- A Personal Message
- Wine 101
- Wine Trivia Challenge
- Recipe of the Month
- Health & Fitness

April-May 2008

Honor Thy Mother

We apologize for this long delay between newsletters however, this year, our own Mother’s Day has come earlier than we thought and wished for (though mothers are honored this Sunday only in France).
Back in December, while she was about to embark for another 3 month stay in the US, our mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She had been unusually tired and had lost weight lately but nobody would have thought that this strong 83 year old who-never-got-sick non-smoker would develop a tumor seemingly out of nowhere. For us, the circumstances to realize, understand and efficiently respond to the magnitude of the situation were less than ideal (but are they ever for anyone anyway?) and at first the conventional system seemed to operate with a certain degree of responsibility and care. Our family has lived in the medical milieu for generations, which can definitely induce the best and worst consequences one can imagine.

How easy it is to lose weeks and months with the belief and hope that the people in charge are doing the best one can do in the situation! In that particular case, with our mom’s age and condition, no surgery or chemical treatment was proposed, thankfully! Only radiotherapy, to possibly slow down a process that was given a fairly short time to unravel. By the time we had absorbed the news, studied what could be offered through unconventional means, gathered more hopeful opinions and organize a practical strategy to handle the situation, we had already lost several precious weeks. Unfortunately, when powerless, the medical system has no concept that something other than simply accompanying someone to their death is possible. If they do not have what they think is a solution to a problem they simply KNOW (meaning believe) that nobody else could possess one! Therefore they do not function with the sense of urgency that would be required if that was the case.

I started to organize myself to take her with me and care for her in a more personal way than what the good people of the clinic were able to provide but by mid-March the radiotherapy had left her only slightly better and still terribly tired. Veronique came to the rescue as soon as she could only to find her seriously diminished by the medications she was given. She immediately realized Mom was in fact having a terrible response to some drugs (in fact poisoned) and we started dropping them out as fast as we could. Even with good hearted and well meaning people caring for our mother we had to fight the fatal inertia of the system, the recurring mistakes, the desperate blindness to what is actually going on. We implemented a number of our own remedies (Vitamin C, Oxygen and various complements) but the one thing that made a difference given the limitations of the 100sq ft room we were living in was a machine made by Bemer, a magnetic pulse generator. This thing clearly improved Mom’s circulation and apparently allowed her to feel no pain of cancer type when she was off morphine for a few days.

The reprieve was only temporary but allowed her to come back to her awaken self and interact with us clearly, if only for a few days. We had to drop the hope to take her out of the clinic and fight simply to spend the night with her, when her breathing difficulties made her gasp for air and tell us she wanted to die. Veronique’s prayers to Mother Mary and our own insistence with the doctors made it finally possible for us to stay at her side nonstop. By that time the anguish of her state was such that we all agreed with her that it was time to help her go. I had the painful privilege to tell her that we had to say goodbye now since she would soon be losing consciousness, to which she told me: “Don’t worry, Mic. I’ll still be around with you!”

Then came that schizophrenic situation when, sitting at our mother’s bedside, we were at the same time wishing for her to be well, knowing that only meant for her to die peacefully. A cognitive dissonance if there ever was one! Thank God that trying time did not last very long. After a long praying ceremony held long distance with a Reverend friend who helped all of us let go and allow her soul to start her journey to the Other World, Mom slowed her breath to its final halt while we were both standing by her side getting ready for another night. Because of the late hour we were fortunate to stay with her until the morning with our little prayers, our cries and our presence.

Five days later we held a ceremony for her in one of these delightful small French countryside churches with a cluster of friends and family attending. We buried her in the cemetery of her own parents’ village, in the heart of Languedoc. The funeral services people were beyond nice and the whole process went through with a harmony that comforted us and that we will fondly remember.

Beyond the deep emotions stirred by such a loss we are indeed very grateful to have been given the opportunity to accompany “clopin-clopant” (painfully walking) our mother during her final hours and to have allowed her a dignified death, one that she could consciously choose. There is also a lot of reflecting to do and lessons to be drawn about the medical system, our own prejudices and blind spots, our failures and successes, our responsibilities and weaknesses. But lest I write a whole book about it now I will spare you those today and reserve them for another time, if you allow me.

Our mother never went a day without a glass of wine and her last words to me were: “Profites-en bien!” (“Enjoy your time!”). It will be a bit difficult to follow her advice just yet but it is one that we can all remember and use and that I am forwarding to you with a grieving but somewhat grateful heart.

I must tell you how much we've enjoyed the Château Moulin de Peyronin 2003 Cuvée Capucine. It was wonderful! Thanks for sending such nice selections each month. We definitely learn what our palates like.
-- Carol & Regina

Veronique's Wine Club

With such a personal drama to deal with you will understand that our marketing muscle has been a bit flabby! You will find some good deals though on specific red and white wines in the regular Catalog.

However we want to increase the size of our Wine Club. Right now we are offering you ONE MONTH FREE when you commit to a minimum of 3 months! Pay for the first 2 months and receive the third selection free (except S&H)! After that you decide if you want to stay a member. Gathering more people concerned by the quality of the wines they drink will give us more power to influence producers and allow us to extend the range of wines we can provide you with.

Join the Club today and we'll deliver 3 bottles of fine wine made from organic grapes to you each month! This is both convenient and fun! We'll expand your wine repertoire by selecting three bottles of wine and shipping them directly to your home. Be a member for as long as you wish, this is a great way to discover wines you might never have tried by yourself!
Only $49.99/mo (+ S&H).

Club members get a presentation of the wines selected, privileged access to some rare products and an additional 10% discount to the regular discounts given to orders from the General Catalog. Our customers appreciate our personal attention!

Also a great gift idea, you can order it for a few months and cancel at any time without a fuss. Try it, you'll like it!

Click here for more information.

TOP

Pleasure is the flower that passes; remembrance, the lasting perfume.
-- Jean de Boufflers

Evaluating and Rating Wine

Other than trying a wine or getting a positive recommendation from a friend with similar taste in wine, it can be challenging to discover a new wine without the risk of disappointment. Several rating systems are available to help you along. While ratings are useful, they are subjective. So, if you are interested in a wine with a good rating, you may want to read the notes to see what produced the score. Following are a three popular systems, though there are many more.

• The Wine Advocate Rating System - This well-respected system was developed by Robert Parker and employs a 50-to-100-point quality scale. Points are awarded for color, appearance, aroma, bouquet, flavor, finish and overall quality or potential for improvement (aging). Wines rated 50 to 59 are deemed unacceptable; 60 to 69 below average; 70 to 79 average; 80 to 89 barely above average to very good; 90 to 95 outstanding; and 96 to 100 extraordinary.
• Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - This bimonthly subscription-only service gives you access to Stephen Tanzer's tasting notes dating back eight years and covering thousands of wines. Wines are scored relative to their peer group based on their expected quality during their period of peak drinkability. Wines rated 90 or better are highly recommended; wines rated at least 85 are recommended bottles that should provide pleasurable drinking; 80 to 84 good; 75 to 79 average; 70 to 74 below average; avoid wines with scores 70 or below.
• The Winespider Evaluation System - Nick Chlebnikowski of Nicks Wine Merchants/Vintage Direct designed the Winespider system in response to dissatisfaction with other rating scales. The Winespider rates four fundamental attributes: sight (colour, viscosity, brilliance, depth); nose (aroma, faults, variety, intensity); palate (complexity, concentration, fruit, length); finish (aftertaste, balance, tannin/phenolics, acid). Up to 10 points are awarded in 16 categories which produces a graph; the better the wine, the more circular the graph. Unlike other systems, you need to be able to view the graphs, as a wine may score high pointwise but be seriously lacking in some important aspect. Winespider is also a subscriber-based service.

TOP

The greatest enemy of any one of our truths may be the rest of our truths.
-- William James

Wine Trivia Challenge

Question 1.) The word "cru" on a wine bottle means?
a.) The wine has been ranked or graded
b.) The wine was produced below 60 degrees
c.) The wine should be aged at least five years before drinking
d.) The wine contains less than 10 percent alcohol

Question 2.) Which wines should be served extra cold?
a.) All white wines
b.) Champagne
c.) Dessert wines
d.) Champagne and dessert wines

Question 3.) The name Chardonnay comes from "cardonnacum," which means what?
a.) A place with many hills
b.) A place with much rain
c.) A place full of sunshine
d.) A place full of thistles

Question 4.) Cabernet Sauvignon is estimated to be how old?
a.) 200 years
b.) 400 years
c.) 600 years
d.) 1,200 years

Question 5.) When a cork is presented to you in a restaurant, what should you do?
a.) Smell it
b.) Look at it and touch it
c.) Taste it
d.) All the above

TOP | ANSWERS

It's never safe to be nostalgic about something until you're absolutely certain there's no chance of its coming back.
-- Bill Vaughn

Carnitas-Style Grilled Beef Tacos

As the weather warms up, it's time to break out the grill and spice up your evening with this classic Mexican meal.

Ingredients - Serves 6

• 4 beef shoulder top blade steaks -- about 8 oz. each
• 18 small corn tortillas -- 6 to 7 inch diameter

Marinade

• 1 cup prepared tomatillo salsa
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Avocado Salsa

• 1-1/2 cups prepared tomatillo salsa
• 1 large diced avocado
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Combine marinade ingredients in bowl. Place beef steaks and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steaks to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 to 120 minutes.
2. Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade. Place steaks on grill over medium heat. Grill covered 10 to 14 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once.
3. Meanwhile combine avocado salsa ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Place tortillas on grid. Grill until warm and slightly charred. Remove; keep warm.
5. Carve steaks into slices. Serve in tortillas with avocado salsa. Top with onion, cilantro and lime wedges, as desired.

Wine Pairing

• Château Moulin de Peyronin Red 2006

TOP

I had the blues because
I had no shoes until upon
the street, I met a man
who had no feet.
-- Ancient Persian Saying

No Pain, No Gain

We've all heard the mantra, "no pain, no gain." But is it true? Following are a few things to help you determine if your exercise program is working for you.

To be clear, most exercise should not hurt. If you are just beginning an exercise routine, there will be discomfort, but you should not feel pain. Discomfort and pain are not the same thing. If you feel pain, you have probably suffered an injury.

Soreness, on the other hand, is a part of exercising, especially for newbies. If you get so sore you can barely move, back off a bit the next few workouts; however, do not skip them. Soon your muscles will recover and you'll be able to increase the intensity of your workout. Conversely, you should be a little sore, or you aren't pushing yourself hard enough.

Another thing you may notice is a drop in energy, or an increase in appetite. This is expected as you have changed your activity level. Within a month or so your body will adapt and you should start to have more energy than you did before you started exercising. If your energy level does not improve after a few weeks, consult a health professional to help determine what changes should be made.

Lastly, you don't have to sweat like a horse to have a good workout, but not sweating at all may indicate you could be exercising harder and need to step it up a notch. A possible exception to this is resistance training where you're not as likely to work up a sweat.

TOP

Wine Trivia Answers
#1. a.) The wine has been ranked or graded; #2. d.) Champagne and dessert wines; #3 d.) A place full of thistles; #4. c.) 600 years; #5. b.) Look at it and touch it

This eNewsletter contains information, facts and opinions from various individuals and organizations. This eNewsletter is provided on an "as-is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. I/We are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Consult with your doctor, fitness consultant, attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor when necessary. © 2008 eNewsletterSolutions.