Two worlds
Until recently, New World wineries mainly endeavored to reproduce classic French wines. Identification by region—not grape variety—reflected an enduring mystique that has been hard to dispel. Copying the culture of an adjacent civilization is not a new phenomenon. The patrician class of Rome worked to produce wines in the Greek style, while demonstrating their erudition […]
Smoke and mirrors
I had a few minutes to kill last night. I poked my nose into a computer report on the labour situation in the National Hockey League. Remember? The hockey league that plays all of its games in North America, with the best players in the world? Yes, that’s the one. At any rate, I listened […]
The world’s greatest humourists
I have to hand it to them. Without a doubt, the world’s greatest humourists are teenaged children. Under the pressure of an exam, they sometimes manage to answer adroitly the very question they are asked, but—courtesy of the nuances of the English language — not the question the examiner had in mind. And sometimes, they […]
Kids these days
Teenagers, eh! Remember when you were a teenager? Did you just shudder? I remember. Like now, I knew it all when I was a teen. I put on a sweet face for my elders when advice was being dispensed—but, inside. Oh, the dialogue that was going on inside my head. Somewhere, on the timeline between […]
Yankees and Tigers 2012
The New York Yankees stormed into the 2012 playoffs this year, sporting the best record in the second half of the season. They knocked the cover off the ball, slamming more home runs than any other team in baseball. More than 50 per cent of their runs came as a result of round-trippers. Defence was […]
A grape resurrected
Although they form the most visible part of a vineyard, the canopy of grape leaves is often overlooked. But, without the carbohydrates formed through photosynthesis, the vine—and its grape clusters—would never grow. Canopy management is critical in a vineyard: the leaf-to-fruit ratio will determine whether the fruit reaches its maximum potential. Vineyard managers will also […]
Grannies with small suitcases
I was going to give it the benefit of the doubt. But I hear so many other people grumbling about it that I’m going to go public with my grumbles and bravely assume that my comments might resonate. So what am I talking about? The new Belleville Via station, that’s what. For any of us […]
Anniversary time
It’s anniversary time. My second anniversary is coming up and I’m not talking about the “walking down the aisle” anniversary. I know at least one of our readers would have something to say about my “wedding.” Two years have passed since I walked into the County Club and asked if I could “please, please,” literally, […]
Grey Cup 2012
This year’s Grey Cup game will be played in Toronto on November 25. The names of the participants are yet to be determined. Nothing new there. Year after year, it always goes down to the wire. Teams get a lucky bounce and they are successful. They take a bad penalty, and they find themselves on […]
The road to Ameliasburgh
The road to Ameliasburgh follows a rise of land from where, on a day like today, you can see forever. Well maybe not forever but at least as far as the highlands of Wilno, of Kaladar; as far as trees and lakes and rivers run this side of the divide that separates the Lake Ontario […]