's three trillion dollar budget.

If one spends a dollar per second, twenty four hours per day, it takes about 11 days to spend a million dollars, about 31 years to spend a billion dollars, and about 31,546 years to spend a mere one trillion dollars.

The surprise to me is that there are millions of people who, with a straight face, proclaim that Americans don't pay enough taxes.

In Other News: The National Debt Clock is here (java enabling required). Your family's share is $138,000.00. Congrats.

As Ever,

TWC

Comments Problems

Typepad is having computer problems and currently it is not possible quite difficult to post comments. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Mr. Giftie, RIP, February 20, 2007

Gentle Readers,

Our Eulogy today comes courtesy of Guest Blogger, the Kosmik Kid.

UPDATE: Kos estimates 2,500 bottles of wine were opened by this fine corkscrew, a number TWC estimates to be on the shy side, an average of a mere 4.81 bottles per week.

All good things must come to an end. Mr. Giftie was our dear friend and trusty servant, who passed away suddenly last night, but not before successfully removing one last cork that stood in the way of la joie de vie.

Mr. Giftie came into our lives on our wedding day, April 28th, 1996, a present from our dear friends Mr & Mrs TWC. He immediately charmed us with his decorking abilities, which he demonstrated several times that night, with his lady friends, Cabbie Nae, Peanut, and Zinnie the Red. For 10 brief years and a few months he stayed with us, quietly residing in his special box in the microwave cart drawer. But he never failed to serve us when called out for special dinners, parties, and celebrations.

Alas, his final tryst -- er, twist -- resulted in a mortal wound, as you can see. He lies in state as I write this. We haven't decided yet how to properly honor his remains; we're torn between donating the body to a viticulture museum, or melting it down and using it in the reloader. (Sigh)

Condolences may be emailed in care of TWC. Please help honor his memory by donating to the fine establishments that nurture Cabbie and her friends, or to your favorite libertarian organization.

Thank you,

The Kosmik Kid

TWC Note: The photo doesn’t do it justice, this corkscrew was massive, a nice hefty well crafted implement that any or all of us would be proud to own. The Wine Commonsewer is truly sorry to hear of its demise.

TWC has donated over $100.00 to the Barstow Home for Incurable Furniture in Mr Giftie’s name.

2007 American Wine Blog Awards Winners

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

From Tom Wark......

The two things I was hoping to demonstrate with the American Wine Blog Awards was the diversity of voices and the excess of talent that exists in the world of Wine Blogging.

Amen and thanks for your efforts, Tom. Whole thing here including an award for Best Wine Review Blog for one of my favorites, Vinograpy.

TWC was hoping that Robin Garr might also go home with a statue. His Wine Lovers Page was out there long before the concept of blogging existed and he continues that tradition with some of the finest digital wine offerings around. Definitely worth a click through, my friends.

As Always,

TWC

Don't Let The Screen Door Hit You In The Butt

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

It's the end of the line for The OC.

Heartbreak Hotel.

As Ever,

TWC

2003 Campomaggio Rosso Toscana IGT

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Most kids eat more sugar in an afternoon than TWC does in six months but, lordy, I fell of the wagon last night. But hey, it was St Vals, which is a High Holy Holiday at Casa de las Rocas Grandes, and there was a plethora of chocolate delights.

My Valentine brung me.....Okay, I'll stop right there. I learned that word from my kids. It is the past tense of bring and openly substitutes for brought without a blush from either of those two. Course, I have no idea anyway. Unlike many of my grammar police libertarian friends, I can barely articulate the difference between an adverb and an adjective. I DID know, however, that the voicemail message yesterday from Betty's attorney was just plain wrong. He said he wanted to dialogue with me. Pretty sure dialogue isn't a verb. Is verb the correct term? Maybe that's spelled dialog?

Anyway, Mrs TWC brung me a bottle of 2003 Campomagio Rosso Toscana IGT, which we enjoyed with American Idol and some chocolate. Hey, come High Holy Holiday or high water, no infringement of American Idol is permitted. Don't care that it's simultaneously Tivo'd, the longest viewing delay allowable is just long enough to allow for a fast forward through the commercials.

This Super Tuscan is one of many offerings from the Castellani family.  As Chiantis go, the Campomaggio is an exceptionally smooth and full bodied wine with an aroma and taste of raspberries, strawberries, and other red fruit. It's composed primarily of Sangiovese grapes with a little touch of Cabernet and Syrah. Aging for a year in oak provides additional substance along with nuanced vanilla, smoke, and leather for a  dry, pleasant, and rather lingering finish.

The wine is ready now and although you could lay it down for a couple of years it may not improve much. Enjoy it with spicy tapas,  grilled beef, strong cheeses, or about any Italian dish you'd expect to find at a sidewalk cafe with red checkered table clothes.

Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, Campomaggio has been producing wine for over a century on 120 acres of vineyards in the heart of the Chianti Classico appellation, midway between Fiorenze (Florence) and Sienna.

I asked Mrs TWC about the wine. She said it tastes like good wine.

As Ever,

TWC

Mowed 'Em Down Like Bugs Moran's Guys on St Valentine's Day

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The House Blond is convinced that St Vals is a legal holiday and no amount of rational discourse can dissuade her of that notion. Prolly doesn't help that at Casa de las Rocas Grande it may as well be Christmas. The trick is to take the lessons from Christmas socks hung by the chimney with care and morph that into something pink with hearts, love, and chocolate. 

Akira came out of the camps after the Big War and headed straight to Chicago. He'd made enough cash running a pool table and cigarette concession  to buy a brand new 1946 Ford. Mike, you know how much Japanese love to smoke and cigarettes were hard to come by in camp. The pool table was pilfered from a lodge near Yellowstone. I should have taken notes instead of consigning this fascinating stuff to my failing memory banks.

Once in Chi-town, Ike found gainful employment at 2122 Clark Street. Claimed the bullet holes were still in the wall.  Long ago razed, George Patey's bricks, salvaged from the building and sold for a grand apiece, are reputed to bring nothing but bad luck to the holder.

Hope your St Valentine's Day is better than Moran's boys was.

As Ever,

TWC

Other TWC takes on St Val's here and here.