BigusDicus

I am posting a link below with a video. Not sure if it behind the Wine Spectator paywall or not. Please let me know if you can play the video? https://www.winespectator.com/video/play/id/3YbvxVJ2/title/wine-101-how-to-buy-wine Wine 101: How to Buy Wine Put your wine-buying anxiety to rest with our quick and easy guide to getting the most out of shopping for wine at your friendly local retailer. Get pointers on what questions to ask, how to get the best bottle for your buck and more. We visited Total Wine & More in River Edge, N.J., for some tips from the pros.

Here is an interesting perspective. MLC is probably correct when he said bottles do not need to aged like they used to. I still stand by my statement regarding most cabs are best after 5 years. But I realize there are some bottles on my racks that need to be drunk. Oh my poor liver.... "Today, we're consistently presented with red wines—especially the greatest, most exalted and expensive examples—that are annually crafted from uniformly ripe grapes, thanks to "green harvests." A green harvest is when, a month or so before the actual harvest, less-ripe clusters are eliminated. These unwanted clusters are literally thrown on the ground." https://www.winespectator.com/articles/is-it-worth-it-to-age-wines-anymore-47848 OPINION Is It Worth It to Age Wines Anymore? Wines have changed and so have our palates By Matt Kramer Jan 8, 2013 My greatest wine dream—and I'll bet it's yours, too—was a wine cellar. Not just the actual cool-temperature space, but one that was filled. I dreamed of a cellar so full that I could easily forget about whole cases of wine for years at a time, the better to let them age to a fantasized perfection. That dream came true. It took me years—decades, really—to achieve. And it cost me a disproportionate amount of my limited and precious discretionary income, especially when I was only just starting out as a writer. I was motivated, obsessed even, by a vision of what might be called futuristic beauty. How soaringly beautiful it would be in 15 or 20 years! I wasn't wrong—then. But I wouldn't be right for today. What's changed? Surely me, of course. I've had decades of wine drinking to discover that my fantasized wine beauty only rarely became a reality. But I had to find that out for myself. And I'm glad I did. But it isn't all personal, either. In recent years it's become obvious that an ever greater number of wines that once absolutely required extended aging no longer do. Simply put, most of today's fine wines—not all, mind you—will reach a point of diminishing returns on aging after as few as five years of additional cellaring after release. Stretch that to a full 10 years of additional aging and I daresay you will have embraced fully 99 percent of all the world's wines, never mind how renowned or expensive. I can hear you already. What about this famous red Bordeaux? Or that fabled red Burgundy? What about grand cru Chablis? Or a great Brunello di Montalcino? Or Barolo? Well, what about them? Yes, all of those wines and still others, such as German and Alsatian Rieslings, Napa Valley Cabernets and Hungarian Tokajis, reward aging. But let me tell you something: With only a handful of ultratraditionalist exceptions, the modern versions of even these wines don't require anywhere near as much aging as their forebears. This doesn't mean that today's versions of these wines are lesser. Rather, it's that fine wines have universally changed, sometimes radically so. And our tastes have changed, too. Today, we're consistently presented with red wines—especially the greatest, most exalted and expensive examples—that are annually crafted from uniformly ripe grapes, thanks to "green harvests." A green harvest is when, a month or so before the actual harvest, less-ripe clusters are eliminated. These unwanted clusters are literally thrown on the ground. Green harvesting is an utterly new phenomenon in wine history. Really, it was unknown before the 1980s and didn't become near-universal until well into the 1990s. The modern rigor of "green harvesting" should not be underestimated in its effect. It has transformed the quality of fine red wines nearly everywhere, ensuring more uniformly ripe grapes with rounder, softer, finer tannins. (I'm not talking here about today's ultraripe late picking, which is another matter altogether.) Of course, cleaner winemaking, more scrupulous attention to fermentation methods that minimize tannins, more careful filtering and a host of other winemaking and cellaring techniques (not least, the ubiquity of small oak barrels) have also dramatically transformed wines. The bottom line: Today's wines are far more drinkable, far more gratifying, far more rewarding when drunk younger than their counterparts of 20 years ago. Can they age as long? Yes, I think they can. But that's not the issue. Rather, the key question is: Do they need to? I think not. Only a very small handful of even the best wines truly require more than five years aging—10 years tops—in a cool space. Because while many of today's wines can easily age far longer than that, the issue is not endurance. Rather, it's transformation. And because of the reasons cited previously, we're now able to see that desired transformation sooner in a wine's lifespan. Will the transformation continue? In many cases, yes. But it does reach a point—and sooner than was once traditional—of diminishing returns. The critical element is that where once we had to wait patiently to get even a glimmer of initially hidden depths (thanks to harsh tannins, unwanted oxidation and unclean flavors), modern wine offers us a fuller, richer, more rewarding view sooner. Think of an old oil painting carefully and respectfully cleaned of an obscuring varnish, allowing both color and texture to leap out almost three-dimensionally, and you've got it. Of course there are wines today that stubbornly withhold their favors, such as Vintage Port and those few white wines that do not go through malolactic fermentation, such as Trimbach Rieslings, Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay or the white Burgundies of Maison Louis Jadot. Such white wines, which retain all of their hard malic acid, unsoftened by malolactic, or secondary, fermentation, structurally require a lot more aging before they even approach something akin to maturity. The malic acid serves to slow aging and makes the wine less approachable in youth. But such wines are outliers. Even traditionally formidable wines, such as Barolo, are far more drinkable and genuinely rewarding younger than ever in their long history. One other aspect of cellaring wine must be recognized. It is us. We are emotionally invested in cellaring wines. If we've been patient a long time in hopes of a better wine future, then the long-aged, long-anticipated wine surely must be better for the wait. This was never put better than by the great English wine writer P. Morton Shand (1895–1960) who, uncharacteristically for an upper-class Englishman of his era, loathed Vintage Port: "A properly matured Port is rightly considered unequalled as the test of the pretensions of a county family to proper pride, patient manly endurance, Christian self-denial, and true British tenacity." I do own (and buy) wines that would very likely further transform with more than five years aging. But I now increasingly find that the additional time is more "valuable" than the sensory return on that investment. My hard-won experience with aging wines has now answered to my satisfaction the question about the absolute need for long aging; namely, that the great majority of wines today, in the great majority of vintages, don't really reward that "expensive" extra five or 10 years beyond the five or 10 years of aging you've already bestowed. I am now convinced that today's wine lover is well advised to buy fine wines, cellar them in a cool space for five years—10 years, tops—and then drink them in secure confidence that the great majority of their full-dimensional goodness is available to you. After that, it's all just fantasy—and the very real likelihood of an increasingly diminishing return on your already delayed gratification.

Many of the more affordable reds tends to be blends and are drinkable at purchase. Many of the more quality reds sold are drinkable at purchase - but benefit from some aging. For instance a cab is typically sold at the 3 year point. IMO cabs need 5 years or more. We drink a lot of red zinfandel. Does not need as much aging. Some of the classic Bordeaux's are drinkable at 5 years but develop with age. 10 to 20 years can do wonders. I can get into the Wine Spectator site. I imagine they have something in their library that addresses this. Stay tuned....

Reporter was filming a live segment in her bathroom about cutting hair and the camera caught more than she bargained for. Oops....

Thats funny!!!

Could your Isolation be going better?

Have been consuming copious amounts of red wine during our isolation. Making a serious dent in our liquor cabinet and wine racks. Gone through a few very high end bottles that I normally save for special occasions figuring "better drink this in case we're going to die". Costco has been delivering most of our groceries, replenishing wine, and spirits. Here in America one goes to college to learn how to drink beer and tequila. I was positively a scholar, received a PhD in tequila but pretty much gave it up after school. Graduated to fine scotch and other whiskies. The last decade or so high end tequilas have become very popular here. 2-3 years ago my circle of friends began to pursue the worm. Have developed a taste for various reposados, anejos and other exotic mezcals. Unfortunately my old body does not handle spirits as well as it used to. Minimize spirits, stick with wine. Trying very hard to maintain the 5 o'clock rule. But many days have fallen back on "It's always 5 o'clock somewhere in the British Empire".

Hell is coming...the next few months are going to be rough!

I want to hang a map of the world in my house, and then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down...

For Christ's sake. People need to stop hoarding accordions!

I think I will order one of these: https://www.oreillyauto.com/flux-capacitor?q=121g

I am doing my best to stay on top or the weather!

I received this email from Air Asia last night: A Message from Tony When Kamarudin and I started AirAsia nearly 20 years ago, we had a dream of allowing everyone the opportunity to fly. Sadly, that opportunity has now been taken away from us for now. It’s an uncertain time. Never could I have imagined it, no one could have predicted it and yet everyone has been touched by it. So I want to be open and transparent with you in this time of uncertainty. There’s no denying that our industry has been hit hard, and we are no exception. This is possibly the biggest challenge we have ever had to face. We have no revenue coming in, 96% of our fleet is grounded and we still have significant ongoing financial commitments such as fuel suppliers and leasing agents. We are doing everything possible to reduce costs during this time so we can come back fighting as fast as possible and continue to be the world’s best low cost carrier, enabling everyone the ability to fly with our great value and service. We are one of the few airlines world over who has kept all of our staff on. AirAsia is a family and there are tens of thousands of Allstars who depend on the business for their livelihoods and the wellbeing of their own families. Kamarudin and I will not be taking a salary during this period and Allstars from across the business have accepted temporary pay reductions of anywhere between 15-75%, depending on seniority, to share the impact this is having on our business. I thank them for their sacrifice and in keeping the big picture in mind as we navigate this together. In spite of all these challenges, I want to assure you that AirAsia is strong and remains firmly focused on the future and serving you, our guests. I also want to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of you for your loyalty to AirAsia and I hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and well throughout this trying time. I’m truly sorry that many of your travel plans have been affected. Like all airlines, AirAsia had no choice but to cancel a large number of flights due to government restrictions in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. I know many of you have expressed frustration with not receiving a refund for your flights but I encourage you to accept a credit as a good alternative. More than 80 percent of you have accepted our credit offer and we truly appreciate this. Please know that our policy is in line with many operators in the travel industry and reflects our focus on coming out the other side of this difficult period and flying with you again as soon as possible. We have ensured that we adhere to all regulations and requirements of respective governments and consumer authorities and believe this is the best solution. You are among the over 600 million guests who have flown AirAsia and can’t wait to fly with you again once this is over. While we strongly encourage you to accept the credit which is instant and comes with a 365-day validity and allows you to change your flight date for an unlimited number of times, we do accept requests for refund on a case by case basis. However, due to the overwhelming number of requests that we have received, it may take a long process of between 12 to 16 weeks. I also want to acknowledge the comments I’ve seen about our virtual Allstar AVA. Please know that we take your feedback seriously and my team is making improvements to the system daily. Currently, our team and AVA are handling 10 times the normal volume of queries, which is now at about half a million guests on a daily basis. We are working tirelessly, around the clock, to provide assistance to each and every one of you. We’ve mobilised additional support to our customer happiness team, including 1,800 Allstars from other functions, who have rolled up their sleeves and volunteered to help, so more live agents are available to assist you via our LiveChat, Facebook Messenger, Twitter & WeChat 24/7. We’ve never had a time like this before and we are doing our best. We are not always perfect but we strive to do all we can for our people and our customers at all times. This is unprecedented but it is also temporary and we will be back, stronger than before, repainting the skies red and making sure everyone can fly again. Until then… Stay home. Be safe. And look to the future. #InThisTogether Lots of love, Tony ** Follow AirAsia on Twitter (@AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia) for the latest updates, or contact our customer support team at support.airasia.com. Check your flight status at airasia.com/flightstatus for live updates. Please refer to the COVID-19 Guide to check your eligibility and for information on how to submit your preferred alternate travel request.

I am sure Greta and her ilk are thrilled...

With the shutdown my hair has been getting shaggy. My wife dug out some old clippers. Could have gone better... We won't be using them on my pubic area!