SUNDAY - DAY OF REST*

* Well, to be honest everyday is a day of rest for me nowadays.

Sunday, in my life experience has had religious connotations even though I abandoned Catholicism  when i was about 15.

Wikipedia tells us:

Sunday is a day of rest in most Western countries, as a part of the weekend and weeknight. For most observant Christians, Sunday is observed as a day of worship and rest, holding it as the Lord's Day and the day of Christ's resurrection. In some Muslim countries and Israel, Sunday is the first work day of the week.

OK, Christians as per usual try to take over what is a rest day from the working week and convert it to their own ends. We're used to that.

I like Sundays though. There is something palpable in the atmosphere. Maybe it's because many people are not working and commuting to their jobs. The sounds in the neighbourhood are different - sounds of leisure activity and, I guess, the absence of sound from people who are resting.
Sundays are always relaxing and for relaxing.

It's a beautiful Sunday here today. Blue skies, warm, no wind - marvellous.
The lawns need mowing and it would be ideal conditions to do so, with a dip in the sea at high tide afterward but I don't want to break the peace. I get annoyed by those gung-ho home maintenance types who fire up their mowers, weed-eaters, blowers and other noisy shit on a Sunday. There are 6 other days to do this.

I'll keep listening to the radio, read, do crosswords and enjoy the sunshine on the deck until later in the afternoon when I'll go out and play some golf.

Sunday. Don't you love it?

'WATER INTO WINE'

"Richard does really know a good wine. Try giving him a cheapie on his birthday!" said Robert in a comment on my previous post.

Robert is the guy who believes in the miracles of Jesus including that turning water into wine nonsense.


This cartoon seems to be applicable to both of the above.

BUMMER

I guess that most wine drinkers have preferences in styles, varietals, countries of origins etc that condense down to one or two favourites as we grow older.

I've been a wine appreciator for nearly 50 years and have tasted nearly all of the varietals, styles and countries of origin wines that the world has to offer. From those I have had many preferences that I have marketed, bought, sold, collected and drunk and have been lucky enough to have tasted some very special wines and vintages.

As I've grown older Her Indoors and I have narrowed our preferences down to favourites.

My favourites are:

• Champagne
• Pinot Noir
• Chardonnay

I still have some preferences like riesling, and rose-styles but generally my purchasing and drinking is from the three favourites.

Within each of the favourites I guess I have some sub loves and hates as follows:

Champagne

• Vintage vs non-vintage
• Champagne vs Methode styles

but, hey when needs must I'll drink non vintage or a good methode.

Chardonnay

• Wooded vs unwooded preferably barrique fermented
• New Zealand vs most other countries unless someone offered me a Burgundy
• Hawkes Bay vs any other region and certainly not Marlborough

Exceptions can be a good Californian or top Australian chardonnay and good vintages from Gisborne, Martinborough, Nelson or Waipara but never Marlborough.

Pinot Noir

• New Zealand first and foremost but occasionally will drink a good French or American pinot noir.
• Waipara as first choice followed by Martinborough, Central Otago and Nelson at a pinch. Sometimes a good Marlborough wine catches my fancy.

Following these favourites and some of my preferences leads me to buying my wines on-line from a few reliable sellers or waiting for supermarket wine sales where I do pick up bargains.

The problem with my choice of favourites though is that I've gravitated to the most expensive categories of wines especially when seeking out good examples.

If my favourites were those godawful sauvignon blanc and pinot gris I'd be able to save a lot of money as these white varietals are among the cheapest and most promoted. In reds pinot noir is on average the most expensive, certainly much more than well made merlot, cabernet sauvignon or shiraz wines. If I'd developed a taste for non-methode type sparkling then there would be plenty of bargains for me out there as well.

Hoisted by my own petard I guess.