What's a long holiday weekend without a minor casualty? I don't know. Wine may have surrounded the incident, but was not involved at the time. I think it was the pancakes. Fortunately, I was wearing my disco-pants at the time (Sunday morning), and a mere three blocks away from the top-rated ER in NYC (I look forward to receiving their top-rated bill.) Rock-star treatment in the ER and seven stitches.
2009 Bereziartua Txakoli - to kick the weekend off, at a tapas joint in Soho. Yeah, yeah, txakoli... chalk, lemons, salt and spritz. Delicious. But the wild thing is that about 12 years ago, while in grad school, I was at this property, in Astigarraga near San Sebastian, for a, er, quietly social affair. They must be better known for their sidra, as I don't recall trying the wine. I can't quite say why we haven't taken up the owner's offer to visit during harvest, as we had a great time there. I also vaguely recall climbing into one of the (empty) cider barrels (had a hole about the same size as the "Buddha's Nostril" pillar at the Todai-ji in Nara.) Certainly a more definitive path to Nirvana.
2008 Bodegas Rafael Palacios Louro do Bolo (Valdeorras, Galicia) - 100% godello, medium-bodied, semi-decent acidity with a chill, and nice herbal component. I wouldn't rush out to buy it, but rather serviceable if a wine of this size was desired. This was a recommendation from our server, but sadly made before we ordered the boquerones. Shoulda' gone with another txakoli, no?
2009 Berger Grüner Veltliner (Kamptal) - wandering about, we saw a no-name little place, three tables, and a bar. Really, the place didn't have a name. Not over the door (which, to be fair, was a garage door), not on the menus either. A thoroughly unglamorous place, but with a wine list that listed "Grüner Veltliner" as the first choice. Turned out to be the 1 liter basic bottling from Berger, which is very user friendly, and generally quite cheap (in the $10-$13 range.) Even for New York, I can't help feeling $40 is a rip-off, but then again, possibly no moreso than most places, and it is a liter of wine. Why I'm trying to justify on behalf of the owner of the nameless bar, I don't know.
2005 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant (Savennières-Coulée de Serrant) - Poured slightly amber, but crystal clear. The nose was smoky and nutty, but the palate was quite clean and sharp, though there were still savoury touches, citrus rounded by the R.S. in a much more appealing way than I get from the Germans. Really very tasty, and as I understand it, unusually approachable for its youth. R.-approved (though she ranks the '06 a peg or two higher.)
1992 Bründlmayer Riesling Alte Reben Zöbinger Heiligenstein (Kamptal) - ah, the last bottle of this gem. Still bone dry and deeply sappy fruit concentration. Crisp and lovely, showing just a touch of petrol. Sad to see the end of this, but Herr B. recommended drinking it up, said we were lucky to have any left at all.
1985 Chateau Musar Rouge (Bekaa Valley) - I didn't pay all that much attention to this, but maybe it was because there wasn't much to listen to. Funky nose on opening, but blew off quickly. A lighter, leaner style, still tasty, but it wasn't mind-blowing. There was a half-bottle left which I've recovered. Ahem, in fact, surely the plan was to have a 48 hour quasi-Audouze.
1996 de Venoge Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs - my mini-casualty very nearly jeopardized a planned lunchtime picnic in Central Park, but owing entirely to my disco-trousers, I was in and out in just under three hours. Not terribly complex or "mature", but then again, this was consumed from a plastic cup just as the lidocaine was fading.
N.V. André Clouet Champagne Brut Rosé - under a blue "painted sky", an ideal pairing with kite-flying and mini-footie.
2007 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Thal (Kamptal) - this has been a really great wine for us over the past year, delivering consistently classic results. This was our last bottle, and it was still good, fine for a pizza dinner, though the freshness factor is ever so slightly slipped. Am hoping the 2009 will be just as good, as the '08 didn't do it for us at all.
You want sparkling sake? No problem. Some home-made awashu coming up, thanks be to SodaStream.
Since this was our first experiment, sacrificing good stuff was out of the question. Instead, we went the other direction, with barely sake-like liquids. First, Gekkeikan from California. Second, Tatsuuma-Honke's Kuromatsu Hakushika, a not particularly interesting nigori-zake from Hyogo Prefecture.
Nonetheless, it did get carbonated. The taste didn't improve, but it certainly wasn't any worse.
Moving on to the nigori. Since the smallest SodaStream container is 500ml, and the "Snow Beauty" was only 300ml, we topped it off with the rest of the Gekkeikan.
This time, there was barely any action on the pour, and the carbonation was only barely noticeable. Not really convinced by the viscosity argument, we thought that perhaps the liquids weren't cold enough, even though they had been refrigerated - this is a common SodaStream problem. So, we tried putting both bottles into the freezer for a bit so we could try again. Around this time though, it occurred to us that perhaps the gas canister was simply running low... doh! The simplest explanations are really most often correct! New canister in, and on to round 2!
Looking for excitement, we started with the nigori this time. And the bubbling was definitely more vigorous.
And as you can see, the sake was solidly carbonated. Proper awashu. Unexpectedly, the taste was actually much improved too!
In case you missed it before, here it is again..what is there to say, really? Willit be better than Quick Gun Murugan though? One wonders:
Not saying this was a typical day in India... I 'splain... no, is too long... I sum up. Morning has broken in Mylapore
...pick up some freshly laundered clothes. Ironing done the old school way...
... need some coffee. Watch the roasters do their work...
...head to the local gym... "Paradise Fitness"... 3rd floor, no a/c, one working fan... what's the other place like, I wonder? Still, one pound weighs...
...now, something healthy to eat, neem flowers... deep fried, of course...
...a small offering to the deity...
...then, go catch some naice choons...
...and indulge in some people watching...
...and indulge in some watching people...
...stop in at Madras Boat Club for a few headers in the pool...
...catch a flick in the afternoon... nothing like a "Sambar Western"...
...visit the wine shop, which is to say, the local watering hole...
...haggle for bangles. Not entirely happy with the outcome, it seems...
...visit the flower vendors in front of the temple....
...stroll the markets in the evening, watch the jackfruit being opened...
...and the jasmine flowers being bundled...
...now haggling for mangoes. Terrible mangoes, and a dire crop this year...
...watching the vegetable trade really come alive at dusk. This woman's knife skills are, er, terrifying. Do not haggle...
...head out for some dinner. How many waiters does it take to fetch a clean glass, I say? Don't know really, but it took them a looong time...
...and finally, say good night.
A quick layover in Dubai to visit friends en route to/from India. Development appears to continue apace, despite economic difficulties. Witness the current world’s tallest building
Whereas, entry into Dubai’s national stadium, I mean, largest shopping mall, is free. Plus, shopaholic friend used my visit as an excuse to take me (it wasn’t open when I was here last in 2008.)
Not much for me to say about this massive mall. It’s got a walk-through aquarium, some nice architectural flourishes, a labyrinthine jewellery “souk”, and…
…the only working zamboni in the Gulf? You could have your entire winter holiday here… it’s always Christmas shopping season, and then after some skating, you can scoot on over to the Mall of the Emirates and 
We hit lunch instead… I can’t pass up a plate of raw meat… mmm.
Nor the 
Enjoying some flowers in the garden... frangipani, in an unusual cluster...
...and jasmine.
Time to head to the pool. Ahhh, refreshing.
And on to the hammam, for a scrub...
A little Arabian fantasy?
At the base of Burj Dubai.
Well… it is pretty spectacular at night...
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