Rolf Devinci

In the wine glass tonight is a delicious Negroamaro Rosso Salento red wine. Originating from the Puglia region in the heel of Southern Italy this wine made from the Negromaro variety is..."(of) excellent quality and intensity of the spicy, dark fruit which has been enhanced with partial wood maturation." Whoa......I always had the misconceptions that wines from the hot southern regions of Italy were powerful beasts but this is a great wine to be enjoyed with meats, pastas,cheeses or simply alone. Nice! In the teacup tonight is the white tea I ordered via Ebay from TasTea,a seller from San Diego California.The Snow Dragon white tea imported from Zhejiang China is simply wonderful. Possessing a golden hue the tea has a well balanced flavor devoid of the grassy aftertaste typical of most green teas.

The 200. 200 what you may ask? 200 pounds. All week I have hovered right around the 200 pound barrier. In February I`m usually pushing 210+ but this year, thanks to my refocus on nutrition, I am actually on the verge of breaking the elusive barrier of 200. The prospect of entering the 2009 cycling season between 195-200 pounds has me looking forward to the BNS race schedule. After the debacle of last season the racing looks promising for 2009. Our club was approached by the city(huh?)to actually host the Halifax Criterium around the Commons on May 31. Go figure. They also promised support and will have the course smooth and potholes repaired. Nice! A great race it is fast and fun on a flat course. Al Mumford has stepped up to the plate and actually formed a company to run races in conjunction with BNS. In may well mean the registration costs may be more but it`s better than having no races. Breakaway Cycling(breakawaycycling.ca)may also host the Provincial ITT Championship in Centr...

In the glass tonight is a nice 2006 MAN Vintners Pinotage...."South Africa`s indigenous grape variety...bold and juicy with red berry flavors and a touch of sweet oak spice." First time for a Pinotage. Very nice with a particular finish I have yet to experience. Hand in hand with my Friday night wines I also will highlight another dietary change that I have made in my journey to good health and my fitness goals. Tonight in the superfood spotlight I present the tried and true honey. Of all the natural sweetners honey is truly a gift of nature. Opt for the unpasturized versions that retain the natural benefits and induldge your sweet tooth with this amazing and nutritious food. "This wonderfully rich golden liquid is the miraculous product of honey bees and a naturally delicious alternative to white sugar.....research also indicates that honey's unique composition makes it useful as an antimicrobial agent and antioxidant." For further info check out my link ...

Although scheduled to play out today at ball hockey I was informed that one of our goalies broke a toe and was out of action. Back in nets I went and ended up having my best day yet this season. I was seeing the ball well and ended up sweeping the day with three wins. The first game was close,ending in a 10-9 win. The second match found us down 3-0 but we rallied to win 10-4 backstopped by my best game this season. The third match we won with a 5-2 lead as time expired. It was a good day and improved my overall second half record to 6-7. In the morning I mangaed to get out to my second viewing of the Iditalake race series hosted by Bicycles Plus. Essentially it is short track speed skating combined with MTB criterium bike racing. A neat concept it has cyclists racing on the frozen lake surface using studded tires in short heats that eventually results in a final race of four riders. As always I had my cameras and got some shots. Gotta tell you the sound of studded bike tires on ice...

In the glass tonight is a double feature;a nice 2006 Argentinean Merlot and a Chinese whole leaf green tea. Another wine from the famous Mendoza region of Argentina this Merlot features..."An intense deep red with a complex flavour of mingled fruit and spice with a harmonous palate and pleasant finish." Very nice. The argument between loose tea and teabags are as devisive as the arguments between Shimano and Campy but all evidence seems to indicate that loose tea imparts more beneficial health benefits to the user. It seems the tailings usually found within teabags lose their essential oils faster and,hence,their antioxidant qualities become deminished over time quicker than the whole leaf loose tea varieties. That is not saying that bagged tea is not good but using loose tea lets the tea leaves open unconstricted and impart their benefits.The result,so says the experts, is a better, healthier and more flavorful tea. Loose tea is also a wiser choice for both green and w...

After a couple weeks away from Sunday hockey I returned today feeling prime and ready to go. The warmup went well which is a sign I "got game" which continued into the first match.In terms of team speed we had the slower team but had the best playmaker and one of the top defensemen. The first game was a back and forth affair with us winning 10-9. The second match we found ourselves down 5-2 early and 9-6 late but rallied to tie the game at nine all. Unfortunately a two on one breakout resulted in me giving up the winning goal after the opposing player froze me with a feint then chipped it past my outstretched goalie pad. We managed to squeeze in a third match and we chalked up the win with a 3-1 score when time expired.Sweet! After a dismal start to the second half of the season the break was good and I returned feeling refreshed and better about my game. My second half record now stands at 3 -7. I did fill in for another squad on the last couple Thursday nights and was...

Whew! What a week at work. Crazy busy. No worries...it`s Friday night and in the glass tonight is a repeat from last week.Lindemann`s 2008 Shiraz Cabernet. It was so good I bought a couple more bottles....lol. I did find another gem tonight of a different sort. Picked up a jar of organic pumpkin seed butter. I`ve been eating pumpkin seeds as part of my Geo`s mix(almonds, sunflower seeds,pumpkin seeds and a few peanuts) and thought I would give it a try. Much less expensive than almond butter, pumpkin seeds are also a superfood high in nutrients and minerals. http://www.whfoods.com Upon opening the jar it did require some stirring as the natural oils had separated while on the shelf. With the consistency of natural peanut butter it had a neutral nutty flavour and made quite the PS&J sandwich. Also picked up another bottle of unpasturized apple cider vinegar with the "mother" for my daily tonic.It`s actually quite refreshing mixed with a glass of water or apple juice f...