The Wine Commonsewer™

The Boy Turns 15

Good Morning Gentle Readers:

Unlike this morning, which is cool and rainy, the day we welcomed Jake into our home was hotter than a blast furnace in the 'Burg in August.

Like a dork, the car seat I picked up was designed for a ten year old porker raised on McDonalds fries. Keep in mind that Californicate is way out front on the Nanny Curve. Fifteen years ago hospitals had already been pressed into service by the social welfare polezei. Their job? Walk the baby out through the self-opening double glass doors and carefully strap The Boy into a child safety seat. After that starchy little Candy Striper saw the size of the car seat and finished with her apoplexy (stern lecture followed) there was a group conference to determine if we would be allowed to depart with our child. The soft-sided insert didn't cut no ice with these people.

Shut up you idiots (on the inside). I50 million bebes rode home from hospitals in the front seat with our mother's arms wrapped around us tightly. Before that babies were born at home under less than ideal conditions (boil some water and bring clean towels, Aunt Mabel).

It's taken about two weeks since we were getting him into the car at the hospital and we're already discussing getting him a car.

Jake & Cousin Mad-a-line  

 
Piloting The Boat
 

Tubing With The House Blond

Happy Birthday, Son. You're a good one.

As Always,

TWC

Milton Friedman's 99th

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

My son Jake is fifteen today and he shares his birthday with Milton Friedman.

Nick Gilliepie has done an amazing job commemorating the man.....

.....who introduced the concept of school vouchers, documented the role of government monopolies on money in creating inflation, provided the intellectual arguments that ended the military draft in America, co-founded the Mont Pelerin Society...... In popular books such as Capitalism and Freedom and Free to Choose, written with his wife and longtime collaborator Rose, he masterfully drew a through-line between economic freedom and political and cultural freedom.

Enjoy.

As Ever,

TWC

2009 Buckley's Cove Shiraz/Cabernet (The Cheap Wine Commonsewer Speaks)

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The 2009 Buckley's Cove is a Shiraz/Cabernet blend. Better than many Oz Shiraz I've had. Way better than Two Buck Chuck (Three Bucks in most states). At three bucks a bottle at Grocery Outlet, it is surprisingly drinkable. Not my first choice, but not a bad Thursday night wine when payday is Friday and your broke.

Winemaker Notes:

Allow us to introduce you to a terrific blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon – for when you want a serious wine for a serious meal.

Enjoy the pepper and bountiful fruit flavours the Shiraz delivers up front, and revel in the balanced tannins our Cabernet Sauvignon provides at the finish.

As Ever,

TWC

One Million Dollars Worth of Left Handed Wine Circling the Drain (To the Right)

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

A malfunctioning forklift, loading a ship in Adelaide, dropped 462 cases of 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz nearly twenty feet, destroying a third of 2010's production. 

Bet that was a mess. I broke a bottle of wine on the carpet once. There is *way* more than 28 ounces of wine in one bottle. Worse, three or four bottles of wine flew out the back of the politically incorrect foreign pick up truck that's made in America, landing three feet down on the asphalt parking lot at the Casa Blanca. Lordy. All I did was open the tailgate, but somehow things got themselves mighty skewed on the ride.

Australia's Herald Sun quoted a per-bottle price of $185.00 AUD. I mentally converted that to approximately $80.00 USD. Three minutes later, after a quick look at exchange rates, I learned that since 2001, the Australian Dollar has appreciated  100% against Ben Bernanke's floundering dollar. [eyebrows raised in stunned disbelief] Might be because Australia's economy remained strong while ours was slammed into the dumper by two administrations and a federal reserve chairman who got their economics degrees for fifty bucks from a small island university near Cuba.

Mollydooker, which is Oz slang for southpaw, which is US slang for a left handed baseball pitcher, is one of my favorite Aussie wines. Further, Mollydooker defies the TWC rule which states that: The quality of the wine is inversely proportional to the cool factor and kitsch of the label.

Although Oz Shiraz is made from Syrah grapes, the end result is often very different from US Syrah. I don't get what those guys do to Shiraz. BUT, Mollydooker is a different barrel of wine altogether. It isn't surprising to me that the Velvet Glove Shiraz retails in the US for a buck fifty to two hundred dollars a bottle. Every vintage of Velvet Glove has garnered ratings in the high 90's from the likes of Parker and Spectator. 

In the meantime, here's a Mollydooker more in line with my pocketbook.

As Always,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Mrs TWC; Image appears courtesy of The Telegraph.com.au

2006 Cafaro Merlot

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

It is refreshing to enjoy a well made Napa Valley wine that is realistically priced. Although you can pay more, if you're willing to shop around, this lovely wine can be found in the $15.00-$20.00 range.

Cafaro Vineyards, Napa Valley

The linited production Merlot is nicely done and enhanced with just a tease of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is rich with flavor and aroma, exemplifying the very essence of Merlot. In short, this was a nicely crafted wine, as good or better than most Napa Merlots.

Winemakers Notes:

The 2006 vintage is accessible and balanced to accompany with a wide range of dishes. This vintage of Merlot has a refreshing lean, with a bright focused finish. It's concentrated, with smoky oak notes from a mix of mostly French and a bit of American barrels. The flavors and aromas are forward, perfumed plush red fruit, and ripe without being overpowering – a wine that compliments food. There is also a touch of cedar from the oak barrels. The combination of structure, depth and richness makes this 2006 Merlot drinkable now but it could easily age if you can wait. Please enjoy our 2006 Merlot with family and friends.

Salud!

As Always,

TWC

Images appear courtesy of Cafaro Family Vineyards

Planet Hollywood

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Planet Hollywood taken from the pool deck at Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, July 13, 2011.

Planet Hollywood has a pretty amazing buffet. Strong words coming from a guy who hates buffets.

As Ever,

TWC

Photo Credit: TWC, all rights reserved.

The Strip

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Las Vegas Boulevard from about the 35th floor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel.

The fountains at the Bellagio are in the foreground, Ceasars to the left, Paris across the street.

As Always,

TWC

Photo Credit: TWC, all rights reserved.

 

Delectable Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburgers

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

One sultry Friday night of my vagrant yoot, I was off to Laguna Beach with this dark-haired, dark-eyed Italian chick I fondly referred to as Marblehead. But, the tainted CoCo's bacon cheeseburger I indulged earlier devolved into food poisoning, putting a sour face on a beautiful evening. Vickie figured she was brushed off, and it was downhill from there. Didn't help that she and I were both trying to ditch bad relationships nor that my buddy, Coco's Manager Jim, relentlessly bird dogged that poor girl. She blamed me, but he was a pit bull. I couldn't stop him. She was a sweet girl, I shoulda tried harder.  

Long way around the barn to say that I ain't touched a bacon cheeseburger since I was twenty-eight years old. I don't get nauseated at the thought anymore, but, to this day, I can't abide the smell or the taste. Bacon for breakfast? Sure. For cheeseburgers? Ghastly.

That doesn't mean I can't grill you up a killer bacon cheeseburger, though. It isn't difficult, but there are things to remember.

• Forget all that crapola about fat, you can't make a decent burger with lean meat. 20% fat content is a minimum. 30% is better. Ground chuck is a good choice. Most of the fat cooks out anyway.
• Make the patties yourself. Don't pound them or squash them. For all that is holy, do not use a patty press. Form them as loosely as possible, just enough kneading to keep them from falling apart. Thinner rather than thicker. Make them about an inch and a half wider than the bun because they will shrink on the grill.
• Cut the raw bacon slices in half, lengthwise. Grill the bacon over the coals. Tricky, but not too difficult. Use tongs to turn. When mostly cooked thru, set them aside.
• Grill the burgers over a hot fire with all vents closed. Otherwise you'll have yourself a visit from the fire marshall when the grease fire starts. Throw some mesquite on the coals if you like. Expect a lot of smoke.
• When it's time to flip the burgers, working quickly, lay the bacon slices across the burger and then the cheese on top (try Tillamook Cheddar slices). If the grease flares up, close the lid and wait. You may have to slip the burgers off the fire and over to a cool side of the grill in order to work the bacon and cheese.

Serve with your favorite accompaniments and enjoy.

As Always,

TWC

Free Slurpees on 7/11 at 7-11

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Still time to stand in line for a free slurpee. To honor Free Slurpee Day I'll go you one better:

That's right, it is 7:11 on 11/7 at 7-11. We didn't get any free slurpee, neither.

Photo Credit: Uncle Will, who not only noticed the time and place, but managed to scramble back to the car, pop the trunk, grab his camera, and take the picture. All in less than a minute. This store is on the North Kohala coast on the Big Island of Hawaii.

As Always,

TWC

 

 

 

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