A Few of My Favorite Things
I suppose for a blog to really be a blog, it has to reflect the authors interests, tastes and favorite things, however peculiar or eccentric they may be. You will find mine a bit mundane, but that may give some of you comfort. They are listed below, randomly presented, subject to change without notice.
I think Hedges Family Estate “Red Mountain Three Vineyards 2005” meritage is the best wine on the West Coast. I’m not much of a Cabernet fan, I don’t chase varietals (I chase flavor and price), I’m mostly interested in Pinot’s and Rhones (and Alsatians sometimes). Red Mountain’s Three Vineyards really stands out for me. I’ve had it four times now and enjoyed it each time. It’s a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvingon and Cabernet Franc (the 2005 is 61%, 36% and 3% respectively). It’s not available in California (as far as I know) so I only get when I’m in Seattle or Boise. At $25 it’s a good buy, and I think it would hold it’s own at twice that. One of my habits: after the bottle is empty for a while, take a whiff — the best wines will stand out.
My favorite beers are Belgian (Chimay Blue is my current favorite). My favorite chocolate (right now) is Newman’s Own Organic Dark (54% Cocoa I think it is).
Putting forth a favorite band is tough, because I have wide ranging tastes in music, but I would say Soul Coughing. That said I really enjoy covers of old tunes generally (I think I have three versions of “Someone to Watch Over Me”). My favorite television program is “Biggest Loser“.
My favorite scotch has become Lagavulin. When I first tasted it, I thought it smelled like bandaids and tasted like charred wood, more like a medicinal (think Angostura Bitters). I much preferred Aberlour or Glenn Rothes, both of which tasted smoother and fruitier. But the Lagavulin grew on me, the same way cilantro did. Which leads me to my favorite teas, both from Peets: Ancient Pu~erh and Lapsang Souchong. The Lapsang smells just like Lagavulin, tastes smiliar; my neighbor says it tastes like gunpowder. The Pu~erh is a very dark tea, almost like coffee, but very smooth.
I’m not sure I have any favorite movies. I see 2-5 movies a month, but I can’t say I have an all-time favorite. I think some movies are important (Casa Blanca for example). But I would have to think about it. So we’ll save that for later.
Sites and blogs I frequent are TechCrunch, EcoGeek, Ecoplum and Gary Cohen. Also Google and Blog and Android Tapp. I’ll be setting up a blogroll and soon and you will see more sites. I use Firefox as my browser with a whole host of add-ons.
Well that’s all for now. Thanks for stopping by! And remember, keep your vertical reference tools close at hand.