Spirit Of The Andes and thinking INSIDE the box....it`s Friday Night.

-

Back by popular demand(my delusions only?)is my Friday wine selection. Usually only a winter indulgence I have a 2007 Chilean Anakena Carmenere in the glass tonight. The weather forecast is looking like rain tomorrow so,being a fair weather cyclist,I figured a Friday night wine uncorking was in order.

A grape varietal unique to Chile I was unfamiliar with the Carmenere "...is dark cherry red in color with blackberry notes, spices and chocolate aromas. Rich and fruity on the palate it has a velvety finish...."

Make no doubt this is a strong,but nice, wine. My plebian palate finds it spicy, verging on peppery, with a distinct bouquet. Suitable for meats, pasta and cheeses as the wine will not be overwhelmed by whatever food choices are made.

So.......here was my problem. I enjoy a glass of wine in the evening or with a meal. Problem is I hate opening a bottle and commence the onset of oxidation. I can put it fridge to delay the process but then it is not the optimal drinking temperature. As well studies indicate the healthy benefits of red wine(polyphenols)quickly disolve once wine has been exposed to the air(uncorked) and begins to oxidize.What`s a fella to do? Drink the whole bottle in a couple days?

The solution is rather simple and, actually, is easier on the wallet. Boxed wine. Yup.....I know the purists are shivering right now but the secret is boxed wine or as the Aussies call it....wine casks.

Boxed wine usually comes in 2-4 litre boxes. Inside is a vacuum packed bag of wine with a spigot. Once opened it has a shelf life of up to a month or more, does not need to be kept in the fridge and avoids the oxidation of opened bottles....hence perserving the beneficial polyphenols.

It was always assumed that only "dredge" wines were sold this way but that is changing. Both Hardys and Banrock Station offer several quality wines in boxes. Heck.....even renowned French vinyards now are using screwtops so it is only a matter of time before the enviromentally friendly boxes bridge the "snobbery" barrier.

The other nice aspect is the pricepoint of boxes is usually very good in comparison to an equal amount of bottles. A win /win. My plan will be to purchase a box of wine for daily usage but I will continue to purchase the occasional bottle to try new varietals, vinyards and blends.

Thanks to Doug for hosting an "around the Basin ride" tonight I can enjoy my Carmenere indulgence knowing I got a 50 km ride in the books. If it is raining tomorrow a morning at the gym will be a nice replacement.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chi, Ionized Water, Good Health and Q-Ray

-
Recently I have been doing some research into the Chinese practice of achieving "Chi", the balancing of the body`s "life force" in terms of well being.The premise being that to have good health one must balance positive/negative energies (ions)to achieve harmony. From what I have ascertained thus far the act of living creates positive ions in the body that need to be countered by negative ions. They attract each other and become as one. Nature, it seems, supplies negative ions through good food, clean air and pure water. The problem is that we now live in an increasingly polluted enviroment where pure food, water and air is at a premium.It is harder for the body to get the negative ions it needs to balance the positive ones that are the byproducts of living.It all reminds me of the whole free radical/antioxidant debate. Are they, in fact, one and the same?One an ancient Far Eastern belief and the other a 20th century scientific standard but both essentially the same...
Read more

WMD-C38 Bicycle Wheel Review

-
Image
Happy Birthday to me! Needless to say I was gobsmacked when Canada Post dropped off a box this morning from Steve at Wheels Of Mass Destruction based out of Montreal Canada. Let the record show that Steve is my brother in law but I had no idea a set of (gorgeous) carbon fibre wheels were heading my way. Dude - you rock! http://ridewmd.com/index.php Not without some strings though. I quote....     "I wanted someone to test out my wheels that I know will give me constructive feedback. If you don't mind riding these wheels hard and giving me updates every couple of weeks I would really like it if you can give them a good run for the money...." No problem at all! I'll gladly do my best to test their mettle. PART ONE - INITIAL IMPRESSIONS Packaging - As a former warehouse supervisor for most of my working career I was impressed with the quality of the packaging. The wheels arrived at my door in a 26X26X12 sized S-4912 Uline singlewall box. Completely ...
Read more

Scythian Bow - Flagella Dei

-
Image
After several years of interest I finally decided to purchase a Scythian style of horse bow from Flagella Dei Archery based in Hungary.    Opted for a yew laminated bow #42@28 so it was a custom build but worth the wait. Feather light and simply beautiful. Build quality is great and pictures just do not give justice to the eye candy quality of the lamination, tip reinforcements and quality leather handle wrap. Shipping was fast from Europe and bow was professionally boxed with bubble wrap and a nice bow sack. Included was a certificate of authentication complete with the bowyer's signature and warranty information. Needless to say I was anxious to get it outside and loose some arrows. The rain held off on Saturday so it was a perfect opportunity to get out under the green. I just love this bow. Not only is it lightweight with precious little hand shock but is amazingly silent as well. I was using bamboo and wooden arrows but the bamboo arrows definitely suited the bow better o...
Read more