1. Tim 5;23

With only eight days until my departure, I got my green card (or Q1 as its called) yesterday at the American Embassy in Oslo.

I’m getting alittle nervous, leaving my contry and all my lovedones. Who wouldnt? But I’m positive knowing that when the year is gone, I will be left with memories for life!

I have been traveling to Oslo 2 times due to get this job, which is costing me alot of money. But I think of it as an investment, but I can’t help but think; “What could I have used the money to instead?”

Well, I could by me some more wine, like
Aldegheri Valpolicella Classico Ripasso
Italian redwine from Verona
13,5 %
Made with the Corvina and Rondinella grapes

Colour
Cloudy brown/red colour with nice curtains.

Smell
This is THE best smelling wine I have ever had! The nose alone makes this wine worth buying!
Very intense, with smell of dirt, smoke, pepper, Jägermeister, licorice and anti mosquitospray. It’s just a circus of smells, they are all in harmony. Just delicious!
It is not however, a beginners wine, and if you like fruitbombs this wine might not be one you would like.
That don’t stop me loving it!

Taste
Powerful, concentrated and intense. Not that easy make out the taste, but do get some fruit, dark red berries on the pallet. Can also get something that reminded me of pickels, but not totally.
A good wine still.

Conclusion
I found myself sniffing this wine almost more then I drank it, a good wine with an amazing nose. It’s abit expensive, and that’s the only negative against this wine. With 189,90 NOK, it’s not a wine for everyone. And with many, many winedrinkers not smelling the wine, this is a no-go for them. But if you care for good wine and goooooood smell, find this wine!

Score

Until later; Trust your palate

Filed under: Uncategorized on July 22nd, 2008 | No Comments »

It’s summer!
That’s why blogs is not updated lately. When I’m not chillin, I’m working. The 4th july (Congrats americans) I was in charge of a Southern Barbequie grill under a happening called Souther Rock Night, something new this year. One of the, maybe THE best Southern Rock tribute band in Norway is from my village. They where also the makers of this night.

The arrangement was a huge succes, both with the awsome music, and the food that was served. All in all, a good and long night with 17 hours of work. Good times.

That said, I have not been drink that much wine, as I find beer m summerdrink right now.

It’s also just 20 days until I go to the US for a year!! 20 DAYS!
I’m both nervous and happy, and one of the things I’m thinking about is wine. What vineryes should I visit, where should I order my wine, where is the best winemeny in the EPCOT center? Alot of questions, time will answer them all! (I hope..)

Hope that everybody is good, and I hope that you have an summer as great as mine!

Until later; Trust your pallate!

Filed under: Update on July 8th, 2008 | No Comments »

My last 3 post have been apologies, sorry here, and sorry there.

That’s not good enough, I have had time to write posts, and I have some good stories I want to write about. But sometimes you just get lazy and do other stuff. I will sum it up to you here;

• I’m planing the food and grilling to a friend of me, in the garden on saturday. Problem is, I have no info about it, but I’m expected to deliver some great food. For free? Yes, for free. Madness
• Next friday (4. july) I’m gonna be the head chef under Southern Rock Night, where I’m gonna have a Southern Barbeque Grill, with good old american food, like spareribs and corn, and real homemade American Hamburger. It’s gonna be cool to do, but alot more work that I was told!
• Tomorrow I’m going on a roadtrip for 2 days. Not much, but I’m going with a good friend of me in his milktruck, feeding the people!
• Also, I have gotten a new lense for my Canon 400D, a Sigma 70-300 mm, taking 300 pictures the last 3 days. I really like trying it, and just waiting for my new monopod now! Here is some pictures from my lense test the last few days.

Hope you all are good!

You need wood for a good fire…

Sometimes life just floats by

I was not the cook this day, but good food anyway;-)

“What to write, what to write”

Sheeps of heaven

If you want to see more pictures you should check out my Flickr account!

Filed under: Update on June 24th, 2008 | No Comments »

It’s been silent for a week here, not a good trend. In this time I have been on a very nice trip with the wine lottery in work. A nice tour with a boat and some good wine in the glas, and then for some local prodused “stoneage” sheep. Then, of course, I had to be big mouthed, so the night ended with me bathing in the sea, with a temperature of 7 degree C. All in all, a good night!

Also, we have gotten a new puppy, a Finnish breed, and its sooooooooo cute, BUT…

There is always something with cute things, also with puppies, as they do things like this….

It also bark, bite you, whine, do what it need to do and so on.

I have been trying to find something to paire this with, all the noise and unhygienic shit (literally).

Quicknote

I have found that the Vitis Ecologica, made by Arcus (sorry, Norway only wine…). Its an ecological wine from Chile, made with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Carmenère.

It have a dark red colour, with smell of dark berries and oak. I find the taste good, and I remember the first time I tasted this how good it was. It’s not the most complex wine I have had, but it’s a good wine and worth the price of 99,90 NOK/19 USD!

Score

Until later; Trust your palate!

Filed under: 15-20 USD, 4 points, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Chile, Dark Berries, Norway only, Oak, ecological on June 19th, 2008 | No Comments »

I’m sorry that I’m 1 day to late, hope you can forgive me, but “my real life” are taking alot of my time now.

Last Wine Blogging Wednesday had the theme of Old World Riesling. This was a category I know from before, therefor I was very excited to hear that the next theme was white Rhone valley wines, which I never have had. I have taste alot of Rhone reds, so I was really looking forward to this one.

Cave Saint-Pierre Preference Côtes du Rhône 2006

French whitewine from the Rhône Valley

70% Grenache Blanc and 30% Viognier

13% alcohol

Colour

A golden and real clear colour

Smell

Good, but intense alcohol smell. Hard to get a hold of what it smell’s, but get some acidity maybe some green apple? Like I said, hard to get a hold of.

Taste

The first thing hitting me was the alcohol. Even with only 13 % I really felt every percent. A long aftertaste with taste of fir needles (is that correct english?), some oak and nice tannins. I find it complex, in an “easy way”. I must say, if I was blindfolded, I think I would said this was an ok red wine. This is the reason I drink wine, when I drink something and my mind are flip-turned around. Great stuff!

Conclusion

A good wine, which really was not what I excpected at all. But why not, I have had some good, complex Rhone reds, why would the whites be any different? If I didnt see that this was a white wine, I would have said was a red. Really, that’s the honest truth. Wine is facinating! It’s worth the price, maybe not my kind of wine, but if you want to try something different, this is something to drink!!

As a side note, when searching for pro notes, I saw theire tasting notes. They are not at all the same as mine, which is great! That’s why YOU HAVE TO TRUST YOUR PALETT! Anyway, let’s go on.

Price

98,50 NOK / 10 $

Score

85 points

s

Pro notes

Yet another wine that was hard to find notes from english sites. Here are the one I found; From the Winery.

Translated from VG;

A good represent of white Rhône, that got a powerful wine, with a big body, alot of acohol. This gives a good wine, that is nice with food. (5 out of 6)

Translated from Aperitif;

Smell of apple, sitrus and tropical fruit. Taste of fat fruit that last a while. An easy and commercial but ok. Well worth the price. ( 82 points)

Great WBW this time!

Until later; Trust your palate!

Filed under: 2006, 3+, 5-10 USD, 85 points, Alcohol, Fir needles, France, Grenache Blanc, Oak, Tannin, Viognier, WBW, Winenotes on June 12th, 2008 | 3 Comments »

I’m sorry I have been so quiet the last week, I have been “alittle” busy, feeding visiters of The Norvegian Coast Festival here in Brønnøysund. Serving 600-700 dinners in 2 day’s in 30 C, in the street, sun shining and cold beer waiting at the end of the day… Could have been worse.

Anyway, it have been busy day’s, and with the closing of the school year I don’t thing I will manage to write any posts this week. In the meanwhile, check out my Flickr photos from the event.

Hope that your are great!!

Until later; Trust your palate!

Filed under: Update on June 10th, 2008 | No Comments »

Australian redwine
50 % Shiraz 50 % Cabarnet Sauvignon
13,5 % alcohol

Color

A clear, light violet color

Smell

Gives some good red berries, raspberry and blueberries. Also get some sitrus and light chocolate, and almost like a black pepperich smell in the end.

Taste

A light wine, not very long aftertast and not that focused or concentrated. Fruity with a almost lemonade taste of red berries. Also some red paprika among all the fruit.

Conclusion

This is to me a really easy wine to drink, but not very good. It’s made by Arcus, the largest supplier for wine and spirits in Norway, so it’s a norvegian exclusive. It’s worth the price (In Norway), but nothing that will flipturn your world, and frankly I’m not gonna drink this wine again unless I have to do it to be polite.. Unfortunately.

It do have reduced histamin og tannins, so it will not give you any headache and it’s good for allergics.

Price;

95,- NOK / 18,70 USD

Score

81 points

Pro notes:

Since this is a Norvegian wine only, Aperitif are the provider of the pro note for this wine.

Color and smell; Clear, varm red. Nice smell of ripe, red berries and hint of spice.

Taste; Follows the smell, soft and smooth, but fresh and with soft tannins.

Conclusion; A simple, pure and light wine. Worth the price.

Score; 3+ (of 5) and 79 points

Until later; Trust your palate!

Filed under: 15-20 USD, 2+, 81 points, Australia, Black Pepper, Blueberries, Light Chocolate, Raspberry, Red Berries, Red Paprika, Sitrus, Tasting Notes on June 6th, 2008 | No Comments »

Writing abit about France the last days, with my post about young people in France drinking less wine, one of the reasons was that wine was “to complicated”. Now thats about to change!

Decanter.com wrote a article about “French government unveils sweeping changes to wine sector“. Basically it’s about France gonna go away from theire AoC wine laws, dated as far back as the 15th century!

That said, the first draft of the modern law was presented in may 1919, controlling where wine comes from, and protecting it. Much like Champagne, prosciutto (parmaham) and feta chesse that all are products that are origin protected.

This maybe a step in the right direction when it comes to competition of the New World wines. I think it will make life easier for wine lovers like me, whom don’t have to much knowledge, to better understand and enjoy french wine’s.

Let’s hope they do as Georges Malpel (head of the French governmental body responsible for fruit, vegetables, wine and hoticulture (Viniflhor)) said,  ‘the plan is to keep tradition in place and at the same time gear the sector towards mass production‘.

Speaking of old things, how ’bout Dr Stella Demesticha, who’s gonna research 2,500 years old wine jars, allegedly containing “high quality red wine from Chios”. Let’s hope it’s not vinegar….

Until later; Trust your palate!

Filed under: France, Winetalk on June 3rd, 2008 | No Comments »

Stumbled upon this article in New York Times, with the topic “Do I detect some….Joe?”. Impressing a business contact, your friends or a date with your wine knowledge is common. Doing the same with coffee is a whole other thing!

People become more and more aware of what they put in them, and why should it be any different with coffee? Or tea? Or anything you eat, drink or inhale?

It’s fascinating to me that people have the passion and knowledge to do coffee tastings. I mean, I can taste the difference between cheap coffee from frozen pods, and real, freshly grained coffee beans. But that’s it for me. A good tool for the coffetasters are the Flavour Wheel, equal to winetasters Wine aroma Wheel.

I have great respect for people like Erin Meister and Daniel Humphries for trying to make people more aware of coffee as a product!

But I think I’m still are going to bet on my wine knowledge for my future dates…

Until later; Trust your palate!

Filed under: Blogs, Coffee on May 30th, 2008 | No Comments »

Found this article in a Norvegian paper, Dagens Næringsliv. It was about an study released last week by American academic Dr Liz Thatch, showing that french students and young people are turning away from wine. On the other side of the pond, the american youngsters are becoming more and more wine aware.

Dr. Thatch have done the study with young french and american people between 21 and 30 years old. Here is some of the main points;

• French think of wine as “old fashion” and “out of date”
• The Americans think of wine as something modern and trendy
• Young French is still drinking the same amount of alcohol, so now they drink more beer and spirit
• The same goes for Americans, but they drink more wine
• The French find winelabels confusing, and therefore they don’t buy it, and they would like to be able to buy smaller bottles in bar’s, nightclubs and such.
• Also, there are some strong opinions against alcohol in France

I find this to be interesting, this is my generation of people. I can see the same happening in Norway that’s happens in the US, young people are drinking more wine. Well, around my age most people drink Black Tower or Blue Nun and such, but we are learning to appreciate the big selection of wine that we can get here.

So, why don’t you do like the Americans, and try something new?

Until later; Trust your palate!

Filed under: France, USA, Winetalk, Young People on May 29th, 2008 | 3 Comments »