Archive for July, 2013

I like the continuing debate on what is the perfect closure for wine bottles. It certainly brings out strong advocates for the traditional cork as well as those for the screw cap. We all agree on eliminating that terrible corky TrichloroAcetic Acid (TCA) element that so easily spoils the enjoyment of your wine. Now there is another issue being debated over oxidation vs. reduction.

I refer you to the brilliant article posted July 1, 2013 by Andrew Jefford (in fact all his weekly wine blogs each Monday on Decanter.com are superb) called “A Bit of A Stink” – www.decanter.com/news/blogs

Please share your opinion on whether or not you are experiencing more reductive wines these days and if so are you decanting them.

Also chime in on whether or not you prefer cork or screw cap closures generally. If you prefer cork would you nonetheless favour screw cap at least for young fresh aromatic whites.

As a keen aficionado I am encouraged by the continuing number of articles promoting the cardiovascular benefits and the lowering of stroke risk from regular green tea drinking. Recent studies all show that the catechins in green tea are antioxidants (just like in red wine & dark chocolate) that help keep blood clots from forming. Perhaps the taste is too grassy and bitter for some palates but as a long time imbiber I have grown used to it and now really enjoy the delicacy. Brewing with a higher quality tea and at a lower temperature helps develop the best flavours. Some of the micro-lot teas from Japan and China are really amazing!

Matcha is green tea that usually has been shade-grown, deveined, destemmed and stone ground into a powder. You consume the whole leaf so get more of everything and it is best consumed as close to the grind date as possible. You may need a chawan (bowl) and chasen (bamboo whisk) for the best results. It can be a wonderful energizer and help increase your level of concentration. I am a big fan of a local company based in Victoria, BC, Canada at www.JagaSilk.com who will ship your tea order world wide for free.

You can now blend your very own personal tea at the www.myteablendingroom.com website. I have mine called Subtle Sunlight (actually on sale to the public at 80 grams for $18. at www.myteablendingroom.com/shop/subtle_sunlight.) It is a loose leaf green tea blend with mango and orange peel. My description reads ” A healthy anti-oxidant green tea but also subtle and complex like a fine wine showing well the defined mango variety character with the balancing zesty lift of the orange. Enjoy!” Have some fun and make your own unique exciting blend!

When you are not drinking wine what is your preferred beverage of choice? Let us know!