#WineWorldCup2018 predictor

As the only wine blogger with a Physed degree*  i feel it’s my duty to comment on, and predict a winner for the FIFA World Cup tournament happening right now in Russia.

Many methods are used to predict sportsing ball winners.  Paul the Octopus, Achilles the deaf Oracle cat, and Flopsy the Kangaroo are just some of the animals used to predict a winner.   So I thought, rather than use animals, metrics or “algorithms” [whatever they are] to predict a winner, let’s look at the wine produced by each country to predict a winner.  Here’s my argument for each team that i think has a chance to win.

4th Place – Germany.  Their Fußball team takes a back seat to nobody. But the fear of mispronouncing “Gewürztraminer” (German: [ɡəˈvʏɐ̯tstʁaˈmiːnɐ]) sadly places them low on the #WineWorldCup2018 list.

3rd Place – Portugal. I don’t love Portuguese wines that aren’t Port, with the exception of  a Vinho Verde on a warm day – but Portugal’s best and most beautiful player, Ronaldo, is a teetotaler – so his team can’t really be taken seriously. But hey, if you’re the best looking man on the pitch with over 2 billion people watching did you really lose?

Runner Up – France. My favourite thing about the French soccer team is their kit [or jersey as we say this side of the pond] featuring le coq. My second favourite thing is rose wine from any French region.

Le coq

Paparazzi photo of me drinking Rosé in Provence

#WineWorldCup 2018 Winner – Spain. One word – “Muga”. I have a well documented love affair with this pink nectar, the love child of Dionysus and Ariadne. It’s certainly the most photogenic wine in the world. Take that Cristiano Ronaldo.

Paparazzi photo of Muga in my back yard

Wines to drink this summer …

Muga Rosé 2017 Spain

—VINTAGES#: 603795   |   750 mL bottle $14.95 Released June 9

La Vieille Ferme Rose France

—LCBO#: 622134   |   750 mL bottle $11.95

Alianca Vinho Verde Portugal

—LCBO#: 75663   |   750 mL bottle $9.35

Pierre Sparr Gewürztraminer

it’s actually from Alsace but close enough right, and hey, another vote for France

—LCBO#: 373373   |   750 mL bottle $17.95

*footnote re. being the only wine blogger with a PE degree [a fact that i can’t actually verify so can somebody please add me as a reliable source on Wikipedia]

Combating Water

In the beginning there was Spring. Or maybe Summer. But definitely not Winter!

Spring is here. That means it’s time for my annual water rant. I promise you this one is not unjustified or unfounded and it may be even Biblical.

I’m so sick and tired of “water people”. Honestly, last week i mentioned that i might have a slight sinus infection and somebody says to me “maybe you’re not drinking enough water”. Then my stomach growled in a meeting, “maybe you’re not drinking enough…” – Hey jerk! Maybe you’re not drinking enough water!

If I’ve learned anything from the weather network [and i haven’t] it’s that the Springtime is no time to drink water. It’s raining enough as it is! Seriously, i haven’t watched a high school rugby game yet this year without getting soaked to the butt [thx for the expression uncle Harold].

So enough of this water stupidity. Let’s combat water. Get yourself a large umbrella, a fabulous rain jacket, and a bottle of Muga – the people’s rosé. Muga is the finest of rosé that you can find at the LCBO and it reminds you that warmer weather is on the way, while being delicious at the same time. That’s a win, win, win [at least]. May 13 the LCBO released this year’s vintage of Muga rosé, which is technically a rosado [that’s the way they roll in Spain]. It’s a perfectly delightful rosé and you cannot go wrong serving it, bringing it to a party, or sipping it in secret in your backyard or basement.  Better yet, stay inside and watch something on Netflix.

I have it on good authority that the Spanish don’t waste their time drinking water. Why should i?

Combating water indoors with a cozy scarf

Combating water with Netflix and time travel

Combating water with a daughter drinking grapefruit juice – heh

Previous water rants

2010 Drink More Water? 

2011 Still Drinking Water?

2012 Water – I’m not convinced

2013 Water. Again?

2015 Hyperbole

2016 Water Research

Water Research

Each year i feel it’s my responsibility to ask the difficult questions about water. Mostly questions that lead me to my preformed conclusion that we should be drinking rosé instead.

This is what i found this year about water – and it’s alarming.

1. The rule of drinking 8 glasses of water a day is based on the fact that people already drink that much water. So it’s an urban myth that we should be doing it. I don’t know about you but I feel strongly that “urban” myths are the scariest of all myths  – including creation and trickster myths.
2. If you’re not already scared then google the words “renal excretory capacity”.  That’s something i do not want to either increase or exceed. Tell me brother-in-Spain that’s not as scary as an urban myth!
3. I read this quote on the internet about people who drink lots of water, “However, the group of patients with the highest urine output also had the lowest serum sodium, suggesting that, in fact, they were driving the high urine output with a high fluid intake.” You okay with that? Too soon? Too scary?

So here are my reckless suggestions. Drink rosé this summer. Chill it well, pick nice stemware, and substitute a crisp white wine if you don’t have emergency bottles of rosé on hand [for those who care, i just learned about the Oxford comma this week and used it correctly].

Muga Rosé – Spain $13.95

Marques de Riscal – Spain $12.70

 

Year in Review

You know those dreams you have that you can’t wait to tell everyone about.  The dreams that have intricate details more fascinating to the teller than the listener?  That’s what the Year in Review photos are like on Facebook aren’t they?  I don’t feel that way – but i suspect a lot of people do. Nuts to them – here’s my Pull the Cork Year in Photos

Ox Patio at the end of winter with a Wellington SPA

The first signs of spring and i stop drinking potentially dangerous water and tuck into a nice Muga Rosé

The fine people at Muskoka Brewery helped make a beer tasting out of our micro farm planting  day

The summer began on Vancouver Island with a lovely white wine grown and bottled by a Canadian Aboriginal group

Grappa 1-0 Lemoncillo  [bunny ears by my M]

Um, this Autumnal Stonehammer Dark got some foliage help from my daughters i think

Of course we made Gin

and back to Nouveau, where this blog began

Decision Time

This summer I plan to make no decisions – and to renew that vow daily.  So I’ll let others make them for me – lessening the weight of responsibility that i might otherwise feel when it’s summertime and the living’s supposed to be easy.

Decisions like which wine to open.

Fortunately I prepare for such life altering occasions by keeping a light red, and full-bodied rosé [or rosado in this case] and a crisp white in the fridge. So that when the wife gets home [don’t worry “Mad Max fans”  I asked her permission to call her “the wife” this one time so don’t go all Furiosa on me] she has an easy choice. Because really it’s a win-win-win decision [and no M I don’t mean open all three].

She chose.

And she wins.

The Red … Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais $11 on sale—LCBO#: 212480   |   Light, berries, cherry, easy drinking … please serve chilled.

The Pink … Muga Rose $14 —VINTAGES#: 603795   |   Seriously, i get zero kickback from the people at Muga … i just love this wine so much and it’s a better choice than those suckers who are drinking water.

The White …Marques de Riscal White, Rueda  $12 —LCBO#: 36822   |   Crisp, acidic, medium body, I say it tastes like rhubard, my wife says Lychee – I admit lychee sounds far cooler.

Hyperbole

Its that time of year again where I address my concerns to the majority of the population who still think it’s a good idea to drink water – a myth exaggerated and perpetuated by what Fox News is now calling the “Water Right”. 

These water people like sticking to “tried and true” health practices .  I hear things like “if water was good enough for my grandmother …”. I remind these people that gramma readily  consumed Mercury to cure anything for a scraped knee to muscle pain. 

Me, I like to approach this not as an historian, or even a scientist, but rather as a fear-mongering blogger.  Who in their right mind ingests an odourlesss, colourless, tasteless liquid?  Especially when there are several excellent bottles of flowery, salmon-hued, delicious chilled bottles of rosé that are good for you.

Also, the few times I’ve tried to “hydrate” myself I found that I needed to pee frequently – Travis doesn’t need that again.

My prescription this summer is Muga rosado.  Available at the LCBO for under $14. It seems like a wise choice to me. Hopefully someday one of my grandchildren will be heard saying “if it was good enough for my grandpa …”

     

Picking Spain

I get distracted easily.  Recently I’ve been writing about beer, cognac, chocolate, and the election.  Already the title of this post, Picking Spain, has me thinking about the World Cup and not wine. Time to get back to wine – at least until something else distracts me.

As the summer draws closer my thoughts turn to my 2nd home – Spain. Okay, so it’s my brother’s home but whatever. I will be there in a month buying what the Spaniards call “el cheap wine“. The locals like it when you learn their language.

I think I should start preparing for my trip.  My wife starts packing for her trip about now – deciding on her colour story [that’s a real thing apparently]. I’ll start with my best selections from the LCBO  Spanish wines [click for LCBO link]. My colour story is 2 reds, a white, and a rosado.

1. Beronia Reserva $20- classic Rioja [Tempranillo grape] at an affordable price. Reminds me of a hot, dry Spanish summer
2. Hecula $12- lighter than a Rioja made in the south from Monastrell grapes
3. Marquis de Riscal $13- a crisp white for those hot days in the garden
4. Muga Rosado  $13- get it while you can – best pink in the store

And while I think of it … I did pick Spain to win the World Cup again.  Iker!!!!!

BERONIA RESERVA – Smooth tannins. Reservas are aged for a minimum of 1 yr in oak and 2 yrs in the bottle. They cost a little more but believe me, they are worth it.
VINTAGES Essential 50203 |Price $ 19.95

Water – I’m not convinced

For the past 3 years I have tried to point out the insanity of drinking water instead of rosé.  Odourless, colourless, tasteless?  Who puts that in their body?  This is what my new research on the internet has found – and it wasn’t easy to research as most sites still tell you that water is good for you.

1. Water contains bacteria – eek
2. A woman lost her sight drinking too much water – that’s one too many for me
3. The human body is mostly water already – so why waste your time
4. Water vapour is invisible as a gas – it may be around you and you don’t even know it!
5. The water molecule carries a slight negative charge – NEGATIVE CHARGE!

If those 5 facts, from internet sources including Wikipedia, don’t convince you then maybe the Vintages annual release of Spanish rosado – Muga – will.

MUGA ROSÉ 2011
VINTAGES 603795
Price: $ 12.95
Made in: Rioja, Spain
By: Bodegas Muga S.A.
Release Date: May 12, 2012

Still Drinking Water?

So another study has come out telling us to drink more water.  I hope you know how I feel about this – it’s ridiculous.  Last year I spoke of the dangers of water – encouraging people to drink rosé instead.  Apparently I need to address this annually.

The perils of dihydrogen monoxide, or “water” as the water people call it, are well-known. This chemical can cause a host of unpleasant conditions including excessive sweating and frequent urination.  As if that’s not enough it is also capable of corroding many metals,  is used as a fire-retardant, and in the production of Styrofoam. I think we all agree that anything involved in the production of Styrofoam can’t be good even if none of us really know why.

As I’ve said before, what person in their right mind would drink an odourless, colourless, tasteless liquid. It’s crazy talk. “Stone cold crazy”, according to Freddy Mercury – by all accounts a reliable source of reason.

Oh, by the way, the LCBO just got in a shipment of the 2009 Muga rosé.  It’s delicious. Go get some!

MUGA ROSÉ 2010
Spain | Bodegas Muga S.A.
VINTAGES 603795 | 750 mL | $ 12.95

Drink more water?

A recent study indicated that drinking water is good for you.

Water!  –  odourless, colourless, tasteless.  Sounds dangerous to me. And “they” want me to drink 2 litres of it a day because some ridiculous health claim is attached to it? Sounds like somebody is justifying research money again.

They aren’t the boss of me. Why should I waste my time on an odourless and tasteless liquid?

(For the record  Hydrogen Peroxide Solution,  liquid Argon, and liquid Helium are also on the list of  colourless and odourless liquids that you can’t make me drink)

Some will argue that we are 97% water?  Not me – I’m 97% skeptical of these so-called “water people”.  This summer give me a nice glass of rosé instead. Doesn’t that sound like better advice?

From this Saturday’s vintage release I highly recommend the Muga Rosé.  Also, I’m pretty sure it’s good for you.

MUGA ROSÉ 2009
VINTAGES      603795  $ 12.95   
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.