The Wine Commonsewer™

Fred Claus

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

I did not want to watch this movie, but I was roped into it. How-some-ever, Fred Claus turns out to be a lot better than TWC expected. It is entertaining holiday fare, perfect to watch with the kids or the grandkids (or both).

Whats-his-name is pretty good as the guy who constantly lived in the shadow of his younger and more famous brother. Miles from Sideways does nicely as a nominally henpecked, stress monster Santa figure. Kevin Spacey gets a 9.5 as the bad corporate drone bent on, well, I ain't no plot spoiler. Tugs at the heartstrings sufficiently to work as a chick movie (it put a little tear in The House Blond's baby blues).

As Always,

TWC 

Not *THAT* Tree, Charley Brown

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Apparently, some time Saturday afternoon of Thanksgiving weekend, while zipping toward home from Sonora (in the politically incorrect foreign pickup truck that's made in America), we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ended up somewhere near Fargo, North Dakota. From soaking up the sun to carting the  frostbitten brass monkey into the garage in three short days.
 

Part of the tradition here at the Casa is the ritual seeking of the perfect tree. Once identified, the kids then hack it down, Paul Bunyan style, with an axe. Gets a few raised eyebrows as the kids wander through the tree farm, hatchet in hand, but so far nobody's called Social Services. Dad grinds them to a fine edge and the kids take turns fighting over who gets to administer the killing blow. The Boy has the killing blow down, but he's not clear on the concept of a perfect tree. This one may be marked down.

That's an elf hat. And that's an elf ear. In case you was wondering.

As Ever,

TWC

2005 Congress Springs Cabernet Sauvignon

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

After much zen-like concentration, TWC picked it out of the bargain bin at the Two Buck Chuck store. It was Four Bucks US ($3.99). Turned out to be a sleeper, too. The tipping point? It's a Napa Cabernet. Not a guarantee, but a good way to hedge your bets.

History of the winery here. There's something a bit odd here though, as Daniel Gehrs, an original partner who was turned out when the partnership went sour, turns up as winemaker in 2005.  Hot Tip: All partnerships eventually turn sour. I will, while wearing my tax accountant hat, invariably advise against partnerships as a matter of course. You show me a partnership that has weathered the years and I'll show you a hundred thousand that have gone to blows.

I'd expect you'll find it (the wine, not the partnership) at most places in the $10.00-$14.00 and that's a fair return on your investment.

Winemakers notes:

This bold Cabernet is distinguished by its dark color, black currant, roasted coffee, and spicy oak. It is a fine choice for lovers of hearty big reds.

I would concur. It expresses the typical feel of what we've come to expect from a good Napa Cabernet. The wine is a perfect accompaniment for a grilled steak or beef stew.

Repeat after TWC: I've had wines costing two or three times as much that weren't half as good.

Amen, Go In Peace.

As Always,

TWC

The Pause That Refreshes

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The back cover of the December 1937 issue of National Geographic.

 

White Christmas?

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

That cold front that moved through here Wednesday left us with this.....

Taken from the deck of the master bedroom here at Casa de las Rocas Grandes looking southwest toward the Pacific.

Also taken from the deck of the Casa. My friends Michelle and Ty live in the neighborhood you can see at the base of the hills.

It is rare to see snow at this elevation. Ordinarily, there might be a light dusting after a cold and stormy night.

Heck, it even snowed in Lost Wages.....

The sun is shining.
The grass is green.
The orange and palm trees sway.
I've never seen such a day.
In Beverly Hills LA.
But it's December the 24th,
and I am longing to be up North.

Recognize the words? That is the first verse, but you don't often hear it sung that way.

Bonus:

As Always,

TWC

Snow At Casa de las Rocas Grandes

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Been a mite chilly and rainy today. At 1:30 this afternoon it reached 38 degrees F on the back deck. By 4:30 the snow flurries began. The kids were maniacal. About the rain and, later, the snow. It hasn't rained much here in recent memory so they were thrilled to have two days out of three with rain. Made the House Blond 's day to slosh home from school in soggy shoes.

The politically incorrect foreign truck that's made in America


Sweet white Alysum

Five bucks says most of TWC's garden will be dead and black by Sunday. Hope I don't lose the Bougainvillea.

Dreaming of a White Christmas?

That's a California Christmas Tree (Deodara Cedar). Last year I draped it with Christmas lights. It would have been beautiful with colored lights and snow falling. Day late and a dollar short (as my Aunt Jeanne would have said).

As Ever,

TWC

Shirley Temple on Belief in Santa

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph

Meet The New Boss, Same as The Really Old Boss

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The House Blond came home from school the other day with a message. We're on our way to a reprise of the Great Depression. She doesn't know exactly what that means, but she was a little worried.

Now, if a depression is what you long for, here's one recipe.....

(click the image for Michael Moynihan's four minute video)

TWC explained the Depression in simple terms. Great-grandpa's college education bought him a job running the elevator at the department store in downtown St Paul. Lots of others weren't that fortunate. They sold apples on street corners and burned scrap wood in 55 gallon steel drums to keep warm. And they walked, because the street car cost too much to ride. At times 25% of the populace wasn't working. People went hungry: The average weight of enlisted men signing on to fight the Germans was 144 pound and the average waist size was 31 inches. People went hungry. Did I already say that?

We reside in a culture preaching pervasive doom. But so long as there are odd looking kids, milling about the mall wearing bright orange pants and lip rings (with cell phones welded to their inhumanly distorted earlobes) we're not doing badly at all.

As Always,

TWC

My Dear, We're Still Good Bye'n Biscuit Boy? Is that you & LC?

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Lost in the clamor for the neutering of the season is the reality that many of our most beloved Christmas tunes were written by [gasp] Jews. White Christmas and The Christmas Waltz, for two.

Sammy Cahn and Jules Styne penned Let it Snow in 1946 as a paean to bygone eras. Okay, so it isn't quite an actual song about Christmas. But it is. Ask my mom.

What a great arrangement. Love the intro. Nobody in the modern era does Big Band better than Harry Connick, Jr.

Bonus: When I was a little kid I thought they were singing Let Us Know! Go figure. It never made much sense to me, but I belted it out (off key) along with the likes of Sinatra.

As Ever,

TWC

The Big Three Proud Sponsors of TWC

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Forty-four degrees, windy and raining here at Casa de las Rocas Grandes. That's not entirely unwelcome as it means snow capped mountains, clear air, and hills as green as all of Scotland for Christmas.

And now we pause for a word from Ford, Chevy, and Chrysler.

So happens that TWC isn't necessarily passing judgment on the quality of the offerings from Detroit although I still hold GM accountable for the Vega and that awful Cadillac Seville I had years back. Junk.

Back in the day, I mean way back in the day. My dad's day, that is, Cadillac was more than a luxurious upscale automobile. It was also a noun. An archaic slang term. A descriptive modifier. Old Guys used it to mean something of unique  and enduring quality. One might describe the Rolex watch as the Cadillac of watches. Except that wouldn't be true today. But you see how that works.

CONgress has rented a spine, or at least it would appear so, and declined to sweeten the deal for Detroit. That won't likely stop it from happening. Looks like GWB and Hank Paulson will personally wheel-barrow the cash out to  Dulles where it will be offloaded into the Big Three's waiting corporate jets for a quick trip back to Dee Troyt. Your tax dollars at work, Junior.

Here's the thing: We have little control over how CONgress or the Lame Duck disposes of our hard earned. But in the market, we have a choice. At least until CONgress does for Detroit what they did for Harley Davidson a couple of decades back. You know, tariffs and quotas. Wait, come to think of it, that's what they did for Detroit as well. Well, at least Harley built a better bike. Not better than the rice burners, but better than Voit did.

Think about this: Ain't nobody holding a revolver to your head forcing you to buy a Ford or a Chevy. It's your choice. Pay them now and pay them later. Or just pay once. Through payroll deductions.

Lastly, I have a few clients in a world of hurt about now. It's Christmas and several are hanging by a thread. Ain't no bailout coming for them. All that's coming is a bill from Uncle Sugar. Exactly how immoral is it to take my guy's money to give it to Waggoner and the UAW?

Let them eat fenders.

TWC on why Detroit can't compete. Here and here.

As Always,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Terry S, SASOB, Brian P, Mo, Adrian, & Tanya,