Another Week in Wine

Martin Codax 2009 Albarino:
Perhaps we have been a little fixated on the varietal, but Albarino tends to make excellent wines. This $15 white from Rias Baixas offers what I expect: fresh with overtones of tropical fruit (pineapple etc.), crisp acidity, and clean. It's not the biggest value in Albarino, but it's a well-made, versatile wine.

Anciano 2001 Gran Reserva:
I wrote about this red wine previously. It's a good value for an aged Gran Reserva. Oak is noticeable but not overwhelming and the fruit is still showing nicely. This Tempanillo from Valpenas won't compare to higher-end aged Spanish reds, but for $13, it's a really solid offering.

Two Oceans 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot:
A bargain bin wine priced just under $7. this wine offers fruit with good integration. Not a steal like some other bargain bin bottles we've had recently, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from the Western Cape in South Africa also doesn't have any flaws, so for the price it is worth the few dollars that it costs.

Tulips and a Colorful Week

Taking Center Stage

This photograph and two others featuring tulips can be found in a Hue and Light post.

Also on my other blog, I took part in Color Me Weekly. I used one of my recent Spring photos to create a color palette, which I used to map colors in other photographs. The palette along with a few mapped photographs can be found in my Color Me Weekly, Spring Palette post. Here's an example of one such mapped photo (it happens to have the source photograph as this blog's header image).



A Change of Color

Geese in the Spring

I've read that this is the nesting season for Canadian geese and that they do defend their nests. I haven't seen any nests but they have been acting more aggressive towards one another and have been vocal about people being close to certain areas; the local geese are very habituated to people, so the vocalness is unusual.

This was taken 13 days ago:



A Demonstrative Goose


I'm wondering when we will see goslings.

This Week's Wine Selections

Anderson Family Vineyard 2008 Pinot Noir:
Situated on a hill which rises steeply from Oregon's Willamette Valley floor, Anderson Family Vineyard makes a flavorful yet balanced Pinot Noir. Being a Pinot, it's a delightful companion to a wide range of foods, from grilled chicken to salmon. It actually has enough weight to complement most pork dishes and I wouldn't mind it even with lighter beef or lamb. It's a wine that doesn't last for a second meal.

Orlandini Vineyard 2006 Chambourcin:
With bright red fruit flavors, this wine is a good example of the offerings of the Shawnee Hills A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area). The varietal Chambourcin, a red French-American hybrid, seems well-suited to the Southern Illinois area and can be the tasty backbone of wines ranging from dry table wines to ports. The medium-bodied Orlandini Vineyard selection, priced at $12, is a good value that showcases the region's capabilities. Pork with cranberries comes to mind as a match, but the varietal, sort of a Sangiovese or Grenache of Southern Illinois, possesses the structure and versatility to complement many dishes.

Le Cantine Di Indie 2010 Vino Rosso del Popolo:
We had this a few weeks ago, though the recent bottle showed better. It was a delicious match to both homemade pizza and store-made ravioli and reminded me more of the reasons why we bought two bottles. So this is definitely a red wine which needs a good food pairing to show its best.

Hedman Vineyard Chardonel:
Another Shawnee Hills offering, this Chardonel ranks as one of the area's best. The grape, a French-American hybrid of Seyval and Chardonnay, exhibits more of its Chardonnay character in the Hedman wine. Barrel-fermented (which is unusual), the white highlights toast, vanilla, and buttery notes, all common in California Chardonnays, yet the wine still shows nice structure and good acidity, making it a match with food. It had nice weight for a chicken in a cream cheese-based sauce, though it wasn't hearty enough to stand up to a rich, oily, salmon dish. Still this is a winner. I'd buy it again.

Spring? (Or is it really summer?) That is the question...

Five of the past seven days have been over 80 degrees, and the remaining two were over 70. The highs have been flirting with record temperatures daily and they are about 20 degrees above the average high. It's even weirder further north. In Chicago, it's been over 80 for five straight days and that's more than 30 degrees above normal highs.

In other words, it's March and the air conditioner is running.

Though I still think it's Spring, because it were Summer, the temperature would be over 90.

Spring

Spring has arrived. At first, it was only a little green here and there and some buds or blossoms on the trees.

I snapped this image of a tree branch on March 10th.



Buds on March 10th

Eight days later, the buds on the same tree have changed.




Other trees are in full bloom.



Blossoming White

For more photographs of the new season, check out my Spring post on Hue and Light

March Madness, Friday

Sandra bought tickets to the Second Round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (though it's hard for me to call it the second round, but with a first round of 4 games, I guess it is the second round). I had some morning work to do, but I managed to make it to Texas-Cincinnati game about halfway through the first half.



At the Free Throw Line

Cincinnati jumped out to an early lead against Texas, and was leading 31-17 at halftime. It was an ugly first half with very little offensive execution, particularly on the Texas side, though the Longhorns made a second half run and managed to tie at 52 with 3:44 remaining. Though poor offense again plagued Texas and the Bearcats pulled away for a 65-59 win.

The second game of the early session proved to be more entertaining. A vocal group of St. Bonaventure fans made their way from New York and other parts to Nashville for their school's matchup against Florida State.



Tipoff

There was a lot of good reasons for the excitement: a trip to the Big Dance and a talented squad including Andrew Nicholson, a student-athlete majoring in Physics. For me, it was great to see offensive execution after the sluggish first game. The Bonnies worked the ball inside and out and took a 34-28 halftime lead. Though the Seminoles of Florida State stayed close and then made a run led by their 27 year old senior Bernard James, whose story is definitely worth mentioning.

The 6'10" center was cut as freshman in high school and didn't play ball until joining the Air Force in 2003. He stayed 6 years in the military and was stationed in Iraq. Returning to the States, he spent two years at Tallahassee Community College before joining Florida State last year. His experiences definitely showed in the game against St. Bonaventure. He requested the ball and he received it. His 19 points along with 9 rebounds and 3 blocks led the team as the Seminoles tied and then pulled away from the Bonnies.

Though St. Bonaventure was not done. A trio of big 3-pointers closed the game to just three points and the Bonnies had an opportunity to tie the game. Their 3 point attempt fell short and another field goal was blocked as Florida State held to win 66-63 in a game which really showed what March Madness is: good basketball and diehard fans.

After the session, we stayed near the arena and soaked in the atmosphere. The Bridgestone Arena is right in the heart of the bustling honky-tonk section of Nashville, so there were lots of people milling around and generating a buzz. Before the start of the next session, the Ohio University band and cheerleaders even revved up the crowd outside the stadium more with a short pep rally.



Ohio Cheerleaders

After watching four games and squads from eight universities, there was one clear winner. Both the Ohio University band and cheerleading squad easily won the award for Most Peppy. They were lively and were always seemingly ready to lead the cheers.

Entering the stadium, we watched on television the end of Norfolk State-Missouri game. It's not often that teams seeded 15 knock off the a 2 seed, so it was shocking when Missouri lost. So the stage was now set—more big upsets were waiting.



Leading the Team Onto the Court

Led by junior guard D.J. Cooper, the Bobcats of Ohio University started the game strong against Michigan. Down 35-22, the Wolverines finished the half strong, cutting the lead to only 6. Much like the St. Bonaventure-FSU game, there was a lot of good offensive execution, particularly for Ohio, who shot 51% for the game.

The second half brought more of the same. Ohio held a small lead most of the way, even opening up a 9 point spread with 8:11 remaining the game. Though, the Bobcats offensive execution slipped and they only scored one more field goal the rest of the way. In a four minute span, the Wolverines chipped the lead down to only 3 points. However, once getting the game within reach, their shot selection disappeared and good defense by Ohio down the stretch kept Michigan scoreless the rest of the way. Another upset was in the books as the 13th-seeded Bobcats knocked off the 4th-seeded Wolverines 65-60.

In Greensboro, Lehigh upset the 2nd-seeded Duke Blue Devils, so now two 2 seeds and a 4 seed were losers in a matter of hours. 5th-seeded Temple seemed to have heard the message because they started strongly against 12th-seeded South Florida. For over a 9 minute stretch, the Owls of Temple held the Bulls without a point. It was looking like Temple was going to cruise when they led 19-8 at the 6:34 mark in the first. However, that was the last point they made for the half and South Florida closed to within 4 at 19-15. Some people might say good defense, and they would be correct, but the offensive execution by both teams was terrible. It reminded me of the ugly Texas-Cincinnati matchup.



After the Block

Starting the second half, the Bulls hit a few shots to tie the game at 19. It wasn't until two minutes into the half that Temple finally scored to end their eight and a half minute drought. From there, things became worse for the Owls. South Florida started hitting shots and opened a commanding 39-25 with just over twelve minutes to play. Though, in this game of bad offense, it was the Bulls' turn to go cold, as they went almost seven minutes scoring just one field goal. The Owls took advantage. Surprisingly, they executed plays and hit shots, narrowing the lead to 3 points with 5:44 remaining. However, South Florida picked up their play, hitting a few shots and several free throws down the stretch to comfortably close out their upset of the higher seeded Temple 58-44.

The games in Nashville were very competitive, though not always the most enjoyable as a lot of teams suffered long stretches of poor to non-existent offensive execution. Still it was fun to watch even in 300 level seats. In fact, the seats to the side behind one of the baskets offered surprisingly good views. In addition to the play on the court, other moments, moments which don't show on a television screen, stand out, like listening to O-H-I-O cheers or watching a player, who realizes the game is over, take a long solitary walk back to the other side of the court. There is something very human in those moments.



The Realization of Defeat

The Neighbors

I snapped these photos of the local geese at the end of January.



Up Close


What's Going On?

The Canadian geese are a fixture of the neighborhood. On the afternoon that I snapped the images, they thought I was bringing them a meal since they noisily flocked towards me. Of course, it did make it easier to take photos of them.

Seeing Beauty in a Droplet

A few weeks ago, I took part in Color Me Weekly, a weekly exhibition of color palettes, and posted my exploration on Hue and Light of creating and using color palettes. Not only does Rosie at Leaves n bloom showcase excellent photography, but participants in Color Me Weekly do too. One of these photographers is Amanda Darville, who posts work on her blog Seeing Beauty.


Photograph by Amanda Darville


In particular, her collections of photographs, Droplets and Droplets 2, are not only beautiful but also intriguing. The droplets themselves become lenses creating photographs within the larger photographs—fascinating.

Stop by and check out the droplet collections. Also view Amanda's other work on her blog. Not only is she an excellent photographer, but she has been very prolific in posting since starting in January of this year.

Wine Reflections

Wines of the Week

Markham 2008 Napa Valley Merlot:
This typical Napa Merlot, both rich and mellow with noticeable amounts of toasty oak, was a value at $20 at the tasting a few weeks ago. It complements roasted beef. We actually had the luxury of tasting this with a standing rib roast—excellent. In the mid 20s where this red is normally priced, I think it runs into a lot of similar quality wine and no longer stands out. If you like oaked Napa merlots and can find this at around $20, I would recommend it.

Tenuta Santedame 2005 Chianti Classico:
An pickup from the Wine Chap's closeout/bargain racks, this red hails from the central part of Italy's well-known wine region. It's a solid though unspectacular offering. I like it under $10, though being a Chianti Classico, its price is likely in the mid to upper teens. At that price, there are many Italian reds which I like more.

Burgans 2010 Albarino:
From the Rias Baixas, a region in the northwest part of Spain, this white hits the mark. While not well-known, the varietal Albarino, when done well, makes delicious versatile wines. Zesty with aromas of peach and exotic fruits, this offering is not an exception. With weight, it complements a wide range of dishes from spicy Oriental to grilled chicken. Even at $17, this is a winner.

Cantine Valpane 2010 Rosso Pietro Barbera del Monferrato:
At $17, this is a solid Italian wine. With blends of red and dark fruits, this Barbera carries its flavor through a satisfying finish. We've had this wine on several occasions, though the bottle we opened this past week was infected with cork tainted with TCA. So I would have to be a bit skeptical of the quality of the cork that the winery uses. It's unfortunate because I have had several good wines, particularly Italian and French wines, ruined by the taint. While the wine was drinkable, the odor presisted and interferred with the flavors. Also unfortunate was that I forgot the quick fix which can clear a wine of the taint. TCA has a high affinity for polyethylene, so bring some plastic wrap in contact with the flawed wine and the problem molecules stick to plastic. I have tried it in the past; it does work.

Stop Along the Mississippi River

Sometimes you walk into a space and it feels right. This was the case when we walked through the Mississippi River Greenbelt Park.



Entrance Sign

On our last day in Memphis, we had originally planned to visit the Mud Island River Park, but it was closed for the season. Undeterred, we drove north on the island, which actually is a peninsula, and discovered, facing alongside the Mississippi, the Greenbelt Park, a fairly open stretch between Island Drive and the river.



Kite Flying Above the Greenbelt Park

While in February the park might not be green, it is still a great place to sit down and soak in the atmosphere. The Interstate 40 bridge, with cars and semi convoys, reminds you of the city and its business, but there, before you, is also this great expanse of water, the Mississippi River.



The Mighty Mississippi

And there are people enjoying the 60 degree temperature and the sun. With some of them are dogs, sniffing their way the world. You can also hear the birds, sometimes see them searching the still dormant grass. If it feels right even when the business intrudes upon the river with a barge making its way downstream.



A Couple and Three Dogs Enjoy the Park

It's a treasure to have that space, that moment. It's something to which I could find myself returning.



Robins Foraging for Food

For a more detailed photo exhibition, see my post about the Greenbelt Park on Hue and Light.

Tennis: The Evening Session

After a short break and quick dinner, the evening session began. The first match featured Sofia Arvidsson against Marina Erakovic in the Women's Singles Finals at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.



Erakovic Practices Her Volley at the Net

The women's game doesn't have the power of the men's, but there is more point development, so you actually see more tennis from point to point and match to match when the women play compared to the men (of course, I'm excluding the freakishly good defensive play of the top four men, Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, and Murray, who regularly play well-crafted long points against each other). Erakovic displayed good footspeed and movement, and her forehand has some power to it. On the other side of the net, Arvidsson, a past champion in her third finals at Memphis, showed a nice backhand. In typical fashion, there were several breaks of serve, but Arvidsson's steady play led to several unforced errors by Erakovic and the past champion captured the first set 6-3.

The second set was more of the same. Again, while Erakavic has skill, she wasn't consistent. Arvidsson's reliable serve, coupled with the occssional backhand winner down the line, led her to a 5-4 lead.



Arvidsson Prepares to Serve at Match Point

Arvidsson easily served out the final game for her second career WTA title, both at Memphis. Unlike some other sports, afterwards, both the loser and winner were interviewed and awarded trophies.



Runner-up Marina Erakovic and Winner Sofia Arvidsson

Next up was the Women's Doubles Finals, a rematch from 2011, which featured the top-seeded Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka against the second-seeded pair of Vera Dushevina and Olga Govortsova.



The Doubles Teams Smile for a Photo

Last year's final went to the super tiebreak, with Dushevina and Govortsova winning 6-3, 4-6, 10-8(tiebreak).



Hlavackova Focuses on Her Forehand During Warmups


Govortsova Practices Her Serve

Since last year's tournament in Memphis, the team of Hlavackova and Hradecka won a major at the French Open in 2011, and won at Auckland and reached the semis at the Australian Open this year. They obviously have stepped up their game. Their opponents, Dushevina and Govortsova, showed good teamwork, though unlike last year, they dropped the opening set 3-6.

The difference in the men's and women's game is even more evident in doubles tennis than in singles. Doubles in men's tends to be a quick flurry of shots and the point is over. For the women, you see a lot more of the strategy and teamwork necessary to play at the highest level, such as switching sides of the court during points. Not surprisingly, there were numerous double faults; on one side Hradecka was the more guilty partner and on the other was Dushevina. Excluding the double faults, the level of play was excellent with lots of movement, quick volleys, and even a few long points.

Again, not much separated the two teams, but Hlavackova and Hradecka showed their year long form in winning the second set, 6-4. Last year, they lost a tight match, but this year they captured the title. Afterwards, the women were interviewed and received trophies. Despite the competitiveness of the sport, both team showed a lot of class and goodwill towards the other. On the court, they compete, but afterwards they seem to share the common kinship of being top level tennis players.



The Winning Team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka Speak

It was a fitting close for my first time seeing professional tennis in person.

A Short Update

It has been a busy work week for me, though the upcoming weeks should be a bit lighter. I would like to mention that I have shifted my main photo hosting from Imageshack to Blogger. While I still have many photos on Imageshack, I am in the process of moving others to their new home. If you find a post with images missing, please let me know and I will make it a priority to upload them. I still have many old pages with dead image links. Since I want to stay current with all the thingees, it will be a period of time before I have most of old images in their new home.

Spring is also in the year, so look forward to new photographs. Also, I have a few posts to finish from the trip to Memphis. I hope you enjoy.

Tasting Wine, March Style

From the past week...

Gilgal 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon:
From Galilee, a lesser known place for wine, this red's restraint reminds me of Old World styles, though it lacks the obvious terroir. the mineral and earth tones that I would expect out of a Bordeaux. Notes of cocoa (not chocolate) lingered on my palette and this is a solid wine priced in the upper teens.

Chateau de Valmer 2010 Vouvray:
I had a tough time placing the fruit flavors in this, but they are quite pronounced, as well as the slight sweetness that is common in wines from the region. Though, sweetness levels varies in the wines, not all Vouvrays are off-dry. The Chateau de Valmer is best paired with a meal that has some exotic flair like a mildly spicy Oriental dsh or fish in a ginger-peach sauce. It should also go nicely with a cheese like Brie.

Las Colinas del Ebro 2010 Garnacha Blanca:
This $13 white from Spain stands out as an excellent value particularly if you like some zingy acidity and classic Old World mineral notes. The Las Colinas del Ebro has structure and body, so it can go with a range of dishes that are traditionally paired with white wine. Because of its food versatility, it's a good wine to have "stocked".

Normally I write about wines that we have with our meals in the week, though it seemed appropriate to mention a new vintage that we tried at The Wine Chap.



Las Colinas del Ebro 2011

Las Colinas del Ebro 2011 Garnacha Blanca:
Not quite as zippy or minerally as the 2010 vintage, the 2011 is softer, but still offers a lot of value for the dollar. I can see drinking this wine from time to time.

Tennis: The Afternoon Session

Our primary reason for coming to Memphis was to see professional tennis. Both the ATP (men's) and WTA (women's) tours hold offical tournaments in Memphis, the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships. Held at the Racquet Club of Memphis on the city's east side, the Championships feature events for Men and Women in both Singles and Doubles.



The Schedule

We had tickets to two of the sessions on Saturday. The first match in the 3pm session featured Singles with 4th-seeded Milos Raonic playing against Benjamin Becker. Attending my first professional tennis tournament, I could say that the cheap seats (bleachers) we had were expensive, but the view of the court was excellent.

Watching tennis on television, you know that the men hit the ball hard, but it's a different experience when you're in person watching a match and your eyes have a difficult time tracking the tennis ball. Yes, the men hit the ball that hard. It was rewarding to see one of the best servers in the game, Milos Raonic. Against Becker, Raonic dominated with his serve and broke once in each set to script a convincing 6-4, 6-4 win. The win propelled Milos to the finals against the Jurgen Melzer on Sunday. Watching Raonic's match on Saturday, I gave him the edge against Melzer, but Jurgen prevailed in a tight 7-5, 7-6(4) match. Still, watching 21 year old's game, I believe Raonic has a bright future.

For the second match of the session, the doubles semifinals pitted Mirnyi and Nestor versus Querrey and Isner. A quick trip to the car to grab the camera (I was told initially that I couldn't bring the camera at the front desk, but that was incorrect) and then back to my seat, I was able to snap some photos of the players.



Isner Preparing to Swing


At 6'9", John Isner dominates the court with his size. First, Milos, and then John—it was a good day to see top notch serving.



Warming Up the Serve

Fellow Americans Isner and Sam Querrey make a good doubles team, but their opponents, Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor, are one of the top doubles team. Nestor, in particular, has been and, still is, despite almost being 40, one of the finest doubles players ever. He has been #1 and a gold medal Olympic winner, and, with several different partners, has won 76 doubles titles, including 7 majors, coming into the tournament. Mirnyi is not bad either with 42 doubles titles and 5 majors.



Mirnyi and Nestor Walking for the Changeover


So take two of the best doubles players ever and you will have a good team, even if they are 34 and 39. Mirnyi and Nestor won the French doubles title last year, were seeded #1 as defending Men's Doubles champions of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championship.



Isner and Querrey Discuss Tactics Before the Serve


Not surprisingly, given the quality of the servers, the first set went on serve to the tie break, where Mirnyi and Nestor prevailed 7-3 to win the very engaging opener 7-6. Mirnyi and Nestor don't dominate like some other players, but they're rock solid, and in the second set, they capitalized on openings offered by the Americans. Both Isner and Querrey dropped service games and the American duo fell 6-2.

On Sunday, Mirnyi and Nestor extended their winning streak in Memphis, splitting the tight first two sets with Dodig and Melo 4-6, 7-5, before outlasting them in the super tiebreak 10-7 to win back-to-back titles. In most professional sports, winning a title is tough enough. And two consecutive? That's a feat for the veteran team of Mirnyi and Nestor, a feat that not many people can say they have accomplished.

Taste of Memphis

After taking a look at the river, we headed back to the strip along Beale Street. Manning the outside of the restaurant and wearing an unmistakeable purple and white striped hat, Joe greeted and talked us into trying the food at the Blues City Cafe.



Blues City Cafe

Two meals later, I have to say that, while the place is not fancy-looking, the food is quite good. Memphis is noted for barbecue ribs, and the Blues City Cafe's effort didn't disappoint. Pink throughout and falling off the bone, their ribs rank with some of the best I have ever tasted. They were so good that we came back on Sunday to fill our stomachs before we left Memphis. On Sunday, knowing that the city's cuisine has lots of Delta influence, we also tried the gumbo, which is filling and savory—a big thumbs up. The catfish (according to Sandra, white fish is not my favorite) is a standout too.



The Colorful Signs Inside the Blues City Cafe

Though, don't let the fat-free sign fool you. The Blues City Cafe might not use trans-fat, but they don't shy away from oils and other fats. Also think about it—ribs are still ribs.

The waitstaff have great attitudes, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you're in Memphis. Located at the corner of Second and Beale, the restaurant welcomes customers from across the United States and the world, so you can see and meet diverse people there. With good food and a good vibe, the Blues City Cafe is worth the stop.

Down the Street and to the River

After a walk down Beale Street, I wanted to get a quick peek of the Mississippi.



Main Street America?

Along the way, we spotted the trolley running along Main Street. We didn't catch a ride, but after doing some research, I think it's on my Memphis to-do list. The cars are refurbished vintage trolleys, each with its own history. Besides the past, people comment that the Riverfront Loop line is a great way to see downtown and the river.



The Wolf River Lagoon, a Tug, and the Mississippi

Ok...I won't say that the view where Beale Street meets Riverside Drive is exquisitive. It certainly wasn't on Saturday, but I love rivers. There's an inescapeable quality to waters, pulled by gravity, merging and finding the lower ground.

And then turn Northeast and downtown stands.



Viewing Downtown

Quotes about the State Support of Religion

James Madison in "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments" 1785:
Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?

Thomas Jefferson in "The Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom" 1786:
That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in nowise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.