Chateau Lamothe Wine Geek

DWI PENALTIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

2010-05-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

This comes from an article from the MLBA (Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association) Newsletter dated Sep. 1984. Some of these laws are still on the books! It's interesting to compare Minnesota's DWI penalties with other countries. Penalties for DWI in Minnesota range from a misdemeanor punishable of up to 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine to a felony punishable of up to 7 years and $14,000 fine.
Here is a small list of what you could expect in other countries:

Australia- Names of drivers are sent to local newspapers and printed under the heading, "He's (She's) Drunk and in Jail."
Malaya - The driver is jailed. If he's married, his wife is jailed as well.
South Africa - 10 years in jail and $10,000 fine.
Turkey - Drunk drivers are taken 20 miles from town by police and forced to walk back under escort.
Norway -Second offense within 5 years - license revoked for life.
Finland and Sweden - 1 year hard labor.
Russia - Revocation for life.
England - 1 year in jail $250 fine, and 1 year suspension.
France - 3 year suspension, 1 year in jail, and a $1000 fine.
Poland - Jail, fine, and forced to attend political lectures.
Bulgaria - second offense = execution
El Salvador - your first offense is your last. Death by firing squad.

Always be responsible when drinking and driving!

RED WINES SOUTH AFRICAN STYLE

2010-04-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket you might think about using it on a trip to the South African wine country. I have heard that it is the most beautiful land in all the world of wine. I have never had much fondness for their wine in the past, but since our last wine class at Quality Wine and Spirits hosted by Mat Garretson and the rest of his knowledgeable staff, my opinion has changed. Chris and Alyson and I tasted some wonderful wines, and last week I talked about the whites, especially the Chenin Blanc wines. This week I want to touch on the reds. I’m convinced that if you want a really nice Cabernet Sauvignon at reasonable prices S. Africa is the place. They are making some really nice Shiraz and Merlot as well.
The list of wines we tasted consisted of Onyx Cabernet Sauvignon, Onyx Shiraz, Meinert Devon Crest Cab/Merlot blend, Wildekrans Cab Franc/Merlot blend, and DeTrafford Cabernet Sauvignon.
Onxy Cab 2006 had oak and vanilla on the nose and currant, chocolate, and black berries on the palate. A very nice balance of tannins and acidity. The price should be about $18. Will pare well with beef, and lamb.
The Onyx Shiraz 2007 is medium to full bodied with oak, fruit and pepper notes. I liked it better than some of the Australian Shiraz at the same price which is around $16.
The “best buy” of the group was the Wildekrans 2007. I liked the fresh and lively taste of coffee and cherries. I think it sells for $15.
Meinert Devon Crest 2004 comes from the Devon Valley in the heart of the great Stellenbosch region. I think I tasted berries, cherries and spicy mint, and it was smooth and velvety. I’d love to try it with our Duck or our Mediterranean Lamb Chops. The price is around $30.
If you are looking for a big, intense cab, try the De Trafford 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a long rich finish with big tannins. There are some tobacco, smoke, toast and cedar notes on the palate. Maybe some plum and currant also. I’d like to have this with our Beef Wellington. It’s a bargain at $40.
That’s it for now.
Happy wine drinking!

Try South Africa

2010-04-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket you might want to think about a trip to the South African wine country. It has been reputed to be the most beautiful of all wine regions in the world, and the wines are excellent.
The kids and I attended a wine tasting class hosted by wine expert Mat Garretson of Quality Wine and Spirits Distrubutors. Last week's talk was on S. African wines and my opinion of them has changed drastically. Of the 14 wines we tasted I would consider purchasing 9 of them, which is definetly a huge improvement over the last 10 years.
If you can't make it down there, stop at your favorite store and make some purchases of S. African Chenin Blanc. We tried the Ken Forrester label: Petite; Estate; and FMC. The Petite is a really nice wine loaded with lots of citrus fruit and it's really easy to drink. The price is right at around $9.
The Estate is full and complex and nicely balanced between fruit flavors and vanilla and oak. Price is around $13 and is an excellent summer wine.
My favorite was the FMC at a much higher price however around $65. It has a hint of off-dryness but a nice balance . It is very lush and ripe with flavors of peaches and other exotic fruits.There are some toasty notes and some very nice acidity and freshness to this wine. I think it would go well with spicy foods.
Next week I'll tell you about some of the really good reds we tasted, so until then, enjoy the wines.

Don't drink the water!

2009-12-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hi all you wine lovers out there.

Got and email from my wife today, and here is the jist.

In a number of carefully contolled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of E. coli bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.
However, we do not run that risk when drinking wine.

Remember: water = poop; wine = health.

Therefore, it is better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of crap!

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service.

2009-12-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us and family and friends will be looking for wines to celebrate. This usually consists of a few bottles of "the bubbly". Look for some good values such as Gloria Ferrer Brut, Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs, J Cuvee 20, all from California. They should cost around $20. Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut, Blanc de Blancs, and Extra Dry from Washington are really nice at around $15. If money is no object, try the Argyle Extended Tirage from Willamette Valley, OR., or the Roederer Est. Brut Rose' from California. Price for these babies are around $70.
If Champagne is your thing expect to spend several bucks more, but you will enjoy the experience. My favorite for the money is Louis Roederer Brut for about $50 and Heidsieck Monopole Brut Blue Top for around $40 If sparkling rose' is your thing try the Beauchamp Brut Rose' or the Louis De Sacy Brut Rose'. If you can find them at around $45 buy them, you will love them. Now, if money is REALLY NO OBJECT!, look for Moet & Chandon Brut Champagne Cuvee Don Perignon Oenotheque Command Speciale 1975. The price tag for this little hottie is a trifle $1500. But wait, there are others out there. Krug Brut Blanc de Noirs Clos d'Ambonnay 1995 is only $3500! But here is a list of really good Champagnes that will cost no less than $150 to $200: Krug Brut 1998, Bollinger Brut La Grand Annee, Charles Heidsieck Brut Blanc de Blancs, Charles Heidsieck Brut Rose', Tattinger Brut Blanc de Blancs 1998. This is just a few.
If you are wondering what Blanc de Blancs means, it is a sparkling wine made from the Chardonnay grape. Blanc de Noirs is a sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir, the juice of which is white. Brut means it is the dryest of sparkling wines, and extra dry means it is the next dryest.
Have fun shopping.

2009-11-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is quickly upon us and the age-old question is what kind of wine to serve with dinner. There is no one single wine that works because there are so many different flavors involved on the Thanksgiving plate. There's the tartness from cranberries, sweetness from chutney and sweet potatoes, saltiness and spice from the stuffing, and of course, the turkey. There are no two tables the same and no two bites the same. Just try to find a wine that will please most of the people most of the time. I like to start out with a sparkling rose' and then move on to Pinot Noir. Iv'e also tried Gewurtztraminer and that works pretty well. A dry Riesling or semi-dry is a good choice also. If all else fails, go with the one that I use, Champagne or a good sparkling.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Learning about wine.

2009-11-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

I meet a lot of people who want to gain some wine knowledge. It's a major focal point for some. Well, I guess the first thing to do is to try different wines. Don't always order the "safe" wines such as the ones that you hear advertised all the time. Kendall Jackson is an example of what I mean, although it is not a bad wine. I say be daring, be curious, be adventerous. Live on the edge. Think outside the wine box. Ask people who are knowledgeable about wine and they will be happy to help you. Read books on wine. There are a plethora of good wine books. The best way is to just try some new wines. If you like them, try finding more information on them and then find wines that are similar to them. You will gradually have a better understanding of what wine is really all about. Have fun investigating!

Welcome to the Chateau wine blog forum

2009-11-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hello all you wine lovers out there. I'll be writing some of my thoughts on wine occasionally and if you have some interesting tidbits to share with us or questions or comments, please blog me.