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Monthly Archives: January 2021

Lovely Combo

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

Over the top ($32.99) for our usual budget, but I could used to this.  A great suggestion from the Goddess of Wine.


It’s something we haven’t done for many years – Cornish Game Hens. We added Wild Rice and a Green Veggie medley. A truly wonderful dinner that we will repeat.


We added a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, Chateau de Sancerre.

Subtle and incredibly balanced is our best description. It’s crisp with mineral tones.  It would go well with seafood too.

Chateau du Sancerre 

$32.99

13.5% alcohol

UPC: 03018300018523

Chateau de Sancerre Loire Valley mystery case Sauvignon Blanc

I failed the blind taste test

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

My thoughts were that it was from the sun soaked Mediterranean, not South America.


Chicken Pot Pie.  A worthy attempt by someone else doing the baking as we took a night off cooking.  It would have worked well with Pork Chops too.  


The Critics liked this one and there are multiple awards under their belt for it.  Deep in colour, well structured, and it carries right on through with a nice long finish.


The higher up the mountain, the greener grows the grass. And the grapes hang on to their flavour with this easy to drink vino. Touches of Syrah (4%), Carmenere (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%) round out very nicely the Cabernet Sauvignon.  Then a bit of time is spent in French and American Oak.


This is superb value from the Maipo Andes.  Definitely goes on the repeat list.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – PEREZ CRUZ RESERVA 2017

$16.99

13.5 % Alcohol

UPC: 00858130000014

Cabernet Sauvignon Chile mystery case Perez Cruz

Scenes in Passing

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Photography 1 Comment

The First Businesswomen

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

New research gives us insights into history’s first well-documented businesswomen, who made their mark earlier than you may think.

Around 1870 BC, in the city of Assur in northern Iraq, a woman called Ahaha uncovered a case of financial fraud. 

Ahaha had invested in long-distance trade between Assur and the city of Kanesh in Turkey. She and other investors had pooled silver to finance a donkey caravan delivering tin and textiles to Kanesh, where the goods would be exchanged for more silver, generating a tidy profit. But Ahaha’s share of the profits seemed to have gone missing – possibly embezzled by one of her own brothers, Buzazu. So, she grabbed a reed stylus and clay tablet and scribbled a letter to another brother, Assur-mutappil, pleading for help: 

“I have nothing else apart from these funds,” she wrote in cuneiform script. “Take care to act so that I will not be ruined!” She instructed Assur-mutappil to recover her silver and update her quickly. “Let a detailed letter from you come to me by the very next caravan, saying if they do pay the silver,” she wrote in another tablet. “Now is the time to do me a favour and to save me from financial stress!” 

Ahaha’s letters are among 23,000 clay tablets excavated over the past decades from the ruins of merchants’ homes in Kanesh. They belonged to Assyrian expats who had settled in Kanesh and kept up a lively correspondence with their families back in Assur, which lay six weeks away by donkey caravan. A new book gives unprecedented insight into a remarkable group within this community: women who seized new opportunities offered by social and economic change, and took on roles more typically filled by men at the time. They became the first-known businesswomen, female bankers and female investors in the history of humanity. 

‘Strong and independent’ The bulk of the letters, contracts and court rulings found in Kanesh date from around 1900-1850 BC, a period when the Assyrians’ trading network was flourishing, bringing prosperity to the region and giving rise to many innovations. The Assyrians invented certain forms of investment and were also among the first men and women to write their own letters, rather than dictating them to professional scribes. It’s thanks to these letters that we can hear a chorus of vibrant female voices telling us that even in the distant past, commerce and innovation were not the exclusive domains of men.The letters, though tiny, contained a wealth of insight into this ancient world of commerce (Credit: Cecile Michel, Archaeological Mission of Kültepe)The letters, though tiny, contained a wealth of insight into this ancient world of commerce (Credit: Cecile Michel, Archaeological Mission of Kültepe)

While their husbands were on the road, or striking deals in some faraway trading settlement, these women looked after their businesses back home. But they also accumulated and managed their own wealth, and gradually gained more power in their personal lives. 

“These women were really strong and independent, because they were alone, they were the head of the household while the husband was away,” says Cécile Michel, a senior researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, and author of the book, titled Women of Assur and Kanesh. Through more than 300 letters and other documents, the book tells a strikingly detailed and colourful story of the women’s struggles and triumphs. Though brimming with drama and adventure, the clay letters themselves are tiny, about the size of the palm of a hand. 

The businesswomen’s story is tied to that of the Assyrian merchant community as a whole. In their heyday, the Assyrians were among the most successful and well-connected traders of the Near East. Their caravans of up to 300 donkeys criss-crossed mountains and uninhabited plains, carrying raw materials, luxury goods and, of course, clay letters. 

“It was one leg of a huge international network, which started somewhere in Central Asia, with lapis-lazuli from Afghanistan, carnelian from Pakistan, and the tin may have come from Iran or further to the east,” says Jan Gerrit Dercksen, an Assyriologist at Leiden University in the Netherlands, who has also worked on the Kanesh tablets. Foreign traders brought these goods to the gates of Assur, along with textiles from Babylonia in southern Iraq. They were sold to the Assyrians, who packed them onto caravans bound for Kanesh and other towns in the Anatolian region in Turkey, where they were sold for gold and silver. Complex financial instruments facilitated this trade, such as the “naruqqum”, which literally means “bag”. It refers to a joint-stock company in which Assyrian investors pooled their silver to fund merchant-led caravans over many years. The merchants also developed a lively business jargon. “The tablet is dead” meant that a debt had been paid and the clay-tablet contract recording it was therefore cancelled. “Hungry silver” referred to silver that was not being invested, idly sitting around instead of generating a profit.

They really are accountants; they know perfectly well what they should get back in exchange for their textiles – Cécile Michel

Assyrian women contributed to this bustling commercial network by producing textiles for export, issuing loans to merchants, buying and selling houses, and investing in naruqqum schemes. Their skills as weavers allowed them to earn their own silver. They kept a keen eye on foreign fashions and market trends to secure the best prices, as well as on taxes and other costs that dented their profits. 

“They really are accountants. They know perfectly well what they should get back in exchange for their textiles. And when they earn this money from the sale of their textiles, they pay for the food, for the house, for daily life, but they also invest,” says Michel, who has also co-created a new documentary about the women. 

‘Guardians of the archives’ This commercial acumen allowed some to slip into positions that were unusual for women at the time, by functioning as their husbands’ trusted business partners. The traders in turn benefited from having literate and numerate wives who could help with day-to-day business as well as emergencies. One Assyrian merchant writes to his wife, Ishtar-bashti: “Urgent! Clear your outstanding merchandise. Collect the gold of the son of Limishar and send it to me… Please, put all my tablets in safekeeping.” Others ask their wives to pick specific tablets from the household’s private archives to find financial information or settle a business matter.The ancient city of Kanesh, also known as Kültepe mound, in what is now Turkey (Credit: Archaeological Mission of Kültepe Archives)The ancient city of Kanesh, also known as Kültepe mound, in what is now Turkey (Credit: Archaeological Mission of Kültepe Archives)

“Since they were the ones to stay at home, they were the guardians of the archives,” Michel says of the women. “You have to remember, these contracts represent a lot of money, for example the loan contracts and so on.”

The women in turn don’t shy away from sending their husbands or brothers instructions and admonishments. “What is this that you do not even send me a tablet two fingers wide with good news from you?” an Assyrian woman called Naramtum writes to two men. She complains about a dispute involving debt and lost merchandise, and urges the men to resolve it, closing with a brisk: “Send me the price of the textiles. Cheer me up!” Another chided her brother over a missing payment: “Don’t be so greedy that you ruin me!”

These women’s independence stood in stark contrast to some other societies in the ancient Near East, such as nearby Babylonia in southern Iraq. Michel points out that in Assur, as in Kanesh, both the wife and the husband could ask for a divorce and would be treated the same in the proceedings. “But at exactly the same time in Babylonia, in the south of Babylonia, the wife couldn’t ask for a divorce, and in the north of Babylonia, if she dared to ask, she would be put to death.” 

With that strengthened economic influence came better conditions in the women’s personal lives. A number of them added clauses to marriage contracts that banned the men from taking second wives or travelling by themselves, as in this example: “Assur-malik married Suhkana, daughter of Iram-Assur. Wherever Assur-malik goes, he shall take her with him. He shall not marry another woman in Kanesh.” 

At some point, for reasons that are somewhat unclear, trade between Assur and Kanesh declined. Eventually, Kanesh was deserted. Other cities and communities took over as engines of commerce, creativity and cultural exchange. But the women’s clay tablets, hardened by house fires, remained in the abandoned homes to be discovered thousands of years later. They capture a female experience so rarely documented in history, not of queens or high priestesses, but of working women wondering how to get through the next day. As Michel says, in other Mesopotamian cities, letters written by women have also been found, “but there are not so many. [Kanesh] is unique for that.” And with roughly half of the tablets of Kanesh still unread, there are surely many more secrets waiting to spill out.

Further Edu-ma-cation

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

Panzer Commander, Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck

Peter the Great, His Life and world, Robert K Massie

Josiah the Great, The True Story of the Man who would be King, Ben MacIntyre, 0-00-715107-1

Greek Civilization and Character, Arnold Toynbee

Kings, Rulers and Statesmen, L.F. Wise, E.W.Egan,

Every Genre has a dance step

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment
  • Canadian Pacific Ballet gala, Hedy and Brent Thompson doing tango

A little slow blues

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Music Leave a comment

To be very clear

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Humour Leave a comment

By another name

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir 2 Comments

A wonderful dinner of lamb chops. Asparagus. Boil Potatoes with mint in lemon water with a wonderful accompaniment. 


Perhaps the greatest wines in the Chianti area are the Brunello wines, which are also made from Sangiovese. These wines are much bolder, richer, and more similar to the best of California Cabs.

While the red wines in Chianti are the most recognizable in Central Italy, the “Super Tuscan” wines get the most attention from critics.

The wines of Central Italy are big in flavor and popularity. This area is known for blending the most famous Italian grape Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon, the most famous grape from France.

The cult-following “Super Tuscans” and the robust Brunello wines also come from this area, as well as the very fine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Sangiovese is the most famous grape from Italy, and its home in Chianti is the focus of Central Italy. This classic style is much less fruity than the red wines of California and a little bit lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon.

The quality of Central Italy’s less expensive wines is getting better all the time and some especially great values can be found in the wines of Chianti Classico.


ROSSO DI TORGIANO – LUNGAROTTI RUBESCO 2017

$23.49 on sale from $25.99

14% alcohol

UPC: 08016044010501

Italy mystery case Rosso di Torgiano Rubesco Sangiovese

I’m a Rat!

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

In the Chinese Zodiac

Find out who you are:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/

If you are an Ox, this is your year:


This year is going to be lucky and also perfect to focus on relationships, whether we are talking about friendships or love. In the Chinese Zodiac, the Ox is very hardworking and methodical. 2021 is going to be a year when work will get rewarded, and those zodiac signs who are lucky in terms of money this year will be the ones that will make a considerable effort. The Yin energy, specific to the Chinese zodiac sign of Ox, will be quite poignant. This is going to be a year when we will fully feel the weight of our responsibilities, a year when it is necessary to double our efforts to accomplish anything at all. The Yin energy, specific to the Chinese zodiac sign of Ox, will be quite poignant. This is going to be a year when we will fully feel the weight of our responsibilities, a year when it is necessary to double our efforts to accomplish anything at all. Since this is a Metal year, for the second successive year, the color of 2021 is going to be white.


Besides white, the lucky colours of the Ox are: yellow and green, colours that, in Feng Shui, attract prosperity and success. To increase your luck, wear metal accessories.

This year, no explosive or catastrophic events will occur, so it is a favorable year for economic recovery or consolidation, a year of long-term investments (especially for creating a reserve stock for the coming unproductive years). The Metal Ox year is also great for making order in the family life. After all, if the family life is peaceful, everything gets solved! Thus, 2021 is a year when all the problems get solved with discipline. A lot of discipline! Obviously, with an extra effort from us in organizing our time.

Let’s all celebrate yet another New Year. The big day will be February 12th.

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  • I failed the blind taste test
  • Scenes in Passing
  • The First Businesswomen
  • Further Edu-ma-cation

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