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Category Archives: Terroir

Interesting .. and not dumb

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir 1 Comment

Glass     takes one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!

Gold     is the only metal that doesn’t rust, even if it’s buried in the ground for thousands of years.

When a person dies     hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight.

Your tongue     is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.

The tooth     is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.

If you stop getting thirsty   ,    you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.

Zero      is the only number that     cannot be represented by     Roman numerals.

Kites     were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.

The song Auld Lang Syne     is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year.

Drinking water after eating     reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent. Drinking a glass of water before you eat may help digestion and curb appetite.

Peanut oil     is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn’t smoke unless it’s heated above 450F.

The roar     that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.

Nine out of every 10     living things live in the ocean.

  The banana     cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man.

  Airports at higher altitudes     require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.

  The University of Alaska     spans four time zones.

  In ancient Greece , tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.

  Warner Communications     paid 28 million for the copyright to the song Happy Birthday, which was written in 1935!

  Intelligent people     have more zinc and copper in their hair.

  A comet’s tail     always points away from the sun.

  Caffeine     increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines.

  The military salute     is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.

  If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up,      you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.

  In ancient times      strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.

  Strawberries and cashews      are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.

  Avocados      have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.

  The moon      moves about two inches away from the Earth each year.

  The Earth     gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.

  Due to earth’s gravity     it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters.

  Mickey Mouse     is known as “Topolino” in Italy.

  Soldiers      do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.

  Everything     weighs one percent less at the equator.

  For every extra kilogram     carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off.

  The letter J     does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements.

Most dangerous white wine yet

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

This is the most dangerous wine the Goddess of Wine has recommended.  It’s so subtle – lovely and dry.   You just keep taking sips, and soon, the bottle is gone.


Intensely floral, fruity flavours. Great structure and a long mineral finish. 


Grecanico and Pinot Grigio…. and from Sicily and Organic.  What more could you ask for?  


I’m wondering if it gets better if you speak Sicilian to it.


Definitely worth a trip to the north eastern regions of the Island.


Serve it nicely chilled.  


You have been warned .. 

TAVERNELLO GRECANICO PINOT GRIGIO – TERRE SICILIANE ORGANIC

$11.99 regularly $12.99

12% alcohol

UPC: 08008530055585

Grecanico mystery case Pinot Grigio Sicily

Breathtaking. Fearless. Brave!

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

Laird Hamilton takes on Teahupoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYQQtxb8wv0

Watson is full of ideas

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

1118 pages of ambitious and stimulating facts and ideas, but not as absorbing as the tomes by fJames Burke (The Day the Universe Changed and Connections).

According to one reviewer, this is an overview of human intellectual development.  At times, I’m wondering how intelligent some of the development is.  But, I do agree that it is as much a response to changes in the natural environment- such as shifts in climate and the appearance of new diseases – as from internal dynamism.


This is the third time I’m worked my way through it.  I’ve found it more enlightening each time.


Be prepared to make extended sitting reading this one.  You’ll get caught up on something and keep reading.


Ideas A history from Fire to Freud – Peter Watson – ISBN 0-7538-2089-7

4 Thumbs Up

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

For the region the wine and the vintner.  Emilia-Romagna – the home of parmigiano and prosciutto and Chiara Condello.  She crafts organic Sangiovese.


7 hectares of land, 4.8 of which are planted to Sangiovese; the rest are split between woods and olive trees.  

She works in her own way, with her own vineyards and own cellar.  Her first vintage was 2015, and in a short time she’s combined her bright-eyed enthusiasm with a clear vision of what her Sangiovese should be.


Annual production is just 12,000 bottles.  Hand harvested and 100% organically cultivated.


It has a  complex bouquet, lively acidity and a lovely long finish.


ROMAGNA SANGIOVESE PREDAPPIO – CHIARA CONDELLO 2018

14% Alcohol

$24.99 regularly $27.99

UPC: 08056737212898

Chiara Condello mystery case Sangiovese

Who drank what and when

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

The answer to the question: What were they drinking back in the day?”


Beer. Wine. Spirits. Coffee. Tea. Cola (?) and Water.  It reads like a novel and is good fun. You’ll discover where the Cola Wars really played out.


It’s up to you to decide if it’s the effect of booze on history or history’s effect on booze.


Also you should look for his history of Food.


A History of the World in 6 Glasses – Tom Standage, 2005, 0-385-66087-1

Age Related Reminders

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir 1 Comment

World Population vs Memory Loss

Earth’s Population Statistics in Perspective

The population of Earth is around 7.8 Billion.

For most people, it is a large figure. However, if you condensed 7.8 billion into 100 persons and then into various percentage statistics, the resulting analysis is relatively much easier to comprehend.

Out of 100 : 
11 are in Europe 
5 are in North America 
9 are in South America 
15 are in Africa 
60 are in Asia 

49 live in the countryside 
51 live in cities 

75 have mobile phones 
25 do not. 

30 have internet access 
70 do not have the availability to go online 

7 received university education 
93 did not attend college. 

83 can read 
17 are illiterate. 

33 are Christians 
22 are Muslims 
14 are Hindus 
7 are Buddhists 
12 are other religions 
12 have no religious beliefs. 

26 live less than 14 years 
66 died between 15 – 64 years of age 
8 are over 65 years old. 

If you have your own home, 
Eat full meals & drink clean water, 
Have a mobile phone, 
Can surf the internet, and 
have gone to college, 
You are in the minuscule privileged lot. 
(in the less than 7% category) 

Amongst 100 persons in the world, only 8 live or exceed the age of 65. 

If you are over 65 years old, be content & grateful. Cherish life, grasp the moment.

If you did not leave this world before the age of 64 like the 92 persons who have gone before you, you are already the blessed amongst mankind.

Memory Loss

If you think you are suffering memory loss…

In the following analysis the French Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière – Paris Hospitals, addresses the subject in a rather reassuring way: 

“If anyone is aware of their memory problems, they do not have Alzheimer’s.” 

It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain that they lack memory. “The information is always in the brain, it is the “processor” that is lacking.”

This is “Anosognosia” or temporary forgetfulness. 

Half of people 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease. The most common cases are:
– forgetting the name of a person, 
– going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there,
– a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress, 
– a waste of time searching where we left our glasses or keys… 

After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years…

Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statements:
1.”Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory.”
2.”Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer’s, are not aware of what is happening.”

Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights:

“The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness.”

Now for a little neurological test: 
Only use your eyes! 

1- Find the C in the table below! 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 

2- If you found the C, then find the 6 in the table below. 

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 


3- Now find the N in the table below. Attention, it’s a little more difficult! 

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 

If you pass these three tests without problem: 
– you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist. 
– your brain is in perfect shape! 
– you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer’s. 

Twas a dark and stormy night

Posted on November 6, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Terroir Leave a comment

We started out with a traditional Pinot from Chile.  Then moved up the mountains in Argentina for a Malbec, and then hopped over to Portugal for a blend.


What a Week!


There was no pushing the food around on the plate. It was all inhaled. The meals were hearty fare that were built to fend off the damp Fall and bring out the moody mysteries of the wine.  I’m going to have to turn back the scales 5 kilos as well as the clocks.


The medium-bodied Pinot was silky with fresh red berries there to pick up the earthiness, Flashes of spice to perk up the acidity. 


PINOT NOIR – UNDURRAGA GRAN RESERVA SIBARIS LEYDA VALLEY

$15.99

14.0 % Alcohol

UPC:07804315304722

A rich, solid blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet.  It is bold, smooth, dry, and soft – spicy and toasty It has a fine balance between cool tannins and bold black fruits. 

ALENTEJANO – CASA SANTOS LIMA QUID PRO QUO

14.2% Alcohol

$15.99

UPC: 05604424433014

Today, Argentina is a world leader in high-altitude grape-growing and Malbec is thriving at 1,000 to 1,500 metres in elevation. The benefit of altitude is cooler nights and large temperature swings between day and night of the kind most winegrowers never experience. Grapes do much developing in the final four to six weeks of ripening where the temperature is the determinant of any single component of flavour or aroma.

Since varying flavours and aromas are produced at different temperatures, the best wines need a vineyard with a range of favourable temperatures to capture all the desirable flavours and aromas. A good start is a nighttime temperature in the low teens followed by daytime highs in the mid to high 20s.


MALBEC – LA LINDA PRIVATE SELECTION OLD VINES 2018

$17.49 regularly $19.99 

14.2 % alcohol

UPC:07791203001675

Alicante Bouschet Malbec mystery case pinot noir syrah Tinto Roriz Touriga Nacional

Acquired. Groomed and Protected.

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Art, Terroir Leave a comment

harEm harIm harAm.   Pick your spelling (language).


The word is Turkish for “forbidden, protected,” and the Grand Harem guarded its secrets from the world successfully.  

The Turkish born author writes well, but there is considerable conjecture.  I wish we could hear the voices of the women themselves.


Rich, elegant, and quite detailed. It is intelligent enough for our smart friends.

Unfortunately there are several misquotes from the Qur’an and it’s a little lightweight in historical context.

It’s still a very good read. The illustrations are remarkable.


It is a companion to “Inside the Seraglio” by John Freely.


Harem: The world behind the Veil, Alev Lytle Croutier, 0-89639-903-5

Get it out of your system

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Roger Harmston Posted in Music, Terroir Leave a comment

The Blues can actually bring joy

Relasing Blues Music | Best Of Slow Blues Songs All Time | Top Blues Guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0NgW6t4Q24

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