Pale-to-medium ruby with a garnet rim. Medium intensity nose of red cherries and a bit of strawberry, along with wood and a bit of a damp forest thing. Dry, medium acid and light tannins; medium body. The 14.5% alcohol slightly overwhelms a fruity palate mostly of cherry and a little spice; oaking is evident. Overall good. $30.50 at Steamworks Wine Thief. See Viña Errázuriz; see the winemaker’s notes (PDF).
I’ve been on my own for a thousand days, following a bit more than twenty-two years of marriage—and I don’t want to calculate how many days that was. It feels good: every day a bit further from a long shadow.
But I’m not sure one can ever completely escape it. I’m no longer in my twenties. I’m not certain any more that a full-time, long-term relationship is a desirable or even a natural thing—see for instance Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality. And starting something now feels different; looking at dating site profiles I sense the scent of real desperation. But I’m not desperate, despite occasional loneliness and except in the sense that Leonard Cohen lamented regarding a time of life still distant to me: ‘one just wishes for someone to have dinner with now and then’ (I couldn’t find the original quote).
It’s mostly the possibility of a life of interminable financial servitude to my ex that supplies some sense of regret—not for the divorce but for the whole sorry story in the first place—and I think I must know a little of how the convict feels. The only advice I can offer here is: be damned sure; check the laws of your province/state and country, as in certain situations they certainly do not favour men; and consider pre-nuptials.
Here’s a (large) sparkline of my weight since my separation: hey, why not? Another data point.
F. Scott Fitzgerald apparently wrote that “there are no second acts in American lives.” I have no idea what book that might have been from, because I haven’t read him. In fact I first encountered the quote in a review of a Springsteen album when I was young, said album—The River (1980)—being devoted to identifying and exploring said second acts. Anyway, I’m Canadian. But I think the matter is undecided. Working with more limited financial and temporal resources, it’s not entirely down to will.
Shall I wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach? The fuck if I know. But it’s good to live near the ocean.
Medium-plus ruby red in the glass. Almost-medium intensity appealing nose of deep black fruit, red cherry, and wood fire. Dry, medium acidity and medium-plus tannins. Medium body, nicely balanced Merlot and Cabernet: blackberry and plum, oak and a touch of coffee; 14% alcohol. Medium length. Overall good. A gift from my father; I believe this was about $30 at Kits Wine. See Môreson Family Winery.
Medium deep ruby with a garnet rim. Beautiful light nose of red cherry, strawberry, and fall forest—perfect complement to this drizzling but beautiful Vancouver day. Dry with a hint of residual sweetness, mid acidity, low tannins and light-plus body. Red fruits dominate, nicely balanced but with a bit of medicinal quality (also noted by a taster on CellarTracker). Good length. 14.2% alcohol. Overall good. $48 at Legacy Liquor Store. See Domaine Carneros.
Medium ruby and a slight purple tint. Medium nose of plums and sour cherry, spice and damp. Dry, medium-plus acidity, mid tannins, and a light-ish body. Dominated by sour cherry and general black fruits, with tasteful oak. Medium length with a finish that falls off in terms of flavours quite quickly. 13.5% alcohol. Overall good. $26.50 at Steamworks. See Bodega Catena Zapata.
Beautiful deep ruby-purple in the glass. Medium intensity nose of spice and black cherry. Dry, medium-plus acidity, and mid tannins. Black fruits, pepper, and chocolate in the mouth, with a bite from the 14% alcohol. Medium length peppery-fruity, nicely complex—the Viognier mixes things up a bit; interesting. Overall good; recommended. $34 at Steamworks Wine Thief. See McLaren Vale.
Clear, almost-medium ruby red in the glass. Light, appealing nose of cherries and red berries, pepper, and strongly evident wet leaves. Dry, medium-plus acidity, and medium tannins. The cherries and a bit of raspberry dominate in the mouth. Medium length finish. Overall good; enjoyable Pinot. 13% alcohol. $32.50 at Crosstown. See Robert Oatley Vinehards; see the wine maker’s notes.
Soyganic organic extra firm tofu, 350g: $2.89 at T&T, $3.99 at Nesters. That’s 28% more. These stores are two blocks apart. Criminal. (I think Whole Foods Cambie is more in line with the T&T price.)
Clear, medium ruby in the glass. Medium intensity nose of cherries and prunes, wood and tar. Dry, strong acidity and medium tannins in a medium body. Sharp red and dark cherries and dried fruits with subtle oaking. Real bite from 14% alcohol. Medium length. Overall good; will have to try more Nebbiolo to give this a bit more context.
$39 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar. See Touchstone Wines.
Drinking this with Portobellos Stuffed with Creamy Spinach from Big Vegan.
Clear, pale silver-green in the glass. Very light nose of grapefruit and perhaps a hint of greenness. Off-dry, high acidity, and a bit more than a light body. An overall slightly watery mix of citrus and sort of generic sweetness with some minerality. Blends well but is weak; not much length as a result. Is this the result of the “young vines”? Intriguing. I don’t dislike it, but I’d be curious to see how it evolves in future vintages. 11% alcohol. Overall good. $34.60 at Crosstown, which seems a bit dear. See Rippon Vineyard.
