this week I am drinking

Recently I have been on two wine quests. First, to find a nice dry riesling as distinct from sweet rieslings. Secondly, to find an Australian wine that would make my summer picks.


I was pleasantly suprised to satisfy both quests when I came across Mount Langi Ghiran 2004 riesling ($Can19, 13Euros, $AUS22, 9UKP). This wine from the Grampians in Victoria, Australia perhaps lacks some of the layered complexity of the Alsace or Mosel-Saar-Ruwer rieslings but it is very drinkable and it is dry. The unusual name is aboriginal for 'home of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo'.

The label describes strong lemon and lime flavours and although I usually suspect the marketing spin on labels this one has got it right. This citrus quality lends it the dry acidic character I was looking for but there is also a hint of sweetness, perhaps peach. Additionally it has a mineral quality, a slight stony flavour but certainly not the flinty character of chablis.

This is so nice I bought a second bottle which I will polish off tonight! It should be available in Australia so I would be interested to hear what the antipodeans have to say about it. Enjoy!

For more information ...
mount langi ghiran (a good wine, a poor site)
yellow tailed black cockatoo

no one shouted stop

We were hungry and happy in the fields
But fled for factories where we were fed and frustrated
And no one shouted stop.

Our children played by the river
But we put them into schools to be bullied
And no one shouted stop.

We had large families that had little
But then had little families who had everything
And no one shouted stop.

We were lazy and idle and had time for our kids
But became busy and scheduled and made no time for our kids
And no one shouted stop.

We had nothing but lovingly gave our kids what we had,
We got everything, gave it all to our kids except love
And no one shouted stop.

We worked long and hard and still made time
We worked long and hard and had no time
And no one shouted stop.

Our houses were small but felt like home
Our houses were large and felt like hotels
And no one shouted stop.

We hit our children but did not hate them
We do not hit them but act like we hate them
And no one shouted stop.

We had shorter lives fully lived
but now have longer lives largely unlived
And no one shouted stop.


This is quite rantish and has not been subject to my normal intense editing. It doesn't quite reflect what I believe, I am not so nostalgic or pessimistic. In spite of this I decided to 'put it out there' just to see what people think. Apologies to John Healy but I am sure he would appreciate the fighting tone of the piece.

For more information ...
john healy
preshaa

2006 spring picks

Anyone fancy some wine in a can?



Spring has been good for trying antipodean wines and I am glad to see some Kiwi wines make it to my list of recommendations. Our Australian friends are, once again, noticeable by their absence. During the summer months I will endeavour to search out some good Aussie wines which must exist. In Spring we drank mostly French followed closely by Australian then New Zealand and Canadian with a few Spanish and Chilean rounding out our sampling


1. Meursault, Paul Garaudet, Vieille Vigne 2002 - Burgundy, France (17/20)
"expensive but beautiful, delicate, citrus, oaky, soft"

2. Rubens, Tempranillo, 2004 - Villamanrique, Ciudad Real, Spain (16/20)
"fruity, earthy, nice, a little tannic"

3. Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 - New Zealand (16/20)
"pungent, strong citrus and melon notes"

4. Kim Crawford, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 - New Zealand (16/20)
"a more subtle Kiwi, citrus, melon, tangerine, very nice, worth $CAN25 (Euro17.62, UKP12.03, AUS30.20)"


This season I have also tried to find the best of the cheapest wines available here in western Canada. Below is my choice, not the greatest of wines but very drinkable and look at the price!

Cuvee Saint Pierre, Blanc de Blancs, Chardonnay - France
"nice drinkable not complex, wet!" $CAN8.90 (Euro6.27, UKP4.28, AUS10.75)


For more information ...
No website for Paul Garaudet, another example of how poorly French wines are marketed.
reubens
oyster bay
kim crawford
iron wine