Doesn't look a day over 380

Julie and I are in Quebec for New Year's with her sister, Laura, and their parents Chuck and Carole. We're here after a Christmas in Rochester where Julie was sick and my mom was still struggling to beat a fortnight-old cold.

Joyeuses Fetes!

Right now we're in the apartment of friends of the Betts family who engaged in a house swap. They're in Keokuk visiting their family and we're here in their three-bedroom apartment, which is only slightly bigger than our Brooklyn apartment. And as I'm writing this I'm realizing that I'm certainly not ready to go back to New York, yet. In 2008 Quebec will turn 400, I'll turn 37, Julie and I will marry and...I have a feeling that's only going to be the tip of the iceberg.

Right now, will all love to my travelling companions, I'm bored and tired and going to bed.

One of my favorite video clips

Follow the link to see full-speed strikes from Vladimir Vasiliev, teacher of the Russian Martial Art of Systema. The first set looks fake until you see the slow-motion version at the end.

My favorite pinot noir

This is a bottle we picked up during our California trip. Absolutely amazing. I had it at the end of a wine-soaked day in the Russian River valley, and when I plunked down $35 or so for it at the Wine Shop in Healdsburg (go there--great place and the owner totally steered us right on where to go in the area) I was worried that my palate was shot, I was drunk and the wine wasn't as good as I thought. Well I was drunk, but my palate must not have been completely fried because when we had it at my birthday wine-fest (I should write more about that another time) it was fantastic, and possibly the best wine of the 4 great ones we had. It's bigger than you think a pinot's going to be, incredibly rich and layered and yummy. Go buy it if you can find it, which you probably can't. And save me a bottle. I tried going to their website and emailing them about buying a case, but no response.

Some thoughts on wine

So we had a great Thanksgiving in Des Moines and drank beaucoup de vin, but I haven't written much about it. I've learned a boatload about wine in the last couple of years, mostly from Zack Mannheimer (see link to left).

One thing I've been doing lately is, although not taking copious tasting notes, taking a picture of every bottle we drink in the house. This was in part inspired by Zack having to take digital photos of all the bottles he'd decorated his house with (I don't think Julie really would let me decorate the house with bottles of wine, although sometimes it seems I'm headed that way). It was with a particularly vile experience that led me to start commenting faciallly on the bottle. This is the first such coment:



This was a bottle of Val the started of kind of uninteresting, then got some interesting fruit/vegetal something going on. We were drinking it with Julie's friend Melanie, who teaches dance in Calgary. We were getting a little interested in it when it took a big turn into swamp gas. In fact it got so bad, the stank, that I would smell it and literally not be able to take a swallow. It was awful. I haven't had a lot of corked wine but this didn't necessarily taste or smell oxidized to me, but just like ass. Terrible, horrible, no-good very bad wine.

More pictures to come.