golfkat Travel Blog

Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse

Posted by golfkat on June 20, 2020

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From Lonely Planet’s James Martin:

On Sunday 21 June, parts of Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean, including northern India, China and north Australia will be able to see one of the world’s most breath-taking natural phenomenons; an Annular Solar Eclipse that looks like a burning ring of fire. An Annular Solar Eclipse occurs when the Sun’s centre is covered by the Moon at its furthest point away from the Earth in orbit, resulting in glowing edges that form a “ring of fire”. A partial eclipse will be visible to people in selected countries. NASA has even created a handy interactive map charting the path of the Annular Solar Eclipse, highlighting where exactly it should be visible from, while TimeandDate.com has outlined times on a global scale. The solstice will also occur on 20 June, meaning summer has arrived in the northern hemisphere and winter in the southern hemisphere. The Sun’s path across the sky changes each day over the course of a year, getting higher or lower depending on the time of year. The solstices are the moments in June and December when that movement stops and the sun’s path starts heading in the other direction.

As explained by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this shift and the seasons themselves are caused Earth’s tilt as it orbits the Sun. The last time I remembering being in a great place to see the eclipse was back in 1999. We were in Scotland, to play golf naturally. After playing the New Course, and the Olde Course in St. Andrews, we drove up to Carnoustie, site of the previous year’s Open Championship. Somewhere in the middle of the round, the skies darkened. Perhaps it was a sign from the golfing gods?

I recently read this in Outside magazine: Ho and Hsi were the court astrologers for Chinese Emperor Chung K’ang in 2136 BC. Throughout history, Chinese rulers (who were sometimes paranoid megalomaniacs) used astronomical divination to justify their often eccentric decisions, and a total solar eclipse was believed to be a bad omen.

Merlin the Magician, was an eclipse chaser, who wore red rock-climbing shoes, glittery neon lycra tights, a massive shaggy purple coat, a spangled cap with droopy point, and wraparound cat-eye sunglasses.

So, the place to be is Pucon, Chile, where Mike and I once visited on our long drive from top to bottom in Chile. It will be visible on December 14, 2020. “A total solar eclipse is the perfect excuse for an epic adventure” according to Alison Van Houten. But a word from someone who has been there, there is not much “there” so plan accordingly.

The Maori of New Zealand believed an eclipse was an attack by demons, who ate the sun. The Vikings believed there were two vicious sky wolves in the heavens, Hati and Skoll. Hati ate the sun during a lunar eclipse. Skoll ate the moon during a lunar eclipse. For the Chinese, it was a dragon that devoured the sun. For the people of Vietnam, it was a hungry frog.

The Warlpiri Australian Aborigines thought the moon and sun were man and woman, and a solar eclipse was coitus on a cosmic scale. Many ancient cultures interpreted eclipses as evil events, and they occasionally did evil things in the hope of preventing bad outcomes. Aztecs offered human sacrifices to the darkening skies.

See if you can eclipse that! eclipse3

"No you can't borrow my eclipse glasses. I told you not to eat yours."

What Is Juneteenth?

Posted by golfkat on June 19, 2020

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From the New York Times: On June 19, 1865, about two months after the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Va., Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln.

The holiday received its name by combining June and 19. The day is also sometimes called “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.” Some call it “America’s Second Independence Day.”

The original celebration became an annual one, and it grew in popularity over the years with the addition of descendants, according to Juneteenth.com, which tracks celebrations. The day was celebrated by praying and bringing families together. In some celebrations on this day, men and women who had been enslaved, and their descendants, made an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston.

Celebrations reached new heights in 1872, when a group of African-American ministers and businessmen in Houston purchased 10 acres of land and created Emancipation Park. The space was intended to hold the city’s annual Juneteenth celebration.

Today, while some celebrations take place among families in backyards where food is an integral element, some cities, like Atlanta and Washington, hold larger events, like parades and festivals with residents, local businesses and more.

Juneteenth needs to be taught in schools, and listed appropriately in history books, at all levels. And it stands on its own, certainly not needing Orange man to move his virus filled rally to another date!

My only direct experience in Juneteenth came back in the 80s, when I participated in a fund-raising tennis tournament to promote Juneteenth in the Bay Area. One of the honorees and competitors

was former Mayor of Oakland, Lionel Wilson, owner of a pretty decent backhand. Arthur Ashe would have been pleased!

More Napa Valley (Judgement Day)

Posted by golfkat on June 18, 2020

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After wine tasting several times in France, I have a new found appreciation for our great Napa Valley here in California. But Winespeed pointed out something rather startling: The most renowned winegrowing region in the U.S. is also one of the smallest: Only 4% of California’s wine grape harvest comes from Napa Valley, which in turn accounts for a mere 0.4% of the world’s wine production. (If California were a separate country, it would be the world’s fourth largest wine producer.) While the total size of the wine region is 500,000 acres (202,350 hectares), only 46,000 acres (18,600 hectares) are planted with grapevines. Despite its small scale, Napa is home to half of the world’s 12 recognized soil types, producing great diversity among the 35 different grape varieties represented.

When I have gone on wine tours in France, they always “bad mouth” our Napa Valley. Conversely, any of the Napa Valley tours rarely mention France at all! Do you think they are a little paranoid from the BIG “Judgement in Paris” back in 1976??

The tasting put Napa “on the map,” and boosted other areas of California now heavy with wineries, like Sonoma County and the Central Coast. Investment started rolling in, as did French people who traveled to the Pacific Coast to see what it was all about. What they found was that there was fine terroir outside France: fast-draining soil, plenty of sunlight, a climate that’s not too hot but not too cold. The first vintage of Opus One, a wine that prides itself on establishing the “ultra-premium” category in America, was produced in 1979. Spurrier believes it’s no accident that this collaboration—between American winemaker Robert Mondavi and French winemaker Philippine de Rothschild—had not happened earlier.

Katy Steinmetz:The number of wineries in California is today above 3,000, up from little more than 300 in the 1970s.

And the sound of France’s pedestal crumbling was heard beyond the Pacific Coast. “The most important thing in my view is the judgment of Paris created a template whereby unknown wines of high quality could go up against known benchmark wines of high quality, blind, provided they were in front of an incredibly reputable panel of judges,” says Spurrier. Davids from all over felt power to take on Goliaths. It was a great democratizing moment for vintners.

“It opened up the doors not only to Napa but other regions in the world,” says Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ Baseler. “That helped other people say ‘Gee, we can too,’ whether it was in New Zealand, Australia, Oregon, Washington, Chile.” Perceptions among people buying and collecting wine, shifted, too. And with France forced off its laurels, everyone felt a greater sense of competition, industry veterans recall, which meant the world was getting and continues to get more variety and innovation in its vino.

So, next time a wine snob from France tries to bullsh*t you about French wines, just mention “Judgement Day, 1976”. It will sober them up more than a triple shot of expresso in their morning coffee.

Here is the full story, which I love to share, over and over:

May 24, 1976. On this fateful day, France’s finest vintages were pitted against the cream of California’s crop in a blind test – and lost. A world first that sent the industry into a tailspin and sparked a witch-hunt like no other.

Organized by esteemed British merchant Steven Spurrier, the ‘face-off ’ was initially ridiculed by journalists, who refused to waste their time on a foregone conclusion. Only TIME reporter George Taber agreed, eventually, to cover the event–the only member of the press in attendance. “Everybody knows that French wines are going to win, so why waste a day?” he told TIME magazine. “It’s the giant and the little guy. Nobody took it seriously.”

Little did he suspect he was about to witness history in the making. Now known as “the Judgement of Paris” – for those who can even bring themselves to utter the words – the blind tasting invited a panel of nine French oenophiles to sample ten white wines (six Californian Chardonnays and four Burgundies) and ten reds (six Californian Cabernets and four Bordeaux).

To everyone’s dismay, not least the judges’, a pair of Napa Valley vintages came out on top: a 1973 Château Montelena and 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Then all hell broke loose. French winemakers cried foul. Judges were branded traitors and pressured to resign from their various positions. As for Spurrier, he quickly became persona non grata, blamed for toppling France as a world leader and – worse – orchestrating the country’s wholesale humiliation at the hands of US upstarts.

So momentous, or calamitous depending on your perspective, was the taste test’s outcome that bottles of the triumphant wines are now held in the Smithsonian collections at the National Museum of American History. In true French style, some 40 years on, vignerons are still blaming the weather for their loss – arguing the early 1970s yielded particularly poor crops – and clamouring for a rematch.

Bottom line, it was a wonderful but perhaps rude awakening for our friends across the Pond. But nevertheless, well deserved kudos for our Napa Valley.

Cab Franc vs Cab Sauvignon

Posted by golfkat on June 17, 2020

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Like many of you, I have been enjoying some of the Cabernet Francs that are available, particularly the ones from Michael David Winery in Lodi. We discovered their Inkblot Cab Franc quite by accident a few years ago.

We were on a cycling trip through the Lodi wine region, and stopped at Michael David Winery for a late lunch. While waiting for a table, I asked one of the tasting room sales clerks about the wines. She said, unequivocally, that the Cab franc is a “must” drink with our lunch.

Of course, I ordered the tri-tip wrapped asparagus for my lunch, and a glass of the Cab franc. Not only was it a perfect pairing, the Can franc was outstanding.

But how would I carry several bottles on my bicycle, back to where we parked at the Lodi Wine Center? Easily solved, we drove back to the winery after completing our ride, bought several bottles, and headed home!

The question then becomes, what is the difference between Cab franc and Cab sauvignon? First, Cab franc, along with Sauvignon blanc are the parents of Cab sauvignon. And both are key elements in France’s Bordeaux blends.

Betty’s Wine Musings has an excellent summary:

Cab franc Cab sauvignon

Color Lighter red Darker red

Tannin Lower tannin Higher tannin

Acidity Lower acidity Higher acidity

Age worthiness Best enjoyed young (under 3 years) Can be very age worthy

Skin thickness Thinner skin, which contributes to lighter Thicker skin, which contributes to darker color,

color, lower tannin, and heavier tannin, and higher age worthiness

lower age worthiness

Aromas and taste More perfumy and herbaceous, with notes Less perfumy and herbaceous, with notes of

of raspberry, cherry, plum, cassis, violet, blackberry, black cherry, cassis, oak, vanilla,

tobacco, and bell pepper smoke, tar, leather, earth, bell pepper, asparagus

and green olive

Geography Grown in France, Romania, Hungary, Grown throughout the world

the Balkans, Italy,

Australia, New Zealand,

Argentina, and the United States

How it is used More frequently blended with other wines Consumed most often on its own, many of the

than consumed on its own. Alone, can great wines of the world are made from this grape.

lack structure and complexity to produce

a great wine. But when you find a good one,

it is a real treat!

I (along with Betty) suggest that you buy several Can francs to try, determine a good price point, and drink it within three years. You will not regret it. I have enjoyed mine with Italian food, prime rib, lamb, and some charcuterie.

The Inkblot Cab franc is available from Michael David for $35, a little pricey, but worth it.

Let me know what you think.

Seventeen (now 19) Rules for a Cross Country Road Trip

Posted by golfkat on June 16, 2020

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I wrote this in 2016, but the rules are pretty much the same for you Road Warriors.

Well, first I do not believe in rules for my travel, I have my own set of rules. But for any of you who have set out the cross this great land of ours, I am sure you were inundated with advice. My only advice is to stop where I have enjoyed a stop, like a landmark, meal, or point of interest. What better time to go than now?

While some are good, Yahoo has their own rules:

1. Never say No to a full tank of gas (NEVER!)

This is very important, but I also say, “never pass a toilet without using it” comes in very handy on some of those endless interstates and toll roads. And remember, your AAA roadside service card is useless when you don’t have cell coverage! So, fill up the gas tank and empty your bladder whenever you stop!

2. Be nimble?

Jack be nimble? Yes, allow time for unexpected stops, along with the most important stops along the way. Just do not get burdened by your “must do or see list” at the cost of something unexpectedly wonderful and memorable.

3. Always take a respite.

Travel, especially by car, can be tiring, boring, and agitating. Take some time with a cocktail or coffee break or breaks, or a day spa, or both! In other words, take a break!

4. Take lots of photos!

Never regret the shot you should have taken. The great thing about digital cameras and cell phones: the delete button, of course! Ah, easier to delete than to regret! Oh and keep your camera and cell phone full charged. Always carry an extra thumb drive or memory card. And make sure that you are in some of them!

5. Get off the Interstate!

Yes, the back roads of America are worth side trips and excursions. Read the books by William Least Heat-Moon, it tells the story of America (blue highways). You can be like Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) in “Vacation” and find the world’s largest ball of twine, or Buffalo Bill’s grave. But remember the speed limit, and lack of toilets.

6. Eat locally.

Avoid fast food completely. Stop at roadside fruit stands and “Ma and Pa” diners and dives. A nice huckleberry pie is better than a soft serve ice cream at McDonald’s. Just be ready for an adventure, as the food may not be up to your standards.

7. Pay attention to what truck drivers do in bad weather.

If they pull over, I would do the same. Also, my trip to LA on New Year’s Day was foggy and icy. So, a group of four of us took turns leading the way down south, convoy style, the valley of fog. It was so much easier to drive this way!

8. Find the right partner.

First, the answer is NO, you cannot have Mr. Mike. Also, make sure someone likes to drive, and someone likes to navigate. Ideally, try to find a travel mate with the same size bladder (just kidding). Of course, this brings to mind Thelma and Louise.

9. Pay attention to all the local signage.

You may need an interpreter. Some states do not allow right hand turns on red lights, things like that. And remember, these little towns love to catch you in a speed trap, as you translate to easy money.

10. Have some good sounds, either through your phone, or satellite radio since your regular radio will not work at least 50% of the time.

This goes without saying, same for your GPS, although they are much better now. Make sure you have uplifting music, along with some more relaxing music for “quiet” times. Do NOT rely on your radio!

11. Have a good story to tell the locals.

Remember when? Did I tell you about my Uncle Buck? Make one up if you must, but have a great story, like a flat tire in Patagonia in a rental car, with nobody driving by!!

12. Don’t overpack.

If I do over pack, I try to give my extra clothes away. There is always somebody who wants your stuff, no matter where you go in the world. Just make sure you do not leave a bag of dirty laundry behind! And always save room for that special purchase!!!!

13. Go grocery shopping.

This is a great idea, no matter what, both for road snacks, water, wine, and meal times when nothing better than the Red Eagle Café (only a George Foreman Grill for cooking) in Browning, Montana is the only game in town. And you might find some nice souvenirs as well.

14. Buy a real map or go to AAA.

Remember, your GPS is only as good as your power supply, and your reception. A real map can be your best friend.

15. Trust your instincts.

The jury is still out on this one for me. Yes, I do end up driving by the “Braille” method, and usually come out right. But don’t try it in south central LA or East St. Louis!

16. Know your limits.

When you get tired, stop! When you are fed up with the car, take a walk, or just find the nearest “no tell motel” and get a good night’s rest. But stay out of trouble! No strip clubs or honky tonks!!!

17. Savor your destination.

The journey is important, but so is your destination. It took a near act of God to find Torres del Paine, but it was worth it!

My No. 18. Always bring small gifts!

You never know when you might need to fend off a gang of school kids. Locals love small gifts too! It might only be some cheap gum or candy. Better yet, some items form the dollar store.

New rule No. 19 for the pandemic: Carry plenty of PPE, hand sanitizer, and even your own towels and sheets.

My only really long car trip was driving Chile, mostly from top to bottom, with a few side trips to Mendoza, Buenos Aires, and Ushuaia, Argentina. Yes, it is a thin, long (2670 miles) country, so east-west travel is not a problem. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean, and to the east, the Andes. The northern end is the famous Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth. It is home to Chile’s famous copper mines, and lithium farms. We flew from Santiago up to San Pedro rather than drive through a sand storm. To the south, the famous Beagle Channel of Chuck Darwin.

Chuck

The Pan American Highway starts or ends in three places (termini), we were in two of them: Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, and Puerto Montt, a non-descript seaside town. We did cheat a little, as it was a twelve-and-a-half-hour bus ride from Ushuaia to Puerto Montt. This trip normally, can be driven (not recommended), or sailed (out of season), so we took the bus. Could not find anyone crazy enough to rent us a car! From PM, we drove the rest of the way to Santiago, where we started.

We did this without any Spanish language skills, but with a true sense of adventure. And the only reservations we had were the round-trip airline tickets from home, and the first two night’s hotel in Santiago.

I am not saying it was any easier driving through Spain and Portugal to play golf. Or to visit Barry the V in South Africa, and traipse around the Cape to the wine country and many coastal towns.

And this from a dear friend: I (aka Thelma) made a lot of declarations when I set off on a ten-day road trip from New York to San Francisco with my friend G (Louise) this past summer.

We would see Mt. Rushmore, we’d finish the audio book of “Go Set a Watchman,” we’d stop in road side dives and talk to interesting people, learn about the “real” America and we wouldn’t eat any fast food.

We fancied ourselves a modern-day Thelma and Louise with less drama and the same amount of red lipstick.

When you make a choice not to eat fast food you instantly become mindful about where you do eat. Quality inherently matters more and you invest more time into scouring the options rather than accepting the next empty calorie.

G put it best when she said “non-fast-food restaurants were written in invisible ink, and once we decided to stop eating fast food it was like they all magically appeared and were everywhere.”

Food is so essential to the American story that we had to make it part of ours.

We also agreed to say no to chain restaurants, to forces ourselves to seek authenticity. We had to define the terms. Was Cracker Barrel ok? It wasn’t. We ate at a lot of diners and had more red meat than we probably should have, but when driving through country where cattle are actually grazing alongside of your car and you know where your meat is coming from, ordering a burger feels like an OK thing to do.

It was day one. Dark was falling and we were just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, nearly out of gas, daylight and patience. We’d assumed it would be simple to find something to eat that didn’t involve golden arches, but each rest stop laughed at us with its neon options and every time we left the highway to track down real food we discovered nothing but acres of cows and restaurants that had long been shut down.

At our wits end before the trip even began, we finally spied a sign that promised little more than a “Family Restaurant,” which took us to the New Fork diner, a sweet little spot right on the Turnpike service road whose motto was “where our cookin’ is better than home cookin’.”

Vice President Mike Pence listens as President Donald Trump speaks about the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Least Used

Posted by golfkat on June 15, 2020

Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food. Leave a comment

Think about this: Which letter does not appear on the Periodic Table? According to English for Students, which examined the frequency of letter usage in the entire Concise Oxford Dictionary, “J,” “Q,” and “Z” rank as the least-used letters in the English alphabet. Samuel Morse, the inventor of Morse Code, would add “X” to that list. However, all of these letters occur on the periodic table, apart from one. “Z” appears in the metal Zinc, atomic number 30, and Zirconium, atomic number 40. “X” appears in the noble gas Xenon, while “Y” appears in several, including the single letter for transition metal Yttrium. Even “Q” appears in atomic number 114, Ununquadium, the temporary name for the eka-lead radioactive chemical, Uuq. “J,” on the other hand, appears in no elemental symbol of the periodic table.

Everyone knows that the $100 bill is the highest denomination of U.S. currency. What the $100,000 bill presupposes is … maybe it isn’t? The note, which featured an image of Woodrow Wilson on the obverse, was never issued for public use or circulated into the general economy. Rather, the gold certificate was created at the height of the Great Depression (1934, to be precise) by the BEP for Federal Reserve Banks to make transactions with one another. Only 42,000 were made, and they can’t be held by collectors due to legal reasons, but institutions like the Smithsonian and the Museum of American Finance are allowed to exhibit them. (from Michael Nordine)

Alex Bellos, whose new book is entitled The Grapes of Math, claimed he received over 30,000 responses within a few weeks of launching the survey (to determine the most popular number), with total responses currently standing at 44,000. Out of all the submissions, almost half of the votes cast were for the numbers between one and 10 (seven was most popular). The least favorite number turned out to be 110, which was the lowest number to receive no votes. The writer suggested that the reason for seven’s popularity is its prevalence in global culture, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, to the existence of seven days in a week.

The most popular color in the world is blue. The second favorite colors are red and green, followed by orange, brown and purple. Yellow is the least favorite color, preferred by only 5% of people. Another interesting fact on color popularity: both men and women increasingly dislike orange as they age! Hint: The yellow jersey at the Tour de France means you are the leader!!!

The least popular food, and I would agree, are beets. It is followed by, surprisingly, olives, then cilantro, mushrooms, and tomatoes. I would have figured durian, lima beans, bitter melon, or anchovies.

The worst selling soda? Crush Pineapple, never heard of it. On its heels is Sunkist Pineapple. Must be something about putting some fizz into a pineapple, the world’s most dangerous fruit, according to George Costanza.

Aren’t you glad you asked?

8 July 2018 105th Tour de France Stage 02 : Mouilleron-Saint-Germain – La Roche-sur-Yon SAGAN Peter (SVK) Bora – Hansgrohe, Maillot Jaune Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA

It Is Time to Go Forth

Posted by golfkat on June 14, 2020

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Travel. Leave a comment

Perhaps you read this:

The Rev. Al Sharpton announced Thursday that he’s organizing a March on Washington in late August to mark the 57th anniversary of the historic demonstration for civil rights as protests over the death of George Floyd sweep the nation.

Sharpton said the event will be led by the families of black people who have died at the hands of police officers, including Floyd’s family. Sharpton made the announcement while speaking at Floyd’s memorial service on Thursday.

“On August 28, the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington, we’re going back to Washington,” Sharpton said as he delivered a eulogy for Floyd, a black man who was killed last week by a white police officer in Minneapolis, during the memorial service.

“We’re going back this August 28 to restore and recommit that dream (of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) … We need to go back to Washington and stand up, black, white, Latino, Arab, in the shadows of Lincoln and tell them this is the time to stop this,” Sharpton said.

August 28, I will be there. Will you? I am tired of the injustice to all people of color. I am going for MLK, for my parents who were wrongly incarcerated after Pearl Harbor, and let Orange man know the election will boot him out!

I have not done anything like this since the Anti-Vietnam War protest days back in college, and before that, the Free Speech Movement at U.C. Berkeley. Both movements or protests in the Sixties were successful!! Changes were made, the world became a better place.

I have been wondering though. After MLK, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ali, Malcolm X, and Thurgood Marshall, who is the standard bearer for African Americans and minorities now. Perhaps it is Rev. Sharpton? Maybe it will become AOC, or Kamala Harris? We need someone to step up!

Interesting in Europe during the George Floyd marches: “Floyd’s killing has inspired demonstrations from Australia to Brazil to Mexico to Canada. But it has struck a particular chord in Europe, where leaders have struggled to integrate a wave of migrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East over the past seven years. A third of people of African descent in Europe report facing racial harassment.”

If you are in Atlanta: The King Center in Atlanta describes its collection of American civil rights research materials as the world’s largest It includes those of King. Its collection includes King’s papers and those of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization he co-founded. The archives include hundreds of oral history interviews with King’s friends, family and associates in the civil rights movement.

Visitors can see the marble crypt where King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, who supported her husband’s work and continued it after his death, are buried, and the eternal flame that symbolizes King’s vision, and tour the house where he was born in 1929. The sites are closed due to the coronavirus. It is truly an inspiring place to visit, particularly Ebenezer Baptist Church. And now, Rayshard Brooks was shot, yet another episode in this tragic story.

Yes, we need to vote in November!

This is the time for real change. Yet another wake up call for Americans. Will it happen? It is up to YOU and ME!!! There might be 100,000 people, who will participate on August 28, including me.

A Sparkling Splurge

Posted by golfkat on June 14, 2020

Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Wine. Leave a comment

I try to keep my investment and purchases of sparkling wines and Champagnes in a reasonable range. My daily sparkler, the Veuve du Vernay form Loire is well under $10. But once in a while, I will have a special treat, like the Billecart-Salmon, Le Reve from Domaine Carneros, the Lanson or the Comtes.

Here is a nice review of the 2006 Billecart-Salmon “Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart” Brut Champagne (Previously $160) ($99.99).

This is a simply stunning price for one of the most renowned cuvées in the region. With unanimous acclaim and from a top-notch vintage, our regular $160 price would be more-than-fair for what’s in the bottle. But at under $100 and way below what you’ll find it for elsewhere, it is destined to be an instant bestseller and an asset to any collector of the world’s finest wines. Named for the house’s founder, this pure and tantalizing expression of Champagne is sourced from some of the region’s most prized plots. Stephan Reinhardt of Wine Advocate was delighted with this vintage, writing: “The typical finesse of Billecart-Salmon is palatable as well as amazingly pure, with the persistent structure of a great Champagne.” The wine’s pedigree is immediately recognizable from the first sip. Having spent eleven years on the lees, it shows unparalleled range, depth, and character, putting it on par with the region’s very top tête de cuvées. Any fan of Billecart-Salmon will want to add this beauty to their collection as it deftly captures the signature style of this historic house. Champagnes of this caliber always disappear quickly and given the strong critical acclaim, we expect this 2006 will follow suit, especially at this incredible one-time price.

Further proof: 97 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “Created in 1964 as a tribute to the house’s founder, the youngest release is the 2006 Millésime Brut Cuvée Nicolas François, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir from premier and grand crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. Almost entirely fermented in stainless steel (only 5% was vinified in oak barrels) and aged for 11 years on the lees, this is a beautifully ripe and rich yet pure champagne with ripe fruit flavors intermixed with chalky notes and brioche/nougat flavors. The palate is intense and concentrated in its rich fruit and substantial depth but also tight, highly elegant and perfectly balanced. The typical finesse of Billecart-Salmon is palatable as well as amazingly pure, with the persistent structure of a great Champagne. The 2006 already drinks dangerously well, but there is no need to hurry, this will go a long way.

Did you know? Scientists estimate that one million bubbles are the likely number that will form in a flute of Champagne – that is if you leave it to sit (thereby enabling all those bubbles to form), rather than drinking from the flute straight away. In our case, however, that’s an unlikely scenario…

Little known fact: Around 80% of champagne is produced by the large houses such as Tattinger, Moët and Veuve Clicquot, but they only own around 10% of the vineyards. This has led to a unique system where they purchase grapes from smaller growers after each harvest. Recent years have seen small changes and a rise in “grower champagnes,” which can be more diverse in style, as well as those made in local co-ops.

Older is better? The oldest bottle of Champagne was only found in 2010 in the Baltic Sea, among 167 other bottles of bubbly that had aged in near-perfect condition. Among them was a 170-year-old bottle of Veuve Clicquot, its flavour, age aside, largely uncontaminated despite so long under water. The Champagne was later sold at auction for a fizztastic €30,000 ($37,720), setting a new world record.

Maybe I will buy a bottle for my XXth birthday??

Sparkling wines photographed at the Roederer Estate’s tasting room in Philo , Calif., Friday, May 25, 2018.

Least Touristy Place in the World

Posted by golfkat on June 13, 2020

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Travel. Leave a comment

You might assume this would be the most remote place in the world, like Easter Island. But maybe it is somewhere difficult to reach, expensive, undesirable, or downright awful?

Most lists include remote islands, like Easter, or Nauru, Niue, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands. My grad school classmate (and future Surgeon General) once had the US Trust Territories as part of his domain. I was once offered a job in Guam.

But all of these places have scheduled, albeit perhaps irregular, flights for mail, medication, and specialized personnel.

If you are a pilot or love geography, perhaps you have heard of the island (atoll) of Palmyra? Palmyra is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, about a third of the way between Hawaii and American Samoa. Have I been there? No, but some of my more adventurous relatives sailed there from Hawaii many years ago. No commercial or charter flights!!!!

The nearest continent is 3355 miles away, to the northeast. The atoll is only 4.6 square miles in size. Palmyra Atoll is part of Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, the largest marine protected area in the world. The atoll is made up of submerged sand flats, along with dry land and reefs. It is not inhabited. Over 150 species of coral have been recorded here, double the number of Hawaii.

The story goes, according to my distant relatives, is the island was used for target practice during World War 2. And it is possible this is where Amelia Earhardt crashed or was stranded in her quest to fly around the world. Many stories abound.

The lagoon where they anchored was highly polluted, even though fish appeared to thrive. They anchored their boat, went ashore, and found shelter in an abandoned building, covered with graffiti. Here, they met up with other adventurous travelers, and enjoyed a few nights of communal meals and stories of great adventure.

Would I sail there? Not likely, but it makes a great story!

More Tales from the Vineyard

Posted by golfkat on June 13, 2020

Posted in: Cultures, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment

I keep uncovering interesting facts about wine. Here is another:

The world’s largest grape vine has a somewhat unlikely home: Hampton Court Palace in East Molesey, England. The palace was originally built as the estate for King Henry VIII, and in 1768, the landscape architect Capability Brown planted a small cutting of a grapevine for King George III. That little cutting grew into the Great Vine at Hampton Court, which today is said to be the world’s largest grapevine. The base is around 12 feet, and its longest rod stretches close to 120 feet. The grapes are the Black Hamburg variety, meant to be eaten on their own for dessert, rather than to produce wine. Initially, only the royal family and their guests could partake, but the grapes became available for general purchase in the 20th century. The harvest ripens in late August and is usually on sale in September.

According to Guinness: The largest bottle of wine is 4.17 m (13 ft 8.17 in) tall, 1.21 m (3 ft 11.63 in) in diameter and was filled with 3,094 litres (650.58 UK gal, 817.34 US gal) of wine, achieved by André Vogel (Switzerland) as measured in Lyssach, Switzerland, on 20 October 2014.

Biggest winery, of course, is held by the Gallo Family (Ernest and Julio), with $4.1 billion in annual sales worldwide. They have 80 labels, and 20,000 acres scattered over California, Gallo is huge. They recently bought Talbott Vineyards in Carmel, joining other well-known labels like Edna Valley, Louis Martini, Mirassou, Souverain, Barefoot, and Turning Leaf.

Most expensive? Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992, $500,000The most expensive red wine still belongs to this vintage, a surprisingly young wine, a six-liter bottle of Cabernet from Napa Valley. The wine arguably won by technicality when it fetched for charity the record-smashing price at the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000. Forget the French Bordeauxs!

Still, this bottle is for keeps and now worth its price for topping many most expensive wine lists over the years and gaining the world’s attention in the process. The region, the most prestigious in the New World, is famous for “Napa Cab,” a rich, oak-aged aroma range laced with blackcurrant, liquorice, vanilla, boysenberry and smoky dark chocolate. A distant second was the Chateau Margaux, 1787, at a mere $225,000!

Most likely, the finest and most expensive wine I have ever tasted in the 1959 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, at today’s price of $5,000 to $7,000. Or was it a 1960 Margaux, or a 1961 Latour a few years later? A buddy bought several valuable vintages on the PBS Wine Auction. The Lafite was exquisite, but required decanting and an hour or so of time to breath. Yes, that is a key word these days!!!