The Last Shall Be First

Last Night's Tipple

2008-03-06T19:09:00.001-06:00

I finished the bottle of 2006 Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon last night, and it held up well after being open a day. I am really surprised by the rhubarb on the nose. That's not an aroma that I have experienced before, and it's really strange to find it in a beverage made from grapes. I like it, though. I agree with the assessment from yesterday: this wine is a bit thin and short, but it is interesting and tasty and well worth the $8 I paid for it.

The premise of the marketing schtick for this wine is that the ungrafted grapevines it is produced from produce grapes that have deeper flavor than grafted grapevines. This has been a common claim about grafted grapevines since their introduction began in the 1870s, and it's one of the principal reasons that grafted grapevines were illegal in Burgundy until 1887 despite the fact that phylloxera was devastating Burgundy vineyards to such an extent that the economic viability of winemaking there was in doubt. The only way to validate or falsify that assertion definitively would be to conduct a controlled experiment where both grafted and ungrafted vines of the same age and variety were planted in the same vineyard, which would allow us to compare the wines made from each and know that any differences between the two would likely be a result of whether the vines were grafted or ungrafted. Well, grafted and ungrafted vines don't generally exist in the same vineyard. There are regions (large parts of Chile and Argentina and some small parts of Australia) where vines are generally ungrafted, and there are regions where vines are not. The best evidence we have are evaluations of pre- and post-phylloxera wines from the same regions or vineyards, and those evaluations are pretty unanimous that the pre-phylloxera wines are better. Game, set, and match for ungrafted vines, right? Well, not really. The American rootstocks that were used for grafting carried American vine viruses with them, and these viruses were previously unknown in Europe. The spread like wildfire after the introduction of grafting, and it was many years before vinegrowers learned to combat them. So was it the grafting or was it the viruses that accounts for the decline in quality? Who knows.

In Praise of Mamacita

2008-03-05T21:40:00.000-06:00

Mamacita makes some kick-ass macaroni and cheese. Seriously. Maybe if we heckle her enough, she'll post the recipe.

(And that picture is just something that I stole from Wikipedia. It in no way represents the beauty that is Mamacita's version.)

The Duchess

2008-03-05T20:57:00.001-06:00

Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, is a particularly interesting character from late 18th and early 19th Century British history. She was the daughter of the first Earl of Spencer (which makes her one of the ancestors of Diana, the Princess of Wales) and the wife of William Cavendish, the fifth Duke of Devonshire. Both her father and her husband were scions of the Whig party, and Georgiana was an important personage in the Whig party in her own right. She was a relentless campaigner for Whig candidates (particularly Charles Fox), and and it was largely her skill and determination that kept the Whigs together through the dark times during Pitt's ascendancy in the 1780s and 1790s. More than that, she was also the arbiter of fashion and the very center of fashionable aristocratic society. In other words, she might not have ranked in importance quite at the same level as William Pitt the younger, the great Prime Minister, but she's not that far behind.

Georgiana has been the subject of a number of biographies, the most recent of which was Amanda Foreman's Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire, which is a pretty good read and a decent piece of scholarship (although I think that Foreman identifies a bit too closely with Georgiana). Well, period movie fans, Foreman's book is being made into a movie!

It will be interesting to see what Hollywood makes of the story. Georgiana was a prominent figure on the British scene from the time of her marriage at age 17 until her death at age 49, and it looks from the cast list that the movie aspires to cover most of her life. That's unfortunate since it seems likely that it will cover none of it very well; but I will be looking forward to it anyway. Who knows? Georgiana's affair with Edward Grey (later Earl Grey, the guy that the type of tea is named after) might make for some good bodice-ripping action.

Today's Shoes

2008-03-05T20:56:00.000-06:00

Vass wingtip bluchers in Color #8 shell cordovan with double leather soles (Banana last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-03-05T20:29:00.001-06:00

Last night's wine (the 2006 Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Colchagua Valley in Chile) was an impulse buy at Costco, and I began to regret the purchase as soon as I haded over my credit card at the register. I'm not a bit fan of Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines (probably a result of a psychological need to be different), and I have not had very good experiences with Chilean wines (most of what I've tried has been green and thin and not very appealing). In the store, though, I was won over by the stylish packaging, the price ($8, if I recall correctly), and the marketing schtick. Namely, the grapes used to make this wine are from ungrafted vines. Since the phylloxera destroyed European vineyards in the second half of the 19th Century, most of the world's commercial vitis vinifera vines have been grafted. The grape-bearing part is vitis vinifera, but it has been grafted onto roots from non-vinifera North American grape species. North American non-vinifera grape varieties, you see, are immune to the ravages of phylloxera, and the discovery that this was so saved the European wine industry. But phylloxera hasn't reached every corner of the wine world, at least not yet. Specifically, most of South America has never been visited by it, and so grafting is not nearly as widespread in Chile and Argentina as it is in the rest of the world. Root:1's marketing claims that the lack of grafting makes their grapes have a more intense fruit and varietally authentic character. I'm more than a bit suspicious of that claim, but I had to try it. And so I bought a bottle.

Cabernet Sauvignon is famous for having a green streak. Given that one of its parents is the Cabernet Franc, which is about as vegetal as a red grape variety gets, this isn't particularly surprising. There is a good bit of green bell pepper on the nose, as befits a Cabernet Sauvignon wine. But there is also a very sharp and distinct rhubarb aroma. I like rhubarb. There is some decent red fruit on the palate, along with some olives. It's a bit thin and a bit short, but I still enjoyed it. It's better than most other Chilean wines that I have tried, and it offers good value for $8 a bottle. My impulses were good in this case.

Gift Cards and DJs

2008-03-04T20:44:00.000-06:00

This morning, the male half of the none-too-bright morning show pair that I am embarrassed to listen to while getting ready for work mentioned that The Sharper Image was no longer going to honor the gift cards that it had issued. It was completely unethical, he bloviated, just another example of big corporations screwing the little man. As usual when he expresses an opinion about something other than radio, his information was both misleading and incomplete.

The Sharper Image has indeed suspended redemption of the gift cards that it has issued. It has done so because it has filed for bankruptcy. This makes perfect sense. When a shopper purchases a gift card, it doesn't really represent revenue that a retailer can immediately book as income. Because the gift card is redeemable for goods and services, it really is a liability. That is, the company that issues the gift card has to produce something of value in exchange for the gift card at some future date. Money paid for a gift card isn't income for a company. It's a loan to the company. Redeeming the gift card represents paying off a debt to the card's holder. When a company files for bankruptcy, it is saying that it can no longer pay its outstanding debts; and it no longer has the ability to decide to pay some its debts but not all. That's a matter under the control of the bankruptcy court. In other words, The Sharper Image couldn't have redeemed those gift cards even if they had wanted to. Now, if The Sharper Image had continued to sell gift cards knowing that they were about to file for bankruptcy, that would have been unethical. But there is no evidence that they did so. So, idiot radio DJ, why don't you spend 5 minutes finding out what is really going on before you accuse someone of unethical conduct? Is that too much to ask?

Today's Shoes

2008-03-04T20:32:00.001-06:00

Day

GJ Cleverley bespoke three-eyelet plain-toe bluchers in chestnut Russian reindeer with single leather soles. Cleverley's Russian reindeer is certainly something of a gimmick. I don't think that it's the most durable skin available, and I don't think that it is the most appropriate for shoemaking. In the 18th Century, when these skins were originally tanned, Russian reindeer leather was mostly used for bookbinding. The two centuries that it has spent on the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Plymouth probably didn't do wonders for it, either. I have heard reports that it splits fairly easily. Despite it all, though, I do love the skin and the shoes it can make. I have two pairs made from it, and I love them both. A friend of mine has recently been ruminating about whether he should bespeak a pair from Cleverley made from Russian reindeer and if so in what pattern. I think he's leaning toward a double buckle monkstrap cap-toe, something that I had never considered but that would be excellent. If he doesn't do it, I might. Heck, even if he does do it, I might.

Evening

Alden long wing bluchers in Color #8 shell cordovan with reverse welts and double leather soles (model 975, Barrie last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-03-04T20:03:00.001-06:00

Last night, I finished off the remainder of the 2006 La Posta Bonarda that I opened on Sunday night. One writer that I read recently asserted that Bonarda was the Argentine Zinfandel: its European origins are undeniable but obscure, and it has only become respected and important in Argentina. The wine it produces is juicy and fruity and enjoyable but perhaps not of transcendent quality. That comparison seems pretty apt to me, at least if this La Posta is at all indicative of the kind of wine that Bonarda makes. It was an enjoyable on the second night as the first, although it wasn't profound. The only thing about it that makes me reluctant to purchase it again is the fact that I can get a lot of really good wines for $16 a bottle. That is, it's not the vest value in the world.

Believe it or not, Argentina is the most important wine-producing country in South America and produces the fifth most wine per year of any nation in the world. Those little tidbits of trivia surprised me when I read them -- I had assumed that Chile, whose wines are ubiquitous in grocery and liquor stores around here, would have placed ahead of Argentina, but such is not the case. Even more surprising to me is the fact that the number of acres of vines under cultivation in Argentina and the wine production from them have fallen dramatically over the past 25 years. In the '60s and '70s, Argentina produced and consumed a staggering amount of wine. Virtually all of the wine produced was for domestic consumption, and the Argentines consumed more than 90 liters per capita per annum. Think about that for a minute: every man, woman, and child in Argentina drank 120 bottles of wine per year. And most of it was high-alcohol mass-produced plonk. Not coincidentally, the end of the military dictatorship in the early '80s ushered in a better era of viticulture, more commercial and more quality-oriented. Vast quantities of low-quality vines were ripped out, and winemaking practices improved dramatically. There are today a large number of high quality (and high price) Argentine wines on the world market, and that's a good thing.

Texas Presidential Primary

2008-03-03T22:38:00.002-06:00

The Texas Presidential primary takes place on March 4, and I think that it would be useful for those of us who live in the Lone Star State to understand how it works before we vote. The media tends to present this as a horse race, citing polls that show Hillary Clinton up by 4 percentage points or Barack Obama up by 2 points or whatever. That makes for a clearer story line, but it does not give a very accurate picture of which candidate is likely to win the most delegates. Let's discuss the relevant details of both the Republican and the Democratic primaries, starting with the Republican because it's a lot easier to explain.

Republican Primary

Texas gets a total of 140 delegates. 96 of these are apportioned by Congressional districts, 3 for each of the 32 districts in Texas. If one candidate in a Congressional district gets 50% or more of the vote, he gets all 3 delegates for that district. If no candidate gets 50% of the vote but the candidate with the largest number of votes gets at least 20%, then the plurality candidate gets 2 delegates, with the candidate with the next highest number of votes getting 1 delegate. If no candidate gets at least 20% of the votes, then the top three candidates get 1 delegate each. There are also 41 at-large delegates, all of which go to a candidate who gets at least 50% of the statewide vote. If no candidate gets at least 50% of the vote but at least one gets 20% of the vote, then the candidates who get more than 20% of the vote split the delegates proportionate to their statewide votes. If no candidates get more than 20% of the vote, then all 41 delegates are apportioned among all of the candidates based on each candidate's vote total. The remaining 3 delegates are officials in the Texas Republican party, and they are uncommitted to any candidate. See here for more information. In other words, John McCain might not take all 137 committed delegates, but he probably will take the vast majority.

Democratic Party

Oh, boy, is this Byzantine. Texas receives a total of 228 delegates, and these delegates are assigned as follows:

126 are assigned on the basis of the results from the March 4 primary. These 126 delegates are apportioned by state senatorial district according to the number of votes cast in each district for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2006 election. This means that more Democratic senatorial districts (for example, District 14) get more delegates than less Democratic districts (for example, District 31), and the delegate totals per district range from 2 to 8. Delegates are apportioned to presidential candidates based on the number of votes that the various candidates receive in the district.
42 pledged at-large delegates and 25 pledged elected official delegates are elected by the state convention, which will be held on June 7, 2008. Delegates to the state convention are elected by state senatorial district conventions, which will be held on March 29, 2008. Delegates to the state senatorial district conventions are elected by precinct conventions, held at 7:15 PM on March 4, 2008 -- in other words, immediately after the polls close. The number of delegates that a precinct elects to the state senatorial district convention is proportional to the number of votes cast in that precinct for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the 2006 election. A similar scheme of proportional representation is used in apportioning delegates to the state convention by state senatorial district. At each convention level, delegates are apportioned to each presidential candidate on the basis of the preferences expressed by the people who show up to the convention. In other words, the number of delegates that each candidate receives at the state convention will be based largely on the number of supporters he or she turns out to the precinct conventions on election day.
3 unpledged delegates are elected by the state convention. These delegates are supposed to have distinguished themselves by their long-term service to the Texas Democratic Party. I don't believe that these will be truly unpledged -- that is, I expect them to be elected on the basis of who they likely will support at the national convention.
32 unpledged delegates are appointed based on their positions in the Texas Democratic Party. These are the so-called "superdelegates."

See this Texas Democratic Party publication for more information. The long and the short of this is that the candidate who gets more votes in the primary might not even get the majority of the 126 primary-apportioned delegates. In fact, because Hillary Clinton has stronger support among Hispanic voters while Barack Obama has stronger support among black voters and because the heavily black state senatorial districts get more delegates than the heavily Hispanic senatorial districts, it is likely that Obama will get a majority of the 126 delegates even if Clinton wins more than 50% of the popular vote. In addition, if you feel strongly about either candidate and you can make it, it is in your best interest to attend the precinct conventions at 7:15 PM on March 4 -- doing so makes your preference disproportionately consequential.

Today's Shoes

2008-03-03T22:34:00.002-06:00

Day

Grenson Masterpieces three-eyelet austerity brogue blucher ankle boots in antiqued British tan calfskin with single leather soles.

Evening

Gravati three-eyelet plain-toe bluchers in navy blue waterproof suede with microcellular rubber soles (15445, 433 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-03-03T22:01:00.003-06:00

Bonarda is Argentina's second most widely-planted grape, after malbec. There is considerable uncertainty about what the Argentine bonarda actually is. It is vitis vinifera, of course, which means that it originated in Europe or the Near East, and the name is Italian. The problem is that there are three different Italian grape varieties known as the bonarda, and there is evidence that the Argentine bonarda is none of these but instead might be the charbono. The matter could be settled by DNA testing, just like the research that proved that California petite sirah was mostly the grape known as durif in France. But Argentina doesn't exactly have the highest prestige level of all wine-growing countries, and bonarda doesn't exactly have the highest prestige level of all the grape varieties grown in Argentina. Ampelographers simply haven't gotten to it yet.

Most of the Argentine wine that one sees on the US market are either malbec or one of the mass-appeal varietals like cabernet sauvignon or merlot. Bonarda bottlings are a little uncommon, but they can be found. I had heard about bonarda; and since novelty always appeals to me, I decided to seek it out. Spec's had two or three different versions, none of which I knew anything about. I selected the 2006 La Posta Estela Armando Vineyard Bonarda largely because I liked the label (when there is nothing else to judge a wine by, why not just go by the label?). The importer's website says that the grapes for this wine are from 45 year old vines cultivated by a family of Italian ancestry. There is a good deal of fruit on the nose, mixed with some earthiness and smoke. Towards the end of the glass, I thought that I smelled a bit of raspberries and cream and a bit of toast (as in Wonder bread). There was a lot of red fruit on the palate, along with a good deal of drying tannins. The finish wasn't particularly long, but that's okay. This was a concentrated and enjoyable wine. I think that it was a little overpriced at $16 a bottle, but trying new things is almost always a good idea.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-24T19:55:00.002-06:00

Alden half-brogue bluchers in dark brown long-nap suede with combination leather/rubber soles -- Alden calls them Commando soles, and they're actually full leather soles and heels with mini-lug rubber soles glued and stitched over them (Barrie last). These shoes were a special order that I placed years ago with Alden of Carmel. Alas, Alden actively discourages special orders now, and most retailers won't do them because of Alden's hostility.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-24T19:33:00.002-06:00

Man, that picture didn't come through well at all. Oh, well. That's the best I can do.

Anyway, continuing with the dolcetto theme, last night I opened a bottle of 2005 Chionetti Dolcetto di Dogliani San Luigi. The DOC is Dolcetto di Dogliani, and San Luigi is the name of the vineyard where the grapes were grown. In the Dolcetto d'Alba DOC, dolcetto is usually a secondary or tertiary grape, planted in less favorable locations by growers who reserve their best spots for nebbiolo and barbera. This is less frequently the case in the Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC -- more frequently, growers plant dolcetto and only dolcetto. This naturally causes them to take the grape more seriously than do some growers in the Dolcetto d'Alba DOC, and people who actually know something about this say that Dolcetto di Dogliani wines are typically heavier, more intense, and more age-worthy than Dolcetto d'Alba wines. Quinto Chionetti is a respected Dogliani producer, and he makes three single-vineyard dolcettos: Briccolero, Vigna la Costa, and San Luigi. My friendly, neighborhood liquor and wine superstore only carries the San Luigi, so that's all I can try (although I think that it would be fascinating to compare all three). It cost around $24 a bottle, making it about as expensive a dolcetto as you can find.

When first poured, this wine didn't have much aroma at all. With some vigorous swirling, however, it really opened up. When it did, it had the same copper penny aroma as the Gagliardo I had previously. In addition, there was a big rose petal component and some meatiness. Yes, meatiness. I'm not sure exactly which meat -- maybe ham, maybe bacon -- but it's there. I like it a whole lot. On the palate, there's a lot of dark fruit and a lot of drying tannins. With the Gagliardo, at first it was a bit short -- I swallowed it, and it was gone. That changed with some time in the glass, but it was a bit disconcerting nonetheless. That wasn't a problem with this Chionetti. I like this wine a lot. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was a great value, but it was very tasty; and I did enjoy it more than the Gagliardo (although they were close).

Golf

2008-02-23T22:09:00.000-06:00

Anybody who has played golf on a Sunday knows that middle-aged men are the scourge of fast play. Not all of them, of course, and they are hardly the only offenders. However, far too many of them apparently believe that they have the skill level of Tiger Woods and that the rounds they are playing are as consequential as the final round of the Masters. On a typical hole, they will wait until the group ahead of them is 300 yards down the fairway before hitting their tee shots, which will almost invariably be dribbled into the rough maybe 100 yards. They will then wait for the group ahead to finish on the green before hitting their second shots, even though it would take a Woods-like effort with a one iron to reach the green. When they finally do hit their second shots, they will likely be 75 yard worm-burners that go another 75 yards in the rough. It will continue like this for another two or three shots until they are finally on the green, at which point the real slow-down begins. All putts must be examined from at least three different perspectives for not less than a minute at each perspective, and it is impossible for more than one player to line up their putts at the same time. The average round of golf on the weekend will take close to five hours, and this kind of slow play is the cause of it.

The Wall Street Journal February 16 Golf Journal column points out another factor leading to slow play, namely, course design:

The average drive of a 90s-shooting male golfer is 192 yards. He thinks he hits the ball 30 yards farther than that, according to a survey of more than 18,000 golfers completed three years ago by Frank Thomas, the former technical director for the U.S. Golf Association. In fact, the survey found that 41% of men estimate they hit their drives 250-plus yards, which hard data from club manufacturers expose as total balderdash; in reality, maybe only one in 50 golfers routinely hits drives 250 yards. Senior men are lucky to coax 170 to 180 yards out of their tee shots. Typical female golfers drive about 135 yards.

If golf were somehow to reinvent itself from scratch, reflecting how the vast majority of participants actually play the game today, the default tees at courses would play at 5,700 to 6,300 yards. The forward-most tees, for beginners, some seniors and some women, would be at around 4,100 yards and get lots of use, and some courses would provide alternative tees set at, say, 6,700 and 7,200 yards, for the relatively few crack youngsters and low single-digit handicappers who can comfortably manage that length. (Scratch golfers constitute only 0.65% of the total.) ("A Tee Too Far: Long Courses Overmatch Golfers; Trying a New Way" by John Paul Newport, p. W1)

There is a lot of sense in this approach to golf course design; and if golfers would comply, it would improve the golfing experience for everyone. The actual golfers would be happier because they would actually have a chance to play the course like it was designed to be played. They players around them would be happier because the speed of play would improve dramatically. But the first paragraph that I quoted points out the problem: the average golfer thinks that he's lot better than he actually is. He reads the coverage of the US Open, which tells about how the course being played this year will be 7,600 yards long. Not only does he think that he can play a 7,600 yard course, he is also insulted if you put tees out there for him to use that are only 5,400 yards. Delusions of grandeur are the main problem; golf course design is a subsidiary concern.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-23T22:04:00.000-06:00

Gravati unlined three-eyelet plain-toe blucher boots in snuff suede with microcellular rubber soles (16899, 697 last). In recent years, Gravati, like all of the other Italian makers, has introduced elongated lasts, both square-toe and round-toe. Styles are changing a bit, and the most recent Gravati lasts are backing off of the elongated look a little bit. 697 is a new last, and it's not as snouty as some of the lasts from the past few years. Still, though, it is a bit snouty -- about 3/16" less length would be perfect. It otherwise is a very shapely and attractive last -- I like what Gravati has done here.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-23T21:23:00.001-06:00

I finished the bottle of 2005 Gagliardo Dolcetto d'Alba last night, and it was as good or better than it was when I opened it the night before. This wine had a shelf talker recommendation from the Central Market wine buyer, and I will admit that that was what determined me on my purchase. The packaging seemed a bit too cutesy and marketing-driven for comfort; but when confronted with 7 or 10 wines of the same variety, all of similar price and none of them familiar, why not pay attention to a staff recommendation for one?

Dolcetto is frequently referred to as the Italian version of Beaujolais in introductory wine books, and it's a comparison that causes umbrage for both proud Dolcetto producers and proud Beaujolais producers. The wine writers typically mean that both Dolcetto and Beaujolais are (relatively) cheap, soft, easy drinking wines best consumed young. In other words, they mean the comparison to be mildly pejorative or at least patronizing. Well, anyone who has ever tried Domaine Diochon Moulin-a-Vent or most of the other Beaujolais wine that Kermit Lynch imports knows that there is Beaujolais out there that is not just soft and easy-drinking and is age-worthy and "serious." I suspect that the same can be said for a lot of dolcetto. This Gagliardo Dolcetto d'Alba, I think, is not just some pleasant quaffer. It has plenty of acidity and tannin, mixed with plenty of fruit. I have no idea of whether it's age-worthy, but I do know that I have had plenty of purportedly "serious" wines that don't bring as much flavor, complexity, and interest to the table as this wine does. It really tastes nothing at all like Beaujolais, even excellent Beaujolais, but I think that the comparison of dolcetto and Beaujolais is justified for reasons not intended by the critics: both wines are under-appreciated and under-priced relative to their potential quality.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-22T21:20:00.000-06:00

Alden long wing bluchers in dark tan alpine grain calfskin with a reverse welt and double leather soles (Barrie last) -- a LeatherSoul special makeup and a recreation of a classic American shoe.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-22T19:08:00.003-06:00

The three most important red grapes in the Piemonte region of northwestern Italy are nebbiolo, barbera, and dolcetto. Nebbiolo is by far the most renowned of the three, as it is used to make Barolo and Barbaresco, the king and queen of Italian wines. Barbera is the overshadowed child, with a good reputation in its own right but not one that can really compare to nebbiolo. Dolcetto is the red-headed stepchild of the three. It doesn't get much respect, either by wine critics (who often think of it as a simple, easy-drinking, and unserious wine) or by many growers, who relegate it to the second-rate vineyard locations and use its wine as a way to generate cash flow while their nebbiolo-based wines are maturing.

Well, I don't really have an objection to a wine that is simple and easy-drinking so long as it's good, and I don't understand criticizing wine for being "unserious." What is that supposed to mean, anyway? Wine is, or ought to be, primarily a beverage to be enjoyed, not an intellectual exercise. I any event, I have read from people whose opinions I respect that dolcetto frequently makes enjoyable, delicious wine. So what do I care what the critics say? The bottle that I picked up (for around $15) is a 2005 Gagliardo Dolcetto d'Alba. The producer, Gianni Gagliardo, has two separate lines. True to the stereotype, the upper of these two lines (Gianni Gagliardo) is almost exclusively nebbiolo-based, with one barbera and one favorita (a Piemontese white grape). Wines in this line probably cause some controversy amongst the critics because they all appear to be aged in small French oak barriques, which is a big departure from traditional winemaking techniques in the Piemonte (large Slovenian oak barrels, mostly used and approaching neutrality, were traditionally used). The lower line is called simply Gagliardo, and the producer calls the bottlings in this line "young family wines." In addition to the Dolcetto d'Alba, there's a Barbera d'Alba, a Roero Arneis (another white grape), and a favorita. None of them see any oak -- brief "aging" in stainless steel is it. That's fine with me. I'm not big on oak in wine, anyway, and I'm looking for a wine to drink now, not age for a few years.

This wine has a very interesting nose (and in this case, "interesting" is good). The dominant note is this odd copper aroma -- take a stack of pre-1983 pennies and give them a whiff, and you'll know what I mean -- and it's mixed in with rose petals and a gamey note. I like it. It's juicy on the palate, with a good deal of dark fruit. There also is a not insignificant amount of tannin, and a good bit of acidity. My only real complaint is that it started out a bit short, but that changed a bit as it spent some time open and in the glass. Very enjoyable.

Pythons!

2008-02-21T20:41:00.002-06:00

We're being overrun by pythons! It's time to panic! Abandon all hope and emigrate to Canada! At least, that's what USA Today seems to hope that you'll do, based on the tone of the article that they put on the front page of today's paper.

As climate change warms the nation, giant Burmese pythons could colonize one-third of the USA, from San Francisco across the Southwest, Texas and the South and up north along the Virginia coast, according to U.S. Geological Survey maps released Wednesday.

The pythons can be 20 feet long and 250 pounds. They are highly adaptable to new environments. ("Pythons could squeeze lower third of USA" by Elizabeth Weise, p. A1)

Burmese pythons are sold legally as pets in the US, with hatchlings going for as little as $20. Buyers frequently find that dealing with a full-grown python is extremely difficult, and they release the snakes into the wild. There is evidence that these released pets have established breeding colonies in places in the wild, particularly in the Florida Everglades. If you read the story closely, you'll notice that the US Geological Survey isn't exactly predicting that pythons will colonize the lower third of the United States, just that the climate of the lower third of the United States could be hospitable to pythons if the one makes certain assumptions about the increases in temperature that global warning could bring by the year 2100. Now go back and count all of the caveats in that chain.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-21T20:20:00.000-06:00

Day

GJ Cleverley bespoke side-elastic shoes with twin-needle stitching on the apron in dark burgundy calfskin with single leather soles.

Evening

Gravati three-eyelet half-brogue bluchers with a modified U-throat in antiqued tan calfskin (Gravati calls it Betis -- it's aniline-dyed calfskin treated with alcohol to strip the finish off partially to make it susceptible to neutral creme, which, when worked in, darkens the leather) with double leather soles with a central rubber plug (16407, 640 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-21T18:24:00.004-06:00

I finished the bottle of 2005 Van Duzer Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir last night, and it was just as enjoyable the second night as it had been the first. I didn't pick up the olive notes this time, but I did smell some floral components that I hadn't noticed before. In any event, I am very pleased with this wine, even at $25 a bottle. (And that $25 a bottle is a pretty good price -- I've seen it elsewhere for over $30. Costco's wine prices are very competitive.)

Both Van Duzer and the Willamette Valley Vineyards pinot that I had earlier in the week prominently display the logo for an organization named LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) on their back labels, advertising the fact that their wines are LIVE-certified. Well, what the heck does that mean? LIVE is a non-profit organization of winegrowers "providing education and certification for vineyards using international standards of sustainable viticulture practices in wine grape production." It turns out that they are a sort of halfway house between conventional viticulture and organic or biodynamic viticulture -- that is, a rejection of the "better living through chemicals" school of winegrowing but a realization that herbicides and fertilizers are sometimes necessary to make vineyards commercially viable. I don't have the energy or enthusiasm to read exactly what a winery has to do to be LIVE-certified, but it certainly sounds like a good thing to me. I don't really believe that chemical-free agriculture necessarily produces better-tasting or healthier products, but at the same time I don't wine that stinks of sulfur dioxide.

On This Day

2008-02-20T21:06:00.000-06:00

On this day in 1943, a fissure opened in a cornfield owned by Dionisio Pulido near the Mexican town of Paricutín. That fissure quickly grew into a volcano; and within a year, that volcano was over 1100 feet tall. Eruptions continued until 1952. Despite the fact that it destroyed Pulido's cornfield and the town of Paricutín, with lava flows eventually covering 10 square miles, nobody was killed in the eruption. The volcano has been silent since 1952, and vulcanologists believe that it is permanently extinct.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-20T20:57:00.001-06:00

Day

Alden high-lace wingtip blucher boots in dark brown (cigar) shell cordovan with double leather soles (Plaza last). These boots were special make-ups LeatherSoul in Hawaii. Cigar shell cordovan apparently has gotten very difficult to find, and Alden merchants are reporting wait times of many, many months or longer for their cigar make-ups. The good news is that LeatherSoul has been reordering these in Color #8.

Evening

Gravati four-eyelet plain-toe bluchers in dark brown grained (Lama) calf with combination leather/rubber soles (16532, 640 last)

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-20T18:58:00.002-06:00

The skins of red grapes have tannins and pigments, and these tannins and pigments give red wine its backbone and color. The pinot noir grape, being a red grape, has tannins and pigments in its skin; but its skin is thin and consequently imparts much lower quantities of tannins and pigments than most red grapes, particularly the big boys like cabernet sauvignon and syrah. According to John Winthrop Haeger's book North American Pinot Noir,

[t]he thin skins’ tannins comprise only about 1.7 percent of the grape’s weight–as compared to 3 percent to 6 percent in most red varieties–and pinot’s anthocyanins, the soluble pigments that give most red wines their color, are present in less than half the quantity as in, for example, syrah.

This means that most pinot noir wines don't have really deep color and are not particularly tannic. In fact, all too many pinots are pale and thin; and that has been my principal complaint about the pinot wines that I have been trying recently. I don't really want pinot to be an inky, tannic monster that coats my tongue with grape sludge -- finesse and subtlety are usually attributes to be desired in a wine, particularly a pinot, in my opinion -- but I'd like it to remind me that it isn't just water with alcohol and some red food coloring added.

Costco is currently selling the 2005 Van Duzer Vineyards Willamette Valley Estate Pinot Noir for around $25 a bottle. When I saw it, I had never heard of Van Duzer Vineyards; but I liked the looks of the bottle and the shelf talker, and I bought a bottle. It was something of a risk -- insipid pinot noirs are all too common, even at high price points. Paying $10 for an insipid wine is merely disappointing. Paying $25 for one is actively infuriating. Well, fortunately, this Van Duzer pinot is not insipid. It's significantly darker than the other pinots that I have tried recently, and it also has more concentration and tannic backbone. There's some earth and some cherries on the nose, as well as olives. Yes, olives. Strange, at least to me, but not at all unappealing. There is a good deal of bright cherry fruit on the palate, and the wine has a nice bit of acidity, which I like. I wouldn't say that I have found the Holy Grail of pinot noir, but at least I found one that I like a good bit.

(It turns out that Van Duzer Vineyards was founded in 1989. They primarily make pinot noir, although they do make some pinot gris. All of the grapes that they use are grown on their own estates -- no purchased grapes. There are two separate lines: the lower-priced Estate line and the higher-priced Reserve line, which appears to be made up exclusively of single-vineyard wines. Based on my experience with the Estate pinot noir, I'd certainly be willing to shell out another $10 a bottle to try one of the Reserve wines.)

Campaign Ads

2008-02-19T19:51:00.000-06:00

The last competitive state-wide election in Texas that I can recall was in 1994, when George W. Bush upset Ann Richards to win the governorship for the first time. Since then, Republicans have swept just about every statewide race. Regardless of how you feel about the political results of this dominance, you have to admit that one positive consequence is that there usually aren't many campaign ads on television. The 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections might have been exceptionally close, but you wouldn't have known it from watching TV ads in Texas. Both parties knew that George W. Bush would win Texas in a landslide, and so neither campaign spent any time or effort campaigning here. Given the vapidity of almost every political ad that I have ever seen on TV and how even ones supporting positions and candidates that I like enrage me with their shoddy logic and their manipulative presentation, I think that this is a good thing.

But Texas actually matters this time around. The conventional wisdom is that Hillary Clinton needs to win the Texas and Ohio primaries on March 4 in order to keep her presidential campaign viable. And so, for the first time in twelve years, we have been inundated with Clinton and Obama commercials. Yippee. I don't know how you people who live in battleground states stand it.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-19T19:42:00.000-06:00

Vass Theresianer punch-cap high-lace boots in tobacco suede with single leather soles (F last). The boots pictured above are very similar to mine, but the ones pictured lack a punch-cap and have two more sets of speed-lacing hooks than mine do. What I really wanted was a pair of high-lace punch-cap bal boots, but Vass apparently doesn't have a bal boot pattern. So I had to settle for these. They're still pretty good, although I'm probably destined to buy the Edward Green Shannon.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-19T19:08:00.001-06:00

Costco is a very strange place. Nestled among the gigantic cans of tuna and the 32-packs of toilet paper is wine. Lots of wine. I think that I've read that Costco is the largest wine retailer in the United States, and it's easy to see why. They devote substantial floor space to it, and their prices are very attractive. And it's not just Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay and box wine dreck from Australia. They carry a number of well-reputed and distinctly uncheap wines. If you want to buy some Dom Perignon, for example, this is the place to do it. You're probably not going to find a better price. The most recent wine that makes me scratch my head and wonder how they got it is a 1996 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes.

When Sauternes was classified in 1855 in preparation for the Exposition Universelle de Paris (a parallel classification was done for the wines of the Médoc plus Haut-Brion from Graves), there were three groupings: 1 Premier Cru Supérieur (Yquem, then as now, is in a class by itself), 11 Premier Crus, and 15 Deuxièmes Crus. Château Guiraud, which was originally purchased by Pierre Guiraud in 1766, was one of the Premier Crus. Quality and standards change, of course, so it's a little bit ridiculous to pay too much attention to a classification that took place 153 years ago. Nevertheless, Guiraud is one of the well-reputed, reliable Sauternes producers. 1996 was ranked by various wine reporters as a very good but not excellent vintage in Sauternes. How is it that Costco got a few cases of 1996 Guiraud in 2008? Beats me. Maybe they picked it up from the secondary market for a song, or maybe Guiraud kept a stock of it unreleased hoping for higher prices and finally decided to dump it. In any event, since 1996, there has been one classic vintage in Sauternes (2001) and two excellent ones (1997 and 2003). Whoever sold Costco this Guiraud probably judged that there was no financial incentive to holding onto it for any longer. And so Costco acquired several cases of half bottles of 1996 Château Guiraud Premier Cru Sauternes, which it is currently selling for $28. That's really cheap for a First Growth Sauternes from a good year, and I bought a bottle to try.

Sauternes start out a deep gold color, and it tends to darken with age. This wine was almost copper-colored, so dark that I would have suspected that it had oxidized if it hadn't been Sauternes. It had a deeply honeyed nose, and on the palate it was honey mixed with lemons. This is a sweet wine, but it's not overpoweringly so -- not as sweet as Coca-Cola, for example. And the sweetness there is is balanced by the significant acidity, so it's not sickly or cloying. I liked this wine a lot. I might just go out and buy more. Really, really good, and not a bad value for Sauternes.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-18T22:39:00.000-06:00

Martegani adelaide "austerity brogue" bals with twin-needle stitching forming the wing cap, U throat, and heel counter in dark brown Rustik calfskin with single leather soles (46 last). Every time I wear these, I wonder why I don't wear them more -- they're comfortable and unique.

In other news, Ron Rider, who is the US Market Manager for Martegani and the person who made these shoes happen, apparently has a new project, Rider Boot Company:

Our (hopefully!) trademark boot will be the 3 eyelet Chukka, presented in numerous ways, including both a classic dress last and a more rounded sport last, in desirable upper materials - especially Genuine Shell Cordovan - and appropriate sole treatments. We also look forward to presenting fantastic options in both Captoe and Wingtip boots - both mid and tall shaft. Our goal is quality, not quantity, and a unique (if tiny) place in a market dominated by low wage manufacturing and high cost advertising.

It sounds good to me -- I love boots. I hope it works.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-18T22:09:00.003-06:00

The conventional wisdom is that Willamette Valley of Oregon is a better, or at least a more Burgundian, location to grow pinot noir than is California. Since my first experiment with California pinot noir wasn't particularly successful, I figured that I might as well give some Willamette Valley pinot a whirl. And what better exemplar of Willamette Valley pinot noir than that from Willamette Valley Vineyards? Willamette Valley Vineyards is one of the older producers in the area, having been founded in 1983 by native Oregonian Jim Bernau on land that he says "is similar to the red clay soil found in the Grand Cru Pinot Noir vineyards of Romaneé-st-Vivant in Burgundy". The winery produces some chardonnay, pinot gris, and riesling; but the emphasis is on pinot noir, and WVV produces several different bottlings. The one that I see most frequently is the Whole Cluster Fermented pinot. The winemaker's notes on this wine make it clear that what they mean by "whole cluster fermentation" is carbonic maceration, where whole clusters of fruit are sealed in vats filled with carbon dioxide. This environment promotes an anaerobic fermentation. Carbonic maceration is used extensively in Beaujolais and elsewhere to produce intensely fruity wines, and that appears to be WVV's intention with this one. It was suggested as a light aperitif wine, and that wasn't really what I was looking for. I chose instead the mainline 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. I thought that the vinification would have been more traditional, and the label says that the wine has spent time in French oak. The winemaker's notes confuse me, however. They say that "approximately 70% of the grape berries [remain] intact for inter-berry fermentation (which adds fruitiness)." That sounds like carbonic maceration to me, too, although I don't know why WVV wouldn't just come out and say it if in fact it was.

In any event, my first sniff prompted me to say, "well, finally, here's a real pinot." There was a good bit of earthiness, along with plenty of bright cherry fruit and violets. A lot of good pinot will supposedly have elements of roses or violets (or both) on the nose, and I like it when I find it. On the palate, it was fruity and pleasant. I have two complaints about it. First, it seemed a bit thin and short. Once I swallowed it, it was gone. There was no lingering aftertaste. It didn't coat my mouth with pinot-y goodness. Secondly, I would have preferred if it had been a bit more acidic. It seemed a bit flabby to me. All in all, though, I enjoyed it. At $20 a bottle, I don't know if it brings a whole lot of value; but then again, I haven't been doing very well with pinots that are cheaper.

Look What The Courts Are Doing

2008-02-17T21:42:00.000-06:00

Ilya Somin of the Volokh Conspiracy calls attention to a recent decision of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit striking down a Texas law banning the sale, lending, or giving away of sex toys. According to the opinion in Reliable Consultants, Inc. v. Earle (am I the only one who finds it amusing that Ronnie Earle is a defendant in this case?), the law at issue was passed in 1979 and "prohibit[ted] the 'promotion' and 'wholesale promotion' of 'obscene devices'... The legislature chose to broadly define 'obscene device,' not using the Miller test, but as any device 'designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.'" The court held that, based on the Supreme Court precedents established by Griswold v. Connecticut and Lawrence v. Texas, the statute violated the 14th Amendment and was therefore void. I'm sure that Mamacita's friend Dawn is relieved. Also interesting about this decision is that it decides the question differently from how the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decided a case about a similar Alabama law in 2004. This means that there is a circuit split on sex toy regulation, setting the stage for the Supreme Court to decide the issue once and for all. I don't know about you, but the prospect of Ruth Bader Ginsberg or Antonin Scalia pontificating about the Constitutionality of laws banning sex toys is, well, a bit awkward.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-17T21:37:00.000-06:00

Gravati long-vamp penny loafers with a twin-needle-stitched apron in red-brown grained Tibet #39 calfskin with a single leather sole (15477, 701 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-17T21:17:00.002-06:00

I finished off the bottle of 2005 Toad Hollow Goldie's Vines Pinot Noir last night, and I can't really say that it improved with time being open. It still had that musty aroma, and it didn't really bring much except tartness. André Tchelistcheff, the legendary winemaker at Beaulieu Vinyards, famously said that God made cabernet sauvignon while the devil made pinot noir; and I can believe it. This wine was not inexpensive, and yet it is very unsatisfying. It seems like it is almost ever thus with pinot noir. Every once in a while, one has a profound experience with pinot noir, which makes one willing to flush a lot of money down the toilet trying to find a repeat.

In addition to being a very prolific parent (having crossed with gouais to produce chardonnay, gamay, aligoté, melon de Bourgogne, and many others), pinot noir is also susceptible to mutation. Various mutations of the pinot noir have produced the pinot meunier, the pinot blanc, and the pinot gris (or pinot grigio in Italy and some parts of the United States), each of them relatively important in its own right. Pinot gris especially is an interesting case. Its name means "gray pinot," and that is a very good description. Where the skins of pinot noir grapes are a midnight blue in color, the skins of pinot gris grapes are much lighter -- a kind of pale blue-gray. You would never guess from looking at the pale wine that pinot gris produces that the skins are anything other than yellow-green. But they are. Pinot is a strange thing, indeed.

New Shoes

2008-02-16T22:34:00.000-06:00

Well, not yet. But they're in the works. Gravati has come out with a beautiful brand-new three-eyelet blucher with V-shaped quarters. Jim Pierce, who owns the shoe concession at Harold's in the Heights, ordered it in snuff-colored Janus suede with light-colored Rapid stitching, light-colored laces, and a microcellular rubber soles. It's also on the 692 last, one that I hadn't seen before. It's a nice, smart round-toe last without quite the elongation of the 683. I like it quite a bit. All in all, the shoe is outstanding. It's undeniably sporty and casual, however, and that's not really what I was looking for. And so I ordered the same model on the same last in a snuff-colored cashmere suede with single leather soles. They'll hopefully be in by April or May, and I'm looking forward to them. Jim also said that he had ordered a new French-style two eyelet plain-toe blucher for late spring/early summer. By French-style, I mean that the vamp-quarter seam is a straight line. It's a very popular style for several Parisian makers like Corthay and Dimitri Gomez. Jim didn't order it thusly, but I think that it would be great in that red/amber grained Tibet #39 calfskin.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-16T22:09:00.003-06:00

Gravati three-eyelet plain-toe bluchers in navy blue waterproof suede with a microcellular rubber sole (15445, 433 last). I wore these because more rain was predicted for today, and indeed, I got caught in a thunderstorm without an umbrella when going from the grocery store back to my car. This waterproof suede is as advertised: my feet didn't get wet, and the suede is as good as new after the downpour.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-16T21:49:00.001-06:00

Toad Hollow Vineyards began as a partnership between Todd Williams (comedian Robin Williams' half brother) and Rodney Strong, the head of Rodney Strong Vineyards. Both Williams and Strong are now deceased (the former in 2007, the latter in 2006), but the motto of the vineyards remains unchanged: "Fine wine at a reasonable price." I have had a number of Toad Hollow wines, and I have always been impressed both by the quality of the wines and the lowness of the price. Cacophany, the Toad Hollow Zinfandel is very good, as is the Amplexus Blanquette de Limoux sparking wine. I also like the whimsical label illustrations, the obvious irreverence of the company, and the approach that they take to wine. That is, they believe, or appear to believe, that wine is not supposed to be a great mystery, only consumed by the learned and only with a serious and contemplative mien. And so, when faced with thirty or forty feet of shelf of California pinot noirs about which I knew nothing, I was drawn to the 2005 Toad Hollow Goldie's Vines Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

The Toad Hollow website says that the 2005 vintage is "our best to date." I didn't have the previous vintages, but I have to say that that doesn't encourage me very much. When I first opened this wine, I suspected that it was corked. There was this mushroomy mustiness on the nose that I didn't like at all. Wines infected with TCA are supposed to smell like musty cardboard, and I suspected that that was what was going on here. On the other hand, though, pinot noir can take on some earthy characteristics, so I thought that it would be prudent to try this instead of just pouring it out. Well, there wasn't a whole lot in the wine. Not much fruit, not much pleasure, not much of anything except a mushroomy mustiness on the nose and a good deal of acidity. I don't really know if this bottle was corked, but I do know that I didn't particularly like it.

Minivan Lust

2008-02-15T20:37:00.001-06:00

Mamacita has been in lust of the Honda Odyssey minivan for quite some time now. I always thought that she was completely nuts. Minivans, as we all know, are seriously uncool, and they don't do anything that couldn't be done by a much cooler SUV. Right? Well, a recent post on Amazon's Car Lust blog has caused me to reevaluate.

The minivan's job is to haul people and cargo in as comfortable and efficient a manner as possible, and it fulfills that mission admirably. Forget about three-row SUVs. Minivans can carry more people more comfortably than even large SUVs; and with the extraordinary flexibility of seat placement/folding/removal, minivans are unparalleled at virtually everything you'd need it to do.

Need to carry a bunch of kids and their stuff on a road trip? There's no better vehicle than a minivan. Want to haul as bulky a load of cargo as you could in a pickup, but you'd prefer to keep it dry, clean, and secure? Fold down or remove the seats, and the minivan becomes a cargo hauler par excellence. Want to take your buddies on a week-long backpacking trip? You can fit everybody, their backpacks, the food, AND a few cases of beer.

People rightfully rave about the cargo-carrying flexibility of wagons, hatchbacks, crossovers, SUVs, and even oddballs like the Honda Element and PT Cruiser, but all of those pale in comparison with the humble minivan.

As a group, SUVs' sole advantages over minivans are style and sheer off-road capability--and it's not as if today's popular car-based SUVs (effectively minivans in drag) are fantastic at low-range bouldering.

The point about cargo capacity is a very good one. My parents recently had to clean out the storage space holding what was left of my grandmother's furniture and other large possessions after her death. In the past, they had rented a U-Haul trailer, but that wasn't a whole lot of fun to drive 600 miles over mountain roads with the constant threat of freezing precipitation. So they rented a minivan and took out all of the rear seats. It performed admirably. There was more than enough room to haul what they needed to haul, and it handled as well as a car. And the fact of the matter is that a small-sized sedan just isn't going to cut it for a family with small children. There just isn't enough room to haul the whole family plus passengers, and that's a real pain in the butt when the children are old enough to be in soccer or other activities. The minivan may not be cool, exactly, but if its utility is unmatched, why shouldn't people buy it?

Today's Shoes

2008-02-15T20:22:00.002-06:00

Gravati plain-toe monkstrap in dark brown peccary with a combination leather/rubber sole (16371, 640 last). It was supposed to be rainy all day today, and the rubber sole seemed appropriate for the weather.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-15T19:50:00.002-06:00

Finished off the bottle of 2005 Albert Bichot Bourgogne Rouge last night, and my impressions remain the same: it's pleasant enough, I suppose, but there's not a whole lot of there there. Not much nose, not much flavor, not much of anything. Maybe it's possible to get a good Pinot Noir for $13. I just haven't found one yet.

For decades in the 19th and 20th Centuries, the most widely-accepted theory of the spread of viticulture in Europe, Africa, and the near East held that vitis vinifera was first domesticated in Mesopotamia and was subsequently transplanted to Europe and Africa mostly by the Greeks and the Romans. There are a couple of problems with that theory. First, wild ranged all over the Mediterranean basin as far north as Belgium up until the late 19th Century. It's highly unlikely that anyone would have transplanted clippings of wild vinifera, so it's likely that the vine was indigenous to most of this area. Given this, why should we think that domestication happened in one and only one location? Second, there's the matter of the pinot noir grape. It's not like any of the near Eastern grape varieties that the Romans were known to have distributed throughout the Empire, but there is decent evidence that it or something like it has been cultivated in Burgundy for almost 2000 years (Columella, writing in the First Century AD, describes a pinot-like grape growing in Burgundy), and there is evidence of vine cultivation in what is today France before the advent of the Romans. Furthermore, consider pinot's offspring. Chardonnay and Gamay, two of the best-known, are both products of presumably accidental field crosses between pinot noir and gouais, a white variety known to have been brought to France from the near East by the Romans. (There are many other pinot-gouais offspring, including aligoté and melon de Bourgogne, the grape of Muscadet.) Both of these grapes are unusually hardy, growing well in a variety of environments. Chardonnay, in particular, can and does grow just about anywhere and is usually capable of producing good or great wine wherever it grows. It's a truism of genetics that genetic diversity between parents is more likely to result in hardy offspring than genetic similarity, and genetic diversity is frequently the result of distance. That doesn't prove that pinot noir was domesticated in northern France, of course, but it is suggestive.

Mountains of Socks

2008-02-14T21:44:00.002-06:00

In many ways, we are living in the Golden Age of socks. While some of the classic sock patterns (like clocks, where a pattern forming a single stripe down the side of the sock all the way from the toe to the top of the sock) are difficult to find, the availability of high-quality, interesting socks is greater now than it has been at any point in my life. Maybe things were different in the '30s and '40s, I don't know. But I do know that ankle-length wool-blend solid color Gold Toe socks were about the best that one could find when I was growing up and that so much more is now easily obtainable.

So what makes a good sock? To me, there are four aspects. First, it must fit. The heel of the sock must actually hit the heel of the foot wearing it, or the sock will rub against the shoe and against the foot and be uncomfortable and short-lived. In addition, the sock must not be baggy around the ball of the foot, or the excess fabric will ball up and feel like a stone in your shoe. And the elasticized ribbing at the top of the sock must not be too constricting. Second, it must be comfortable. Obviously, a sock must fit to be comfortable; but good fit is not enough to ensure comfort. It should not be scratchy against the leg, and it should not be overly hot. In addition, any seams on the sock should not irritate the foot. Third, it should not sag or droop. There are few things more annoying than feeling your socks pool around your ankles. As a practical matter, this means that the socks must either be over-the-calf (ie, long enough to go over the bulge of the calf, making the calf an obstacle to the ravages of gravity), or they must be worn with sock garters. Apparently, the British mostly choose to wear mid-calf socks with sock garters. I wouldn't even know where to find sock garters, and I would not be comfortable wearing them; consequently, I opt for over-the-calf socks. Fourth, it must be visually interesting. This does not necessarily preclude a solid-color sock, but it must stand out somehow, through the vibrancy of its color or the way a combination of fiber types causes it to shine or something else.

There are many different makers of fine socks, and each of the makers has several different lines of varying qualities and fibers. I can't claim to have tried all or anywhere close to all of the makers, much less all of their lines. But here's what I do know:

Pantherella is the most widely known of the luxury sock makers, and the value of the Pantherella brand is by far the greatest. If I were starting out in the sock business with nothing except the Pantherella brand, I could be rich in a few years. Pantherella makes everything and is distributed everywhere. For many years, its socks have been the mainstays in both my work and leisure wardrobe because they stay up reasonably well, they fit reasonably well, and they are reasonably long-lived. The best socks I own -- the over-the-calf Sea Island cotton lisles -- are Pantherellas. Despite all of this, though, I think that Pantherella is a bit lacking. First, they use too much nylon in most of their socks. The nylon improves durability, of course, but it does so at the expense of comfort. This is most apparent in their merino socks, which are scratchy. In addition, most Pantherella are about two inches too short -- ideally, over-the-calf socks should go up to the base of the knee. Pantherella socks, for the most part, barely clear my calf and are consequently prone to sag somewhat during the course of the day. While the colors offered in the Sea Island lisle are excellent, they're solid colors; and Pantherella really struggles with bringing that same color vibrancy to their patterned socks. Pantherella makes a good sock, but there are better options out there. Here are some claimants in alphabetical order:
Bresciani -- Most independent men's stores that I have shopped in carry Pantherella for most of their basics and some other maker for their most interesting socks. Bresciani is often that second maker. This is a little bit mystifying to me, since I'm told that Bresciani does not maintain stock of anything, which makes wait times for fill-ins too long to be practicable. In any event, I have never liked Bresciani socks much, mostly because they shrink a lot in the wash and end up too short. In addition, the designs that I've seen, while more interesting than most of what Pantherella puts out, still aren't very interesting.
Facenti -- I am told that Facenti does most of its business as a private-label maker for some of the big-name Italian tailoring brands (Kiton, Zegna, and others). They also make socks under their own labels (Facenti and another one that I can't remember), though, of varying quality. I have four pairs of socks from Facenti. One is a beautiful pair of 100% cotton pique socks in navy with green stripes, and these socks are miraculous. Despite being 100% cotton, they hold their shape excellently, stay up, and don't shrink. I was convinced that they would degrade with washing, but they haven't yet. The other three pairs are blends of cotton and nylon (80%-20%, I think), and they are less excellent. They are visually interesting (intricate, multi-width stripes in all cases), they stay up, and they fit. However, less care is given to the toe seam then with the other pair. It's bulky, and the ends of it can get a little uncomfortable with a little wear. Nevertheless, I am eagerly awaiting the day when these socks are widely distributed in the United States. The socks pictured above are made by Facenti, and I think you will agree that they are beautiful.
Falke -- Surprisingly enough, Falke is a German brand. They don't have a lot of distribution in the United States, and what distribution they have is outrageously expensive -- up to 50% more than their most expensive competitors. They also apparently only make sized socks -- real sizes, not the Regular and Large that most manufacturers offer. The socks appear to be very well made; the toe seam, for example, is as flat as I have ever seen (although the ends of the linking thread are a bit longer than they should be). They are either all or almost all natural fibers, and yet they appear to hold their shapes very well. My complaint with Falke is three-fold. First, they make boring socks. Perhaps some of their socks somewhere are something other than solid, but I have not seen them. Second, they don't do color very well. With the exception of their scarlet cashmere socks, which are excellent, all of their non-dark colors are washed-out and ugly. It's true that their wool-silk socks are beautiful in dark colors, but I don't just want a sock wardrobe of charcoal and dark brown. Third and most seriously, they don't fit well: they're baggy around the forefoot. I don't think that I'll be buying more of these.
Marcoliani is an Italian manufacturer that has recently expanded its presence in the United States. They make just about every kind of socks imagineable -- solids, stripes, dots, herringbones, bird's eyes, everything. The socks fit better than Pantherella, mostly because they are longer. They also feel better than Pantherella, mostly because they have more natural fiber content. The merino socks, for example, are something of a revelation. I had believed that merino socks would always be scratchy. Marcoliani merino socks are not scratchy. Marcoliani's designs are consistently interesting, and their color palette is excellent. I have two complaints. First, they don't seem to understand how to do red -- all of their reds are either have too much orange or too much burgundy. Second, they really need to do a better job on the toe seam. It doesn't really bother me while I'm wearing the sock, but it sure bothers me when I am examining it. It's much too bulky for my taste.
VK Nagrani (Ovadafut) -- These socks have become very popular in recent years, and I can understand why. They certainly are interesting, coming in a wide variety of colors and designs. I don't think that the quality is really there, though. They're too thick, and they only come in mid-calf length. Furthermore, the elastic rib at the top is too constricting and makes the sock uncomfortable to wear for an entire day. And the toe seam problem for them is significantly worse than it is for Marcoliani. These are not inexpensive socks, and they should be better for the price.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-14T21:40:00.003-06:00

Day

Gravati side-zip ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo skin with single leather soles (16821, 683 last).

Evening

Gravati cap-toe bals with leather lacing simulating punching along the edge of the toe cap and around the laces in tobacco suede with single leather soles (16492, 655 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-14T21:04:00.003-06:00

It's widely believed among the marketing types that American wine consumers prefer New World-style varietal wines to Old World-style denomination of origin wines because the labeling of varietal wines is simple and easy to understand while the labeling of denomination of origin wines is complex and confusing. And Burgundy is the most complex and confusing of the denomination of origin wines that I can think of. There's the generic AOC Burgundy (both rouge and blanc). Then there are the wines from a specific region within Burgundy (eg, Côte de Beaune-Villages). Then there are wines from specific villages (eg, Gevrey-Chambertin, Rully, Meursault, and Pommard), each with its own AOC. Then there are the single vineyard wines, which can be either Premier Cru or Grand Cru (eg, La Tâche), each again with its own AOC. All in all, there are over 700 AOCs in Burgundy, some of them as small as 1.8 hectares (Romanée-Conti). It's a lot easier to buy a California Cabernet Sauvignon than it is to have even a rudimentary understanding of how wine in Burgundy works. It's intimidating.

The only grape permissible for red Burgundy is the Pinot Noir (Gamay is allowed in Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains and Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire, two less restrictive and less prestigious AOCs encompassing the same territory as the Bourgogne AOC). Pinot is a famously finicky grape capable of producing thin, acidic dreck. There are some grape varieties that will usually produce decent wine even in difficult circumstances. Pinot Noir isn't one of those. People who love Pinot Noir are usually disappointed by its expression. But when it's right, whoo boy, is it ever right. At its best, it is pale, aromatic, and delectable. The problem is that it is not often at its best; and when it is, it's extraordinarily expensive.

The 2005 Albert Bichot Bourgogne is not extraordinarily expensive. In fact, it's pretty cheap, about as cheap as an AOC Burgundy Pinot can possibly be. Albert Bichot is one of the major Burgundy negociants (merchants who buy grapes and wine from individual growers, then age, blend, bottle, and market the result), although not really in the top rank like Louis Jadot and Louis Latour. This wine has a lot of violets and vanilla on the nose, and the palate is relatively light in body with a good deal of tannin. I wish that there were more fruit, and I wish that there were more acidity; but it probably is a decent value for the money. I will admit, though, that I was a bit disappointed.

Today's Shoes

2008-02-13T20:33:00.004-06:00

Day

Edward Green bal austerity brogues in burgundy antique calfskin with single leather soles (Beaulieu model, 888 last). The 888 last was designed by Tony Gaziano while he was with Edward Green as a replacement for the 808 last. The 808 was a replacement for the famous 88, but both of these lasts had fit problems. 888 was supposed to be a better-fitting version of both of these. It is a beautiful last. The problem, for me, is that the toe is elongated enough that it causes the shoe to break too far forward on my foot. When I flex my foot while walking, the crease hits my little toe just behind the nail. This is a bit uncomfortable. Alas. Even though the 808 does not fit well generally, it fits me just fine; and I think that it will meet my square-toe Edward Green needs in the future.

Evening

Mephisto Allrounder Teramo sneakers in medium brown oiled calfskin and taupe suede.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-02-13T19:37:00.005-06:00

The winegrowing region of Yecla is located in the southwest of Spain, and it has historically been an important one producing vast quantities of well-regarded wine. The scourge of the phylloxera louse never reached the vineyards there, and so it provided large stocks of blending wines for French merchants after phylloxera devastated French vineyards in the second half of the Nineteenth Century. The vinyards dwindled in scope and fell into disrepair in the first half of the Twentieth Century, however, and the modern revival of Yecla began after 1950, and the region was granted Denominación de Origen (DO) status in 1975.

The principal red grape variety planted in Yecla is the Monastrell, better known by its French name, Mourvèdre. Monastrell apparently originated in Spain (Mourvèdre is a Francification of Murviedro, a town near Valencia), but its principal claim to fame is as one of the important grapes used in the blends of the Southern Rhone. It's known for its earthy, gamy character; and in recent years, it has gained popularity among New World Rhone Rangers.

Bodegas Castaño was founded in 1985 and is today one of the largest producers in Yecla. Their principal export markets are Germany and the Netherlands; but Eric Solomon and European Cellars do import Castaño wines into the United States. Solanera, a blend of 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Tintorera, is made for Solomon only, so it's impossible to find anywhere but the United States. It has achieved a measure of notoriety over the past few years, largely because of the favorable reviews given to it by Robert Parker in the Wine Advocate. When I first put my nose into the glass, I was afraid that it had been spoiled. I smelled mushrooms and wet ground. Some people like that sort of thing. I don't, and I suspected that the wine had been corked. I suppose it may have been, but the mushroom smell blew off after a couple of minutes to reveal an inky black, low-acid fruit bomb, high in alcohol and body. I enjoyed it, although I would have preferred something more acidic. It just was flabby.

The Danes

2008-02-13T19:15:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, the Danish police arrested three men yesterday for plotting to murder Kurt Westergaard, a cartoonist for the Morgenavisen Jullands-Posten newspaper whose cartoon showing Mohammed wearing a bomb with a lit fuse as turban appears above. The publication of this cartoon and 11 others in September, 2005 provided the excuse for rioting and other violence in several Muslim countries in early 2006. CNN reports that newspapers in Denmark, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands reprinted the cartoon today in a show of solidarity for Westergaard. Good for them. Even if one disagrees with the message conveyed by the cartoon, rioting, violence, and attempted murder are barbaric responses to its publication.

(HT: Captain's Quarters)

I Blame Mamacita

2008-02-13T19:09:00.002-06:00

You may have noticed that I haven't posted in a while. It's Mamacita's fault. I don't know how, exactly, but it is. Rather than try to catch up, a project that is doomed to failure if I know myself at all, we'll just pretend that the past two and a half weeks never existed. So, on with the shoes.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-27T22:12:00.000-06:00

Gravati unlined three-eyelet plain-toe blucher boots in snuff suede with a light-weight microcellular rubber soles (16899, 697 last). One of the major differences between these desert boots and the traditional desert boots with a crepe rubber soles is that these are much lighter. The microcellular rubber soles on these boots are made by Vibram; and they are exceptionally lightweight, largely because they are mostly air. Crepe rubber soles, on the other hand, are dense and heavy. The large quantity of air in the microcellular soles doesn't make them significantly less durable, either -- they're not exactly long-wearing; but crepe rubber is not known for its long life, either.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-27T22:08:00.000-06:00

Another dram of Tomintoul 16 year old Scotch. When I originally sampled this at Spec's before buying it, I didn't notice any peat at all, just sweet Sherried goodness, and my first full dram a few days ago was much the same. This time, however, I got a big shot of smoke on the nose when I first smelled it, and this smoke persisted for quite some time. It faded out about halfway through the glass. One of the reasons that I find spirits (or, at least, good spirits) endlessly interesting is that every sip can bring a different experience. The spirit evolves in the glass, and it evolves between drams. Undoubtedly, to a large extent, this is not the spirit evolving and changing but rather the taster doing so; but even if my tastes are evolving instead of the spirit, it's still stimulating to experience it happening.

It's not very common to see a bottling of 16 year old Scotch. There are many 15 year old Scotches, and many more 18 year old Scotches; but I can't think of more than a couple 16 year olds. The question with Tomintoul 16 is why the distiller decided to bottle it. Did he decide that 16 years was the perfect age to exhibit a particular set of characteristics that he wanted to exhibit? Well, maybe, but I figure that it was more of a marketing decision. Tomintoul is relatively unknown, so a 15 year old Tomintoul would lose out when competing with a 15 year old from a more well-known distillery. A 16 year old, however, would have an advantage among age-conscious consumers; and the evaporation loss between 15 and 16 years wouldn't be very much. A 16 year old Tomintoul is more likely to be economically viable than a 15 year old, in other words.

World Nutella Day

2008-01-26T23:01:00.000-06:00

Blogger bleeding espresso comments on my second Nutella cookie post from late December:

Fellow Nutella lover here wondering if you would be interested in celebrating World Nutella Day on February 5th?

Why, yes, yes I would. Here's bleeding espresso's post about it. She writes:

Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread,” it is a way of life. From childhood memories to oozing hot crepes, from breakfasts on vacation to free-spooning sessions on the couch, Nutella is prominent in the memories of many children and grown-up children in the world.

My first exposure to Nutella is much more recent than hers -- I was fully grown before I had ever heard of the stuff -- but my attachment is none diminished for all that. And so I will do my part to make World Nutella Day a success. See that you do the same.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-26T22:45:00.000-06:00

Alden wingtip bal in dark brown suede with single leather soles (model 904, Hampton last). Alden has two different kinds of suede: one with a long nap, and one with a short nap. The long nap version is more attractive, and it feels better, too. These shoes are made from the one with a short nap. Tom Park at LeatherSoul in Hawaii has a version on Plaza last made from the long nap version, and these are a constant source of temptation for me.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-26T22:12:00.000-06:00

The label of my bottle of Bowmore Darkest single malt Islay Scotch (one of the old bottles containing 14-year old whisky, instead of the current -- and more expensive -- 15 year old version) has a little medallion in the center that says "From the No. 1 Vaults of Black Bowmore." The No. 1 Vaults are Bowmore's premier aging cellars, and Black Bowmore is a legendary special bottling released in 1964. It had been distilled in the 1920s and aged for 20 years in a first-fill Oloroso Sherry hogshead. That hogshead then began to leak, and the whisky in it was racked into Bourbon barrels to age for another 20 years. The 40 years of aging (20 of which in a hogshead which had contained the darkest of all the Sherry varieties) produced a Scotch that was opaque and dark as night. Supposedly, bottles of Black Bowmore come up for auction every now and then; and they typically go for astronomical sums.

This Darkest doesn't have quite the degree of color that Black Bowmore did, but it is plenty dark. It was aged for 12 years in ex-Bourbon barrels and then finished for an additional two years in ex-Sherry casks. I don't know what kind of Sherry those casks were, but I would bet that it wasn't fino -- the casks impart a great deal of color, sweetness, and flavor to the whisky; and a delicate Sherry like fino could not have had that kind of an impact. Bowmore's stills are relatively squat, and their charges are relatively heavy, both of which tend to reduce the copper contact during distillation. This makes the spirit heavy and pungent, and it takes a heavy and pungent Sherry like Oloroso to compete with it. And it does compete. The idea of a Sherry-finished Islay struck me as more than a bit odd when I first heard of it, but I think that it works with this whisky. The sweetness of the Sherry softens the smokiness and brininess of the Scotch, and it gives the whisky another dimension. The problem I have with most peaty Islay whiskies that I've had is that my enjoyment of them is mostly intellectual. Bowmore Darkest offers a good deal of sensual enjoyment, too.

Hacking?

2008-01-25T23:12:00.000-06:00

The Wall Street Journal reports that one of France's largest financial institutions has suffered staggering trading losses.

In one of the banking world's most unsettling recent disclosures, France's Société Générale SA said Mr. [Jérôme] Kerviel had cost the bank €4.9 billion, equal to $7.2 billion, by making huge unauthorized trades that he hid for months by hacking into computers. The combined trading positions he built up over recent months, say people close to the situation, totaled some €50 billion, or $73 billion. ("French Bank Rocked by Rogue Trader" by David Gauthier-Villars, Carrick Mollenkamp, and Alistair MacDonald, January 25, 2008, p. A1)

Apparently, Kerviel essentially bet huge sums of Société Générale's money that major European stock indexes would rise. These bets were hugely in the money during 2007, but the market began to turn at the beginning of this year and Kerviel's positions turned negative. He apparently evaded the bank's risk controls by creating fictitious trades that appeared to offset the actual trades that he made. In addition,

According to Mr. Bouton, the Société Générale chairman, Mr. Kerviel began conducting fraudulent trades sometime in 2007. People familiar with Mr. Kerviel's behavior believe he worked late into the night, essentially burrowing into Société Générale's computers, as he allegedly built a multilayered way to hide his trades by hacking into the computer systems.

Société Générale's computer systems are considered some of the most complex in banking for handling equity derivatives, that is, investment contracts whose value moves with the value of other assets. Officials of the bank believe Mr. Kerviel spent many hours of hacking to eliminate controls that would have blocked his super-sized bets. Changes he is said to have made enabled him to eliminate credit and trade-size controls, so the bank's risk managers couldn't see his giant trades on the direction of indexes.

Mr. Citerne said the bank didn't notice the unauthorized trading until last week because the trader had "intimate and malicious" knowledge of its procedures and knew at what dates checks were conducted. "Each time he took a position one way, he would enter a fictitious trade in the opposite direction to mask the real one," Mr. Citerne said. According to one person familiar with the situation, Mr. Kerviel used the computer log-in and passwords of colleagues both in the trading unit and the technology section.

It's difficult to tell from this description exactly what Kerviel did, but it sounds to me that from his work in Société Générale's back office before his transfer to the trading desk, he formed an intimate understanding of their risk control computer applications and developed strategies for evading. Specifically, it appears that he used passwords of his colleagues to log into the risk control system and either approve his own trades or alter the configuration of the system so that his trades weren't flagged as risky. The keystone of this evasion strategy was him getting his colleagues' passwords. It's possible, of course, that he installed a password cracker or used keystroke loggers to intercept the passwords. I doubt it, though. If Société Générale is like every other corporation in the world, Kerviel would have had little trouble getting the passwords from Post-It notes on the sides of his coworkers' monitors or even from just asking them for them. If that's what he did, it can hardly be called hacking. Unauthorized access, certainly; but hacking implies a level of technical sophistication that copying passwords off Post-It notes doesn't require.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-25T22:52:00.000-06:00

JM Weston split-toe bluchers in dark tan calfskin with a fudge welt and double leather soles (Ref. 598 demi-chasse). My shoes aren't blue suede like the 598s in the picture above, but I wish they were. Those blue suede shoes are sweet.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-25T22:18:00.000-06:00

Liquor Claus gave me two bottles of whisk(e)y for Christmas: a Glenfarclas 12 year old, which I wrote about back in December; and a bottle of Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 year old Bourbon. I hadn't felt like drinking Bourbon until last night, so I hadn't opened the Eagle Rare. Last night I did, though.

Eagle Rare began life in the 1970s as a Wild Turkey knockoff. It was bottled at 101 proof, just like WT; and I suppose that the eagle was supposed to evoke memories about the debate over what the American national bird was to be. Ben Franklin thought it should have been the turkey; but the other founding fathers, in their infinite wisdom, realized that the eagle was a nobler and much more appropriate alternative. Similarly (I conjecture), Bourbon consumers would conclude that Eagle Rare was a nobler alternative to Wild Turkey. Originally a brand owned by Seagram's and distilled at what is now the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg (the Wild Turkey Distillery is located in the same town). Sazerac acquired the brand in 1989, and it's currently distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort.

A few years ago, Sazerac decided to take Eagle Rare up-market. They lowered the proof from 101 to 90, put it in a fancy heavy-bottomed bottle, and made it a single barrel bottling. Oh, yeah -- they raised the price, too. All of these changes were calculated to appeal to the yuppie boutique Bourbon drinker, and they have. Sazerac believes that Eagle Rare will be one of the engines of growth for their Bourbon business in the years to come. Buffalo Trace has three Bourbon mashbills: a wheated one used for WL Weller; a high-rye one used for Ancient Age, Elmer T. Lee, Blanton's, and others; and a low-rye one used for Buffalo Trace, Old Charter, and Eagle Rare. I didn't know that Eagle Rare came from the low-rye mashbill until I looked it up just now, but it's hardly a surprise. The Bourbon was corny. There was very little bite. Instead, it was sweet and smooth. Despite the age, I didn't get a whole lot of overt wood flavor, although it did have a decent amount of vanilla that must have come from the toasting on the barrel staves. My reaction to it is a lot like my reaction to Old Charter: a nice, tasty Bourbon, but not one (like Bulleit or 1792 Ridgemont Reserve) that I could get really enthusiastic about.

Airport Security

2008-01-24T23:13:00.000-06:00

Bruce Schneier calls attention to a post by Clark Kent Ervin on the New York Times's Jetlagged blog. Ervin doesn't think that security at airports is rigorous enough. Specifically, he says, there's a problem because terrorists can get into airport terminals, even if they can't get to the gates.

Like many people, I spend a lot of time in airport terminals, and I often think that they must be an awfully appealing target to terrorists. The largest airports have huge terminals teeming with thousands of passengers on any given day. They serve as conspicuous symbols of American consumerism, with McDonald’s restaurants, Starbucks coffee shops and Disney toy stores. While airport screeners do only a so-so job of checking for guns, knives and bombs at checkpoints, there’s no checking for weapons before checkpoints. So if the intention isn’t to carry out an attack once on board a plane, but instead to carry out an attack on the airport itself by killing people inside it, there’s nothing to stop a terrorist from doing so...

To prevent [attacks similar to the 2002 attack at the El Al ticket counter at LAX and the 2007 attempted car bombing at the Glasgow airport] — and larger ones that could be catastrophic — what if we moved the screening checkpoints from the interior of airports to the entrance? The sooner we screen passengers’ and visitors’ persons and baggage (both checked and carry-on) for guns, knives and explosives, the sooner we can detect those weapons and prevent them from being used to sow destruction.

The problem with this reasoning is that airport terminals aren't especially attractive targets for terrorists, incidents of terminal attacks notwithstanding. Airplanes are attractive targets, for a number of reasons. Airport terminals just form another class of places where large numbers of people congregate. They're no more attractive than shopping malls or sports stadiums or movie theaters. Why would you have onerous security for airport terminals but not the other places? Would the security actually deter or prevent any attacks, or would it simply make some people like Ervin feel better? As Schneier writes,

This is a silly argument, one that any regular reader of this newsletter should be able to counter. If you're worried about explosions on the ground, any place you put security checkpoints is arbitrary. The point of airport security is to prevent terrorism *on the airplanes*, because airplane terrorism is a more serious problem than conventional bombs blowing up in crowded buildings. (Four reasons. First, airlines are often national symbols. Second, airplanes often fly to dangerous countries. Third, for whatever reason, airplanes are a preferred terrorist target. And fourth, the particular failure mode of airplanes means that even a small bomb can kill everyone on board. That same bomb in an airport means that a few people die and many more get injured.) And most airport security measures aren't effective.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-24T22:53:00.000-06:00

Day

Gravati cap-toe bals in medium brown grained calfskin (Lama, color Larice) with single leather soles (16592, 500 last).

Evening

Gravati wingtip bals in walnut brown waterproof suede with thick combination leather/rubber soles (15902, 640 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-24T22:30:00.000-06:00

Last night, I finished off the rest of the bottle of Louis Bouillot Perle de Nuit Blanc de Noirs Crémant de Bourgogne. Similar with other experiences I've had with sparkling wine, it was better the second night than it was the first night. I think, although I'm not sure, that this is because it's lost some of its carbonation after being open for twenty four hours, making the wine less acidic and sour and allowing its fruit to show through more readily. This makes me think that I should move on to Italian Prosecco next. Produced from eponymous Prosecco grapes in the Veneto region of northern Italy, it is typically less carbonated than Champagne and Champagne-style sparkling wines.

The Louis Bouillot was around $18 a bottle. Was it worth it? Well, that's a hard question to answer. It wasn't as enjoyable as either the Gruet Blanc de Noirs or the Gruet Rosé, and each of those was $5 cheaper a bottle. But compared to the California and Champagne sparklers, each of which has cost more, it more than holds its own. Plus it includes Gamay, which makes for a unique experience. I don't regret the purchase price, but I doubt that I'll be a regular purchaser.

There's Not Enough Legroom, But At Least You Can Surf

2008-01-23T22:15:00.000-06:00

The Wall Street Journal reports that AMR, the parent company of American Airlines, plans on beginning a pilot program that will make wi-fi available in the cabins of some of their planes:

By this summer, the world's biggest airline, measured by passenger traffic, expects to provide Internet service on its Boeing 767-200 aircraft, used for longer flights, and gradually to add service across all of its fleet.

The service works on passengers' own wireless devices, like laptops and Apple iPhones. Travelers can access the Internet, including a company's intranet site, and send email. For flights of more than three hours, wireless service will cost $12.95, with a charge of $10 planned for shorter flights. American will generate some revenue from the service, Mr. Backelin said, but "our main goal is to improve our customers' experience." ("AMR to Test Wi-Fi Service For 767 Planes" by Ann Keeton, January 23, 2008, p. D3)

The FAA has to approve this, and I certainly hope that they do and that the other airlines feel compelled to offer something similar to compete with American. Reading books and watching DVDs on long flights are both well and good, but sometimes you just want to surf. Or blog.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-23T21:12:00.000-06:00

Day

Grenson Masterpieces three-eyelet blucher ankle austerity brogue boots in antiqued chestnut calfskin with single leather soles.

Evening

Santoni three-eyelet plain-toe blucher ankle boots in dark brown suede reverse welted with a thick rubber lug sole. These shoes were originally purchased to be Manhattan walking shoes. I've bought a lot of these. Walking in Manhattan can be brutal, both because there's so much of it and because the concrete sidewalks provide no cushioning at all. Shoes that don't fit well will cause blisters; and even if they do fit well, they can leave your feet feeling like they've been pounded with hammers. These ankle boots have a thick, cushy, latex rubber sole, and I thought that they would do well in Manhattan. They did okay, I suppose, but the fit in the heel wasn't as good as it needed to be to avoid discomfort after a long day of walking.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-23T20:41:00.000-06:00

Champagne is the king of French sparking wines, but there are many other regions in France that produce sparkling wine. Sparkling wine from an appellation d’origine contrôlée is generally called crémant. The ones that I have seen most frequently in the United States (not that I have been paying that much attention) are from Limoux (in the Languedoc), Alsace, and Bourgogne. Crémant de Bourgogne, it seemed to me when I was browsing the sparkling wine section at Central Market, should be the most like Champagne of all the French crémants since Bourgogne uses mostly the same grapes as Champagne does (namely, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and since it's relatively far north in France and would consequently be able to produce grapes high in acidity, as it should be with sparkling wine. Central Market had both a Blanc de Noirs and a Blanc de Blancs from Louis Bouillot, a Crémant de Bourgogne producer about which I knew nothing; but the price was decent and I thought what the heck. Given the fact that I typically like Blanc de Noirs better than Blanc de Blancs, I bought the Blanc de Noirs.

I don't know much more about Louis Bouillot than I did when I bought the bottle a couple of days ago. Their importer's website says that they began producing sparkling wine since 1877. The bottle says that they're based in Nuits-St-Georges in the heart of Burgundy, although that's not necessarily where the grapes they use for the wine are grown. Louis Bouillot Perle de Nuit Blanc de Noirs Crémant de Bourgogne is made from Pinot Noir from around Yonne and Gamay(!) from the Mâconnais. Well, this is a little bit different. Gamay isn't used in Champagne, and it's the grape of Beaujolais. I like (good) Beaujolais because it's fresh, fruity, and exuberant, so this is very promising. The wine is a deep straw color with just a tinge of salmon. The nose is, as one would expect, fresh, fruity, and exuberant. It is more immediately pleasing than any sparkling wine that I have tried on this latest binge. In the mouth, it's round and berry-like with plenty of body. I like this very much.

Big Old Expensive Phone Company

2008-01-22T22:45:00.000-06:00

Time Warner, the company then responsible for management of the Time Warner-Comcast joint venture that was and is the dominant player in the Texas cable market, tried and failed to manipulate Texas law to stop AT&T (then SBC) from rolling out a television package back in 2005. Now AT&T's U-verse is a reality, and Comcast (which now manages the Time Warner-Comcast joint venture) has to convince the consumer not to give it a try.

Don't get me wrong: I think the commercial is funny, but am I the only one wondering why Comcast is calling the viewer's attention to AT&T's inexperience with television when Comcast's corporate health depends to a large extent on its ability to persuade consumers to purchase services from Comcast in spaces that Comcast has little experience in, like telephone and alarm service?

Today's Shoes

2008-01-22T22:15:00.000-06:00

Day

Gravati split-toe monkstrap in caramel-colored Radica 03 calfskin with a combination leather/rubber soles (17194, 697 last). The principal complaint that I have with Gravati is the way they do their sockliners. They're longer to hit the foot just behind the ball, and they're glued down with glue that's not perfectly suited for the task. The result is that the sockliner can sometimes peel back partially and ball up underneath the arch of the foot, making walking unpleasant. The only solution to this problem is to cut out the curled-up portion of the liner with an X-acto knife. This happened to these shoes, and it's the reason why I get all of my Gravati special orders with a full-length sockliner.

Evening

Gravati four-eyelet plain-toe bluchers in dark brown grained (Lama) calfskin with combination leather/rubber soles (16532, 640 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-22T21:45:00.000-06:00

Given that my dram the day before yesterday was Cragganmore Distiller's Edition, which was finished in ex-Port barrels, it seems reasonable to have another drink of the regular distillery bottling, the 12 year old, and see how it compares to the other.

It's worth pointing out that although the 12 year old bottling isn't finished in Sherry, Port, Rum, Madeira, Burgundy, or Sauternes barrels, it is not unacquainted with Sherry. I couldn't find any reference to Cragganmore's wood policy in any of the places that I looked, but I would bet money that at least some of the constituents in the final Cragganmore blend were aged in ex-Sherry butts. There is a certain nutty sweetness to this whisky that indicates this. The sherry isn't as pronounced as it is in an honest-to-goodness Sherried malt like Macallan, but it's there. Malty graininess comes through loud and clear too, though. It's fresh and clean and about as refreshing as something that's 40% alcohol can possibly be. The Distiller's Edition, on the other hand, is thick, heavy, and very sweet. There's not much malt there; it's all chocolate and dark fruit. It's wonderful in its own way, but it's a very different product. It just demonstrates one more time that just knowing which distillery a particular whisky comes from is not sufficient to be able to predict what it will taste like. I'm sure that professional tasters would be able to tell that both of these were from the same distillery without seeing the label. If I hadn't known, I doubt that I would have been able to.

25 Skills Every Man Should Have...

2008-01-21T23:51:00.000-06:00

...according to an October, 2007 article in Popular Mechanics magazine include bleeding brakes (#22), navigate with a map and compass (#9), and rescue a boater who has capsized (#3). It's not shocking to me that I have done or know how to do only a few of these, mostly those that are computer-related like backing up data (#16). But I have watched This Old House, so I am familiar with the principals of framing a wall (#4):

Hold the base and top plates together with their ends aligned, then measure 15 1/4 in. from the end farthest from the door opening. Draw a line across the edge of the plates and mark an X right of the line. From here, mark a series of lines—one for each stud—spaced 16 in. apart, with an X to the right of each. Mark the plates to indicate a door opening.

Separate the plates and nail studs to the right of each line. Use two common 16d nails driven through the plate at the top and bottom of each stud.

Single-frame door openings require four pieces of lumber. Measure your door; then make the opening 2 in. higher and wider. To remove the sill plate in the opening, use an eight-point crosscut saw to cut almost through. (Protect the floor with masking tape.) Knock out the piece with a hammer and clean it up with a chisel.

Of course, I've never actually done it. I don't own an eight-point crosscut saw, you see.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-21T19:19:00.000-06:00

Day

Gravati punch-cap high-lace bal boots in dark brown calfskin with single leather soles (10278, 683 last).

Evening

Gravati plain-toe monkstraps in dark brown peccary with combination leather/rubber soles (16371, 640 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-21T19:07:00.000-06:00

The great divide in Scotch aging is between ex-Bourbon barrels and ex-Sherry casks. Up until 1946, most aging was done in ex-Sherry casks because British shippers imported Sherry into the country in cask and would sell the used casks to Scotch distillers dirt cheap once they had bottled the contents. But in 1946, US law began to require that Bourbon be aged in new, charred oak barrels. This meant that Bourbon distillers could only use their barrels once and were more than willing to sell them cheap to anyone who would take them. That, combined with Britain's steadily shrinking Sherry consumption, caused most distilleries to change their aging from virtually all ex-Sherry casks to virtually all ex-Bourbon casks. Most distilleries had some of both, of course, and the finished product would have been composed of whisky from both sources. But until Glenmorangie decided to try it, no distillery considered racking aging whisky from Bourbon barrels into Sherry casks or vice versa. It was a fantastic success, and so now just about every distillery copies them. And not just with Sherry. Distilleries have used Burgundy, Madeira, Sauternes, rum, and many other kinds of casks and barrels to "finish" their Scotch. Including Port. Port makes a lot of sense. Back in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, Britons probably drank as much port as they did Sherry, so lots of ex-Port pipes must have been used to age Scotch. So, given where Scotch had come from and the innovation that Glenmorangie made, it is perfectly reasonable that Diageo would have chosen to finish their Cragganmore Distiller's Edition malt in ex-Port pipes.

Port offers many of the same characteristics that Sherry does to Scotch, especially color and sweetness. Where Sherry adds nuttiness, Port adds fruitiness. I've never tried Glenmorangie's Port-finished malt, but I have a hard time believing that it's any better than this. This wood-finishing business seems gimmicky and largely marketing-driven to me, but it sure makes for delectable whisky.

For Big E

2008-01-20T23:19:00.000-06:00

Mamacita's six year old son, Big E, likes my Art Fawcett pork pie hat. The first time he saw it, he immediately put it on and hopped around the living room shouting "Yee haw!" He thought that it was a cowboy hat, you see. "No, Big E," I told him, "it's not a cowboy hat. It's a pork pie hat." "A pork pie hat?" he asked. "Yes, a pork pie hat." He has dutifully called it a pork pie hat ever since, but I can tell that he's just humoring me. "Uncle Soletrain," he said the other day, "it really looks like a cowboy hat," and he proceeded to explain to me why. Reasoning with him did no good: he's convinced that it's really a cowboy had and that his stupid Uncle Soletrain just doesn't know what he's talking about.

Well, Big E, here's an explanation of the difference between a cowboy hat and a pork pie hat, complete with pictures. The hat above is Will's pork pie, which is the model that my pork pie was based on. Notice how the sides of the crown of the hat is perpendicular to the brim, how the top of the hat is perpendicular to the sides of the crown (there actually is an oval dent on top of the hat, but it looks like it's perpendicular to the sides of the crown), how there are no dents in the sides of the crown, and how the brim is flipped up (slightly) at the back and flipped down (slightly) in the front. Now consider an honest-to-goodness cowboy hat:
This picture is of a Resistol. It does have dents in the side of the crown, and they run all the way from the front to the back of the crown. The band is very narrow, too. But the biggest difference is the brim. It's much wider than the brim of my pork pie, and it's turned up on the sides, not at the front or back. Completely different effect, don't you think, Big E?

(Not that I mind being heckled by a six year old, you understand.)

Today's Shoes

2008-01-20T19:22:00.000-06:00

Gravati split-toe double monkstraps with twin-needle-stiched apron and toe seams in medium brown tumbled (Rodeo) calfskin with double leathers soles (16617, 671 last). Twin-needle stitching doesn't really require two needles; rather, it requires two boar's bristles (actually, I think in modern times, it requires two nylon approximations of a boar's bristles). The key to doing it well is that it must be shallow. That is, it should be possible to see the outlines of the twine going through the central "molehill." It gives the finished shoe more visual interest, both because of the inherent texture of the molehill and because polishing the molehill leads to more variegation in color. It's easier to obtain this kind of effect with supple leathers, so Rodeo calfskin, which is one of the softest calfskins that I have ever seen, is an excellent candidate for this type of construction.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-20T19:00:00.000-06:00

The Aberfeldy distillery is owned by Dewar's, one of the great Scotch blenders which is in turn owned by Bacardi. Dewar's owns several other distilleries (Aultmore, Craigellachie, Macduff, and Royal Brackla), but Aberfeldy was the first of Dewar's distilleries and remains the heart of Dewar's blended whiskies. Dewar's White Label is Dewar's flagship product and is the sixth-best selling blended Scotch whisky in the world, but its popularity varies greatly from country to country. If you go to the Dewar's website, you'll have to enter your date of birth and country of residence before you're allowed to see the content; and the countries listed at the top of the dropdown list are the UK, the US, Greece, Lebanon, Spain, Venezuela, and China. It's a good bet that Dewar's sells more Scotch in those seven countries than anywhere else. The UK and the US make a lot of sense -- both have been huge consumers of Scotch for over a hundred years. But what do the other five have in common? As far as I can tell, not much. I have no idea why Dewar's would have taken off in those five countries to the exclusion of the many others whose residents have plenty of surplus income to spend on luxury spirits.

Blended Scotches, particularly entry-level blended Scotches like Johnnie Walker Red Label and Dewar's White Label, are generally smooth and gentle; and it's entirely appropriate that Aberfeldy would form the heart of blend. It's sweet, inoffensive, and unaggressive. There's a place for that, I think, and I enjoy drinking it. It just wouldn't make my list of the the best Scotches I've tried.

Genius!

2008-01-19T23:15:00.000-06:00

I don't write very many checks. Credit and debit cards and cash are much more convenient at the point of sale, and most bills can be paid over the interweb. But not all can be, and I still write a few checks a year. Earlier this month, I ran out of checks for the first time in maybe four years; and so I was forced to pony up $17 to get a new box. The problem with ordering checks, of course, is that they have to be mailed to you; and nothing comes through the mail in a box the size and shape of a check box except checks. It's an open invitation for thieves. Only it's not anymore. The checks didn't come in a package that looked like a box of checks. They came in a flat pack like the one in the picture above, the result of the books of checks being packed side by side instead of one on top of the other. The package could have contained a magazine or a book or any number of things other than checks. Apparently, Deluxe has recently revamped their packagi ng to get better postal rates and to increase security. Well, congratulations. It's an excellent idea.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-19T19:25:00.000-06:00

Alden long-wing bluchers in dark tan alpine grain calfskin with reverse welting and double leather soles (Barrie last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-19T18:53:00.000-06:00

As day follows night, when I have a dram of Compass Box Eleuthera, I'll have a dram of Clynelish shortly thereafter. Clynelish is, of course, one of the two principal constituent malts in Eleuthera (the other being Caol Ila). Clynelish, you may recall, is a Diageo-owned distillery in the eastern coastal Highlands of Scotland. Every tasting note for Clynelish that I read mentions its waxy texture; but to be perfectly honest, I never have really gotten that. Chalk it up to my leaden palate. I don't dislike this malt, but it doesn't do much for me. There are many other lightly-peated malts that I'd rather drink than this, and most of them are cheaper, too.

Over the past couple of years, Diageo has dramatically expanded their Classic Malts series. It originally started out with Lagavulin, Talisker, Cragganmore, Oban, Glenkinchie, and Dalwhinnie. Now, it seems that just about every malt whiskey in Diageo's portfolio seems to be one of the Classic Malts. There's Royal Lochnagar (which I really, really wish were imported into the United States in its 12 year old form), Cardhu (the one that Spanish kids like to mix with Coca-Cola), Knockando, Glen Elgin, Caol Ila, and something called the Singleton of Glendullan. I gather from this that the Classic Malts have been a tremendously successful marketing device and that Diageo wants to milk it for all that it's worth. The justification for including Clynelish among the rest is that the distillery is located in the coastal east of the Scottish highlands, and there are very few distilleries close by. Diageo, and most other marketers of Scotch, like to subdivide Scotland into regions in an attempt to make the myriad distilleries more comprehensible. Clynelish is in the Highlands region, but the Highlands cover a lot of area. The lay of the land around Clynelish doesn't share a whole lot of similarities with, say, Oban or Edradour, which are also in the Highlands region. Diageo has responded to this obvious problem by subdividing Scotland still more; and with the subdivision comes the justification for adding new Classic Malts to represent those subdivisions. But I don't think that there is any real eastern coastal Highlands style of whisky. Yes, Clynelish is very different from Oban, but those differences don't have their origin in geography or geographic tradition. There's nothing wrong with Diageo trying to sell whisky, but consumers really shouldn't take the Classic Malts marketing propaganda too seriously.

Books

2008-01-18T22:58:00.000-06:00

I grew up in suburbia. There were many good things about it, but the availability of books wasn't one of them. There were two bookstores in my hometown: Crown and Waldenbooks. Neither one of them was very good. You could find the best sellers and maybe even past titles from the authors of the best sellers, but anything else was hit and miss. They would have Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn but never Life on the Mississippi or The Prince and the Pauper, A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol but never The Pickwick Papers. By the time I got to high school, Crown had begun to carry Wilkie Collins's two most famous novels, The Woman in White and The Moonstone. One day when I was in the ninth grade, I found No Name at a B. Dalton in the mall ten miles away, and went back obsessively after that in the hopes that they might get Armadale or Basil or anything else by Collins. The summer after my ninth grade year, we dropped my older brother off for his freshman year at a major state university, and I thought that I had died and gone to heaven when I stepped foot into the campus Follett's bookstore because they had not only the textbooks for every course at the university but also the best history section that I had ever seen.

The world of bookselling has changed dramatically since I was a kid. The biggest driver of that change is Amazon, of course. Because of Amazon, it's not possible to buy any book in print from any number of sources and have it in your hot little hands in a few days. It's not a challenge anymore to assemble the complete works of Wilkie Collins, and I can even be picky about the translation of War and Peace I want to read. But not far behind Amazon in influence on bookselling in the United States are superstore chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble. They don't have the breadth of selection that Amazon does, of course, but the selection is still vast. And they have overstuffed chairs and in-store coffee shops so that you can browse the merchandise, sit down, and sample possible selections while sipping on the caffeinated beverage of your choice. It's a great way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, for me at least. More than that, it's brought a level of service to formerly bookstore-poor locales that's an order of magnitude or more better than what was common 20 years ago. My hometown now has both a Borders and a Barnes & Noble, and I would wager that I could find six or seven of Wilkie Collins's works in either one of them and could come to a conclusion about the one I might find the most enjoyable in comfort before buying any of them. Even in major cities like Houston, the presence of multiple locations of the major chain superstores has dramatically increased the availability of books of all sorts. Barnes & Noble and Borders are motivated by profit, not altruism, of course, but both of them have improved the quality of my life significantly.

None of my thoughts or observations or arguments about this is particularly original. The reason that I bring them up now is that The Atlantic Monthly has recently made their archives available free of charge for non-subscribers, which means that it's possible again to read my favorite essay of all time published in the magazine. Originally in the July/August 2001 edition, "Two -- Make That Three -- Cheers for the Chain Bookstores" by Brooke Allen makes my case better than I ever could.

What if fifteen years ago someone had suggested a nationwide network of gigantic bookshops, carrying about 150,000 titles each, staying open until 11:00 P.M. or midnight, and offering cafés, comfortable chairs, and public restrooms? And what if these sumptuous emporia were to be found not only in the great urban centers but also in small cities and suburbs all across the country—places like Plano, Texas; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Mesa, Arizona? Wouldn't we have thought that sounded like pure, if unattainable, heaven? Well, that is what the superstore chains—Barnes & Noble; Borders; and Books-A-Million, based in Birmingham, Alabama—have brought us. Why, then, the chorus of disapproval from the cultural elite? Why the characterization, spread by a vocal group of critics, of the chain bookstores as a sort of intellectual McDonald's, a symbol of the dumbing-down and standardization of American life?

She ascribes the opposition to the superstores as being born in snobbery and ignorance, and I think that she makes a good case. To be honest, I don't know how deep the opposition was in 2001; that is, I'm not sure if she created a strawman out of the movie You've Got Mail and a few angry comments in industry publications. Regardless, she effectively makes the case that the book superstores have been a force for good in the United States. The superstores don't just promote bestsellers -- most of the shelf space, including most of the displays, goes to the midlist titles that form the backbone of "serious" books offered for sale. The selection at an average book superstore is as good or better than even the best independent bookstores. The employees, on average, are no more likely to be "you want fries with that?" drones than they are in independent stores. And they exist in places less sophisticated than Manhattan and San Francisco.

What has changed in the six and a half years since this article was published? Well, there are more superstores now than there were then, and the older superstores have begun to show their age. I suspect that Amazon and its online competitors have made life increasingly difficult for Barnes & Noble and Borders -- the discounts mentioned in the article have been gone for years. But the ones that I go to are still packed at all hours of the day, and not just with college students studying in the coffee shop (although that wouldn't be terrible, given the margins on coffee drinks). They have been and are a godsend to me, and I believe that they have been a positive force in American society.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-18T20:27:00.000-06:00

Borgioli split-toe bluchers with twin-needle-stitched apron and toe seams in dark tan calfskin with Norwegian construction and double leather soles. The shoes pictured above are made by Sutor Mantellassi, but they're a pretty accurate representation of why my Borgioli shoes look like. The only significant difference is where Mantellassi uses a single row of stitching for the Norwegian stitch around the base of the upper, Borgioli uses two rows of stitching braided together. More attractive and flashier, I think. I wear these less than I would like because the last they are made on, like so many lasts made for the European market instead of the American one, is too wide in the heel for my feet. My heels slip when walking, causing discomfort after wearing them for a while. Today, though, because it was cold and rainy, I wore these with thick wool boot socks, and that made the slippage go away completely. Hooray for thick wool boot socks!

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-18T20:01:00.000-06:00

It's hard to survive as a relatively small independent producer of Scotch whisky. Whisky distillation is a capital-intensive business -- stills and barrels aren't cheap, and neither are the excise taxes that have to be paid when the whisky is distilled (rather than years later when it's actually sold). Distillate can't legally be labeled as Scotch until it has aged for three years, it has to age for a significantly longer period of time before it's a viable single malt. What distilleries have traditionally done is to generate cash flow by selling young whisky to the blenders, but that's becoming more and more problematic as the industry consolidates. Diageo has all the young malt whisky that it needs for its blends, thank you very much, and the same can be said for all the other major spirits companies that produce blended Scotch. The commercial realities of the whisky business explain why there are so few independent distilleries left in Scotland and why so few distilleries have started up recently, despite the current Scotch boom.

Tomintoul, located near Ballindalloch on the river Spey, is therefore an anomaly. It was founded in the mid 1960s, much later than just about every malt distillery in Scotland and just before the Scotch bust era in the 1970s and 1980s. Somehow, it managed to survive that experience and is today owned by Angus Dundee Distillers, a small company based in London and Glasgow with a stable of two malt distilleries (the other being Glencadam, in the Highlands). Sure enough, they have their own line of blended Scotch, too. Whether that's because the big boys don't need Tomintoul and Glencadam or because Angus Dundee found that there's more margin to be had from selling your own blended whisky than there is from selling malt whisky in bulk to the blenders, I couldn't say. I can say that I have never seen any of the blends that Angus Dundee makes or markets, and I wonder if they're simply too small to have made it over here.

I had seen a Tomintoul 10 year old before, but it had never really registered with me. Yesterday, though, a representative of the US importer of Tomintoul, Medek Wines & Spirits, was at the Spec's warehouse downtown handing out samples of both the 10 year old and the 16 year old versions. What the heck, I thought, and so I tried both. The 10 year old is malty and fresh. The rep said that the target audience for it were those who were new to Scotch, and I can see that. It was tasty and uncomplicated. The 16 year old was better. There's a bit of peat, a lot of sherried sweetness, and a nice dose of malt. I liked it very much, so I ended up buying a bottle. I liked the full glass that I had last night, too. Tomintoul's slogan is "The Gentle Dram," and that accurately describes it. There's nothing aggressive about it, just what you would expect a good middle-of-the-road Scotch to taste like.

Dress Like a CEO

2008-01-17T23:23:00.000-06:00

It is a fact that appearance matters. On average, more attractive people make more money and rise faster in the corporate world than less attractive people. Better-dressed salesmen sell more than ones who are more poorly dressed. And a well-dressed applicant for a job is more likely to get that job than his more poorly-dressed competitors. We can argue that this is absurdly unjust and that what's inside matters much more than outward appearance, but this is just so much tilting at windmills. The fact of the matter is that in deciding whom to buy a product from or whom to offer the job to, a person has very limited and fragmentary information. In the absence of information, the mind seizes on what information is available and tries to use it to make educated guesses about the information that's not. It's not a perfect system, but it's not an irrational one, either. Just as I will buy the bottle of wine or whiskey with the more attractive label, all other things being equal, so too would I opt for the better-dressed choice, all other things being equal. And I suspect that I am like most people in this respect, even people who profess to disdain outward appearance.

One of the principal problems in today's world is defining the phrase "better-dressed." As a recent Wall Street Journal article about dressing for job interviews puts it:

To complicate matters, things aren't as cut-and-dried as they were in the days of strict blue-collar and white-collar work uniforms. Following the old dress-for-success rules, with ties and starched white shirts, would create suspicion and awkwardness at Google's dressed-down headquarters today. Executive job seekers have to study more than the balance sheet these days -- they have to suss out a company's fashion ethos. ("Want to Be CEO? You Have to Dress the Part" by Christina Binkley, January 10, 2008, p. D1)

There are certain universals in defining what well-dressed means -- clothes should be clean and stain-free, for example -- but mostly, it's a matter of context. If you went to a job interview at IBM in the 1960s, well-dressed would have meant a clean, starched button-down oxford cloth shirt with a well-tied burgundy tie, a single-breasted charcoal wool suit, and black wingtips. Wear that to an interview with a software development shop today, and your interviewers will probably think you hopelessly stuffy and out-of-touch. It is useless raging about the decline of standards and how that outfit makes you better dressed than your interviewers wearing polo shirts and jeans. They'll still think it, and you will have gone in to your interview with a self-made handicap. And really, your raging would be wrong in any event. Those who own and run that tech company have just as much right to decide on the style of dress that's appropriate for their employees that IBM had back in the '60s. So be smart: ask the person setting up the interview what appropriate dress is for the company or person you're interviewing with, and wear it. If you can't bear the thought of dressing like that, then find another company to interview with.

And it's worth writing that there are almost no contexts where dressing for an interview like the guy in the picture above is appropriate. He's Lapo Elkann, heir to the Fiat fortune. Nobody is going to tell him that he's dressed inappropriately, even if he is.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-17T21:03:00.000-06:00

Day

John Lobb Paris three-eyelet plain-toe V-front bluchers in tobacco suede with single leather soles (Perrier model, 8896 last). The first really expensive shoes that I ever lusted after were from John Lobb Paris -- three-eyelet plain-toe ankle boots in tobacco suede with low-profile rubber soles. I saw them at Neiman Marcus in 1997 or 1998, and I thought that they were about as perfect as a pair of shoes could be. The model name was Giono, and it turned out that it had been developed as an ankle boot variant of Perrier. Well, I saw pictures of Perrier, and I thought that it was pretty perfect, too, although Lobb had this inexplicable habit of making it up in black. These shoes were a special order inspired by those Giono boots. It's a pity that the 8896 last doesn't fit me better (like most Lobb Paris lasts, it's too wide in the heel for me), but Perrier is one beautiful shoe. The picture above doesn't really do it justice, both because it's crappy and the color of leather selected doesn't really do much for the pattern; but I have to work with what I can find on the interweb.

Evening

Gravati ghillie tie split-toe bluchers with twin-needle stitching on the apron and toe (13555, 500 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-17T18:55:00.000-06:00

It appears from their website that Compass Box has gotten rid of their Eleuthera bottling from their range. You may recall that Eleuthera was their original peaty offering, consisting mainly of a vatting of Caol Ila and Clynelish. It makes sense that they've discontinued this for a couple of reasons. First, it is possible that their sources of Caol Ila or Clynelish dried up. For reasons that I discuss below, I think it unlikely that it was Caol Ila that disappeared, but it certainly is possible that Clynelish did. Clynelish is owned by Diageo, and Diageo recently "promoted" it into its Classic Malts series where previously it had not been extensively marketed as a single malt. It's possible that Diageo no longer had surplus whisky from Clynelish to sell, and Compass Box was unable to find a replacement that would have kept the style of the finished vatting consistent. Second, there's the matter of marketing. Who in the heck knows what to expect from a bottle of whisky named Eleuthera? If I had just seen it on the shelf and had not read about it beforehand, I certainly would not have. The replacement for Eleuthera in Compass Box's portfolio is called Peat Monster. The idea is the same: vat an Islay whisky with a non-Islay whisky to get the characteristics of both Islay and the Highlands. Where Eleuthera used Clynelish, Peat Monster uses Ardmore. Ardmore is an old-style peated whisky where Clynelish is unpeated, so Peat Monster should have a higher phenol content than Eleuthera did; but still the idea is the same. The name, though, is much more marketable, especially in the United States. In recent times, extreme levels of hops have been a big selling point for American microbrewed beer; and the same is true for peat content and Scotch. Peaty whiskies are very popular here, and both distilleries and vatters have taken advantage of this in a big way. Any idiot can tell that a bottle labeled Peat Monster will be peaty, so it's a much easier sell for Compass Box than Eleuthera was. Oh, one more bit of trivia: Compass Box says that the Islay for Peat Monster comes from "the village of Port Askaig, as well as some south shore whisky (as of late 2007)." Port Askaig is on the east coast of Islay very close to Caol Ila. It's also relatively close to Bunnahabhain, but Bunnahabhain rarely produces peaty whisky. I'd be willing to bet that the Port Askaig whisky is Caol Ila. There are three distilleries on the south shore of Islay: Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Ardbeg. Lagavulin is in extremely short supply, and there isn't much aged Ardbeg available due to its underproduction and neglect for most of the 1990s. I'd bet that the "south shore whisky" is Laphroaig. In any event, it's interesting that Compass Box doesn't explicitly reveal its sources here since they are usually not shy about doing so. I can only guess that their reticence is due to agreements that they made with the distilleries they bought the whisky from.

I haven't had Compass Box Eleuthera in quite some time, and I can't come up with a good explanation for that. The addition of Clynelish makes it less overpoweringly peaty than peated Islay malts are by themselves, and I think that that's a good thing. Peat, at least to my palate, tends to dominate everything else. It's enjoyable enough, I suppose, but I like to taste the malt and the wood influence on the whisky, too. Having Clynelish in the blend allows me to do that. Alas, the bottle is almost gone, and I won't be able to replace it. Of course, even if Compass Box still produced it, I wouldn't be able to replace it since they don't distribute in Texas apparently.

Merino

2008-01-16T22:38:00.000-06:00

One of the problems with living in Houston is that we don't really have winters here. Well, that's not that much of a problem, of course. Not having real winters means that we don't have to deal with snow, high winter heating bills, or frozen pipes; and that is a good thing. However, the fact that the temperature in Houston might get below freezing three or four times a year certainly does put a damper on wearing winter clothes; and winter clothes usually have more style than summer clothes. Winter has tweed and flannel and loden. What does summer have? Linen? I like linen just fine, but it really can't compete with tweed for character. And winter has sweaters, too. I love sweaters. They're useful, and there are so many characterful sweaters available, from chunky hand-knit Aran sweaters to colorful Fair Isle ones to cashmere in every conceivable configuration. I have an Aran sweater, and I like it very much. The problem is that in the two years I've owned it, it's gotten cold enough to wear it exactly twice.

So what's a sweater-loving Houstonian to do? Well, fine-gauge merino sweaters have provided the best answer that I know of. They come in a wide array of colors, and they're just the right weight for Houston winters. And, since the good ones are knitted from high-grade merino wool, they're also decidedly unscratchy. Best of all, they're ubiquitous. Here are some sources:

Brooks Brothers -- Brooks will typically sell these in about 5 or 7 different colors in four different styles: polo, V-neck, crew neck, and sweater vest. List price is around $90, but they're forever running sales. Right now, all of their winter sweaters are 50% off. These are made in Hong Kong, and they're not bad. But the wool isn't as fine as I would like, and they have trouble holding their shape after repeated wearings. They also have a tendency to pill.
Four in Hand -- Four in Hand is based in Brooklyn, New York, and it is run by Jonathan Fischer. Jonathan's merino sweaters are made in Italy by Sartori, which does private-label work for several big-name designer labels. He has crew necks, polos, mock turtlenecks, and cardigans in three or four colors per style with prices ranging from $80 to $130, depending on style. In my favored style, the crew neck, the sweaters are less expensive than the ones from Brooks Brothers, and they're much better. The wool is not scratchy at all. They hold their shape, They don't pill appreciably, even after a lot of wearings. They're great sweaters, and they ought to cost more than they do. And, of course, Jonathan is a fantastic merchant all the way around.
Zimmerli -- Zimmerli is known for its fantastically expensive underwear, but they make other knitwear, too, including fine-gauge merino sweaters in many, many colors and just about every style imaginable. They're the best that I've seen. The merino is extremely fine, and the knit is thin and hard-finished. They're durable, and I have never seen them pill AT ALL. They're also the most expensive of the three that I've mentioned, ranging in price from $144 for a sweater vest to $195 for a polo sweater. And they've recently discontinued the turtleneck (who cares?) and the crew neck (what are they thinking?).

There are other makers out there, of course, ranging from Gran Sasso (which makes private-label sweaters for just about every independent men's store in the United States) to LL Bean (made in China), but I don't have a whole lot of experience with them. Given the options that I have and the number of these sweaters that I need, I probably won't try them, either. For my money, Zimmerli offers the best quality and Four in Hand the best value.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-16T22:28:00.000-06:00

Day

Gravati side-zip plain-toe ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo with single leather soles (16821, 683 last).

Evening

Gravati high-vamp penny loafers with twin-needle-stitched apron seam in medium red-brown grained calfskin (Tibet #39) with single leather soles (15477, 701 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-16T21:03:00.000-06:00

I have come to the conclusion that I should probably buy mostly blanc de noirs and rosé sparkling wine from now on. Perhaps it's evidence that I am a complete Philistine, but the lesson that I have learned from this sparkling wine binge over the past two or three weeks is that I like the berry aromas and the fuller body that is typically found in pinot noir-heavy sparkling wines (ie, in blanc de noirs and rosé) better than the flavors and character imparted by a large proportion of chardonnay. Chardonnay-heavy sparkling wine, at least the versions that I have tried (and, to be honest, I don't have much breadth of experience here) is much more likely to be sour and bland.

In any event, I finished the bottle of Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs last night, and it was probably better the second night than the first. Perhaps this is because it lost some of its carbonation and was consequently a bit less acidic. I don't know. But I do know that I don't feel cheated at all by spending $30 on a bottle of sparkling wine, and that's saying a lot by itself. I will have to try the rosé next, even though it is $37 a bottle. If I don't feel ripped off by that price, I should just stop drinking sparkling wine altogether because it would likely lead me to bankruptcy.

"Tell him to get f--ked"

2008-01-15T22:49:00.000-06:00

If the article in the May, 2006 issue of Inc. magazine that Mamacita sent me a link to is any indication, that phrase is a favorite of Fred Franzia's, particularly when he's upset or irritated ("The Scourge of Napa Valley" by Kermit Pattison). And it appears that Franzia is upset or irritated a lot. He's the chairman and CEO of Bronco Wine, one of the largest and fastest-growing wine companies in California and one that you're probably never heard of. But you probably have heard of some of the brands that they make, bottle, and market, including Napa Ridge, Forest Glen, and Charles Shaw. That last one is usually referred to by its nickname, though -- it's Two Buck Chuck. Bronco produces it for Trader Joe's, and although it's not two dollars a bottle outside of California anymore, it's still unbelievably cheap for something that isn't box wine or Night Train. It actually holds its own in blind tastings against much more expensive wine. Two Buck Chuck is an extreme example of what Bronco does with all of its wines: they own some of the most extensive winegrowing acreage in the world, they have huge wine storage and aging facilities, and they have the financial resources to buy up excess wine from whomever is in distress whenever they want to. That means that they have a tremendous stock of wine to choose from to blend the wines for their various brands to different (and good) flavor profiles, and they have the scale to be able to do it cheaply. Read the whole article -- Franzia is an interesting character, and the story of his business is a good one.

What I find the most interesting about the article, though, are Franzia's comments about the wine industry. Consider this, for example:

He believes that the wine industry has become intoxicated by elitism, inflated prices, and its own PR about terroir--the idea that a wine is uniquely a product of the place it comes from, and by extension that some places are better than others. "Why complicate it?" asks Franzia, voice rising. "Does anybody complicate Cheerios by saying the wheat has to be grown on the side of a mountain and the terroir in North Dakota is better than Kansas and all this horse s---? You put something in your mouth and enjoy it. If you spend $100 to buy a bottle of wine, how the hell are you going to enjoy it? It's a joke. There's no wine worth that kind of money."

And this:

There's nothing unusual in this [Bronco's production techniques], but it's bold to insist that these blended wines are every bit as good as Napa wines that cost several times as much, which of course Franzia does. "I defy anyone that charges more money to let me conduct a blind tasting," he says. "He'll look like a fool with his own wine."

And this:

"California wine shouldn't be divided up into these little oligopoly appellations," he says. "They try to create a myth to keep the consumer from buying other people's wine."

A big part of me sympathizes with Franzia's argument. The fact of the matter is that the wine industry actively encourages snobbery, elitism, and consumer confusion. To a very large extent, it markets wine as a luxury item to label-obsessed yuppies. Wine shouldn't be mystifying. It is a food item, and it should be like any other food item: enjoyed for the quality of its flavors, aromas, and other properties, not for the prestige it brings the buyer. But at the same time, it's just ridiculous to say, as Franzia does, that a grape is a grape is a grape, no matter where it is grown. I'm more than willing to believe that it is possible to grow decent grapes outside of the "prestige" areas in California and that the prestige of Napa County and other big-name AVAs allows growers of crappy grapes to get paid premium prices. But grapes (and indeed, all living things) taste different depending on th environment they were raised in and the kinds of nutrients they ingested. Grass-fed beef tastes different from corn-fed beef, doesn't it? Why shouldn't grapes grown on the side of a hill in gravelly, limestone-rich soil taste different from grapes grown in a river bottom? Rejection of snobbery doesn't have to entail abandoning one's common sense.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-15T20:50:00.001-06:00

Day

Edward Green bespoke Adelaide bals with hand-stitching forming the diamond cap, the U throat, and the heel counter. Tony Gaziano, who made the lasts for these shoes, is a chisel-toe specialist; and these shoes have the chiseliest of chisel toes. That was intentional: I wanted something extremely aggressive, and that's what he made for me. I imagine that I will have Tony make more shoes for me at some point, but I think that the next pair will have a smart round toe.

Evening

Brooks Brothers Peal & Co. unlined three-eyelet plain-toe blucher boots in sand suede with heavy crepe rubber soles.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-15T19:37:00.000-06:00

Schramsberg is the oldest producers of sparkling wine in the United States. The winery dates to 1862, when German immigrant Jacob Schram gave up barbering in San Francisco and places north to buy land in Napa County and grow grapes. As far as I can tell, though, production was entirely still wines until 1940, when John Gargano and the California Champagne Company bought the winery. Douglas Pringle acquired the winery and the California Champagne Company in 1951, and he continued to produce wine until his death in 1960. The winery remained shuttered until 1965, when Jack and Jamie Davies bought the property and resumed production. The winery is currently run by the Davies' son, Hugh Davies.

Today, Schramsberg has three lines of sparkling wine. Wines in the Mirabelle line are multi-vintage and retail around $20 a bottle. The main line is composed of vintage wines, and the various bottlings retail for between $30 and $50 a bottle. At the top end, there is the reserve range, composed of the Pinot Noir-heavy Reserve, the Chardonnay-heavy J. Schram, and the J. Schram Rosé. These are typically more than double the price of the main line wines, and they feature extensive sur lie aging. The mainline Blanc de Noirs has the reputation of being one of the best sparklers (from California or elsewhere) available for the price (which isn't insignificant). I had gone looking for it a few days ago and couldn't find it. I was luckier when I tried again the day before yesterday.

Despite the name, this wine isn't just made from black grapes: it has about 15% Chardonnay. I don't know if it would be permissible in France to label a sparkling wine with 15% Chardonnay as Blanc de Noirs; but Schramsberg isn't in France, and it's obviously okay in the United States. Some Blanc de Noirs sparklers will have a slight pink tinge. Not this one: it's a deep gold, but there's not a hint of orange or red in it. But it does have a lot of the berry flavors and aromas that one typically associates with a Rosé wine, and a good deal of the body, too. I think that I enjoy this more than any of the other sparkling wines that I've tried recently. It's excellent.

Oh, For Crying Out Loud

2008-01-14T22:51:00.000-06:00

The Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer (MLS) have won the last two league championships, and they figure that that means that they deserve a new stadium. Or, more accurately, Oliver Luck, their president, thinks that a new stadium built with a hefty subsidy from the City of Houston could make the team more profitable and that the back-to-back championships and a threat by the team to leave Houston will get them that subsidy. And surprise, surprise: it looks like important members of the city government have fallen for it. Carolyn Feibel reports in the Houston Chronicle that the City is considering purchasing a six-block piece of land downtown east of US 59 for the team to build the stadium on:

The city could spend up to $20 million to buy six downtown blocks for a Dynamo soccer stadium, and it remains unclear if the team would reimburse the costs.

The blocks that officials are eyeing — just east of U.S. 59 in the warehouse district — have a total appraised value of about $5.1 million, according to the Harris County Appraisal District, or HCAD.

But local property owners who want to sell have been asking for triple or even quadruple the appraised values, as the area is seen as "hot" for development. ("Land considered for soccer venue in a 'hot' locale", Jan. 14, 2008)

Okay, okay. To be fair, the story says that it's unclear whether the city would be reimbursed for the cost of the land; but it doesn't really sound like it from the quotes from city officials in the story. Mayor Bill White says that "he doesn't want public funds used for the actual stadium construction;" and I think it's a reasonable presumption that he intentionally mentioned stadium construction specifically and did not rule out city funds being spent on other aspects of the stadium project. And Councilman Peter Brown says that the city can't take the risk that the Dynamo will go elsewhere: "It's important for us economically to have the Dynamo here because if we don't have a stadium for them, they're going to go somewhere else."

Frankly, Brown's statement is a complete non sequitur. I don't doubt that the Dynamo will go elsewhere if they can't get a stadium here and they think that some other municipality will pony up for one, but it doesn't follow that the Dynamo leaving would be an economic blow to Houston. In fact, it wouldn't. Even major sports franchises bring little new money into the metropolitan area that they call home -- they just redistribute the spending of entertainment dollars within that metropolitan area. But the Dynamo are hardly a major sports franchise. Despite the name of the league, MLS is hardly the major leagues of soccer. That distinction is held by the English Premier League, La Liga in Spain, and Serie A in Italy. MLS is probably the equivalent of the AA minor league teams in baseball, if that. And the residents of the Houston metropolitan area treat the Dynamo like they were a minor league team: the fact that they only want a 22,000-seat stadium indicates quite clearly what they think is the maximum number of fans that they can hope to attract on a regular basis.

If a new stadium for the Dynamo were truly an economically viable proposition, they would find private investors and build it themselves. The fact that they have to lobby for city subsidies illustrates that private investors wouldn't want to touch it with a ten foot pole. Frankly, I don't see what's wrong with them playing at Robertson Stadium on the University of Houston campus or at Reliant Stadium. If that's not good enough for them, then they should leave. I don't want them to, but I don't approve of government subsidies for a private business, especially one as economically unproductive as a professional sports team.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-14T22:39:00.001-06:00

Alden high-lace wingtip blucher boots in Cigar shell cordovan with double leather soles (Plaza last). Reportedly, Cigar shell cordovan is becoming more and more difficult to come by. It's not quite like lighter colors like Whiskey and Ravello, which can have back orders of years, but the price for shoes and boots in Cigar is rising, even relative to more standard colors like Color #8 and black.

These boots were specified by Tom Park at LeatherSoul Hawaii.

Nutella Redux Redux Redux

2008-01-13T22:45:00.000-06:00

With Nutella cookies conquered, the time has come to move on to other Nutella-based goodies. Ice cream sounded both good and easy, so I decided to try that. There apparently are two different principal variations in Nutella ice cream: one with the Nutella thoroughly integrated with the ice cream base, and one with the Nutella swirled in. The integrated version sounded more idiot-proof, and so that's the one that I went with. A quick Google search revealed a not-too-threatening recipe by Giada De Laurentis from the Food Network. It's rated as easy, users give it 5 out of 5 stars, and it supposedly only takes 15 minutes of actual work. What can possibly go wrong?

Well, if you're an incompetent cook, a lot. Well, maybe not a lot, but enough. It's a custard ice cream, meaning that it contains eggs. And that the eggs have to be tempered. And I apparently couldn't temper eggs if my life. So after curdling the eggs, I decided to call it a day.

The next day, having regained my courage, I decided to try again, only without the eggs. I quickly found another recipe from a food-centric blog called Hungry in Hogtown, this time a non-custard with the Nutella swirled in. This looked even more idiot-proof than Giada De Laurentis's. Here are the details:

250 ml (1 cup) 35% heavy cream
250 ml (1 cup) 3.25% milk
1 vanilla bean or substitute vanilla extract
110 g (1/2 cup) sugar
120 g (1/3 cup) Nutella
10 ml (2 tsp) canola oil

Combine cream, milk, sugar, and scraped vanilla seeds and pod and heat to 175F/79C.

Chill.

One hour before churning the ice cream, heat the Nutella in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir in the oil, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Freeze ice cream as per maker's instructions. At the last moment, add the room temperature Nutella mixture to the ice cream. Do not overchurn after this point or the Nutella will incorporate into the ice cream, rather than forming a stripe.

I followed the recipe pretty closely, except I added probably a third more Nutella than it called for. If a little is good, a lot is better, right? I don't know what went wrong, but the Nutella-canola oil mixture never did form much of a swirl. Instead, it immediately broke up into tiny little grains of Nutella. Not particularly visually appealing, but still pretty tasty. I don't know if it was a function of the ice cream maker (I used a Cuisinart) or of the recipe, but it was exceptionally smooth and creamy. The whole vanilla bean also made for an intense vanilla flavor, with little bursts of Nutella. I thought that it was very tasty, although it would have been better if we could have waited long enough for it to freeze solid. I like it, but I owe it to Nutella to try, try again. Letitia thinks that it wouldn't be the best ice cream to use for making Nutella cookie ice cream sandwiches because the ice cream would overshadow the cookies. She's probably right.

(Incidentally, if you're looking for Nutella, you should look at Costco. They have a two pack of the 26.5 ounce bottles for a little over $8. The cheapest I have seen the 26.5 ounce bottle elsewhere is around $6. )

Today's Shoes

2008-01-13T22:41:00.000-06:00

Alden long wing bluchers with reverse welting in Color #8 shell cordovan with double leather soles (model 975, Barrie last). One of the not-so-wonderful aspects of shell cordovan shoes is that they will develop a milky white film on the surface of the leather if they haven't been worn for a week or two. It's composed of fat used in the tanning process that seeps to the surface of the leather, and it can just be wiped off with a soft cloth. The problem, though, is when this film develops along the stitching around the throat and eyelet facings of the shoe -- it's hard to get rid of when it develops there.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-13T21:27:00.000-06:00

It's been quite some time since I last tasted my Glenrothes Special Reserve. I bought the bottle shortly before I started in on American whiskey, followed by wine; and I'm just now getting back to Scotch. You will recall that Glenrothes is one of the malt distilleries owned by the Edrington Group, which also owns such other properties as Highland Park, Macallan, and Tamdhu; and that its recent claim to fame lies in their primary bottlings being vintage. Vintage spirits are rarities, and they're practically unheard-of in the world of Scotch. The rarity and novelty of vintage Scotches and the quality of their bottlings allow Glenrothes to sell their vintage Scotches for a pretty penny, and it's also what allows them to sell their non-vintage, non-age-designated Special Reserve bottling for more than most 12 year old Scotches on the market.

Well, I can't honestly claim to feel ripped off by the price. What matters is the quality of the spirit in the bottle, not the age on the bottle; and the quality of the spirit in the bottle is high. Speyside malts are known for their elegance and finesse. This Scotch doesn't have a whole lot of either. It's BIG and significantly more peaty than most Speyside whiskies. I get a lot of apple on the palate, but that's not the dominant impression. Rather, it's in the background as the body and the smoke pound my senses. I like it, although I probably wouldn't want to drink it every day.

Oh, and the last time I was in Spec's, I noticed that the 1992 vintage of Glenrothes is available now, and for "only" $55 a bottle. That's not inexpensive, but it's cheaper than the '91. It's also not unreasonable for a 15 year old Scotch.

What Do I Do With This Thing, Anyway?

2008-01-12T22:30:00.000-06:00

Bum Phillips, the coach of the Houston Oilers in the late '70s and early '80s (Luv ya Blue!) famously wore his silverbelly cowboy hat everywhere except while coaching the Oilers in the Astrodome. Why didn't he wear his hat in the Astrodome? Why, because his momma taught him that a gentleman didn't wear his hat indoors, of course!

With all due respect to Mrs. Phillips, that's not quite right. There are two reasons why a gentleman must take off his hat: if he's indoors in a private space or if respect obligates him to do so. It's perfectly appropriate for him to wear his hat indoors if he is in a public space. Thus, he can keep it on while in the lobby or corridors of an office building or walking around a mall. It comes off once he enters a private space, like his office or a house or a table at a restaurant. It also comes off when he wishes to pay respect to someone or something, meaning that going hatless at funerals or during the playing of the national anthem or when talking to a lady.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Rules of etiquette need not be followed when doing so would result in a manifest absurdity or violations of other rules of etiquette or decorum. Consider, for example, the rule that a gentleman takes off his hat when talking to a lady. What if it's raining or a gale is blowing? Etiquette does not require that he freeze to death, and so he may put his hat back on after taking it off to pay his respect. How about a diner lunch counter? If he takes off his hat, he has to put it somewhere; and given the layout of a lunch counter, that somewhere would be a place where someone else could have sat. What's more discourteous? Keeping the hat on, or taking up a space with a hat that another customer might want to use to sit and eat? And so he keeps his hat on. Normally, he would take his hat off in an elevator if a lady is present, but what if the elevator is crowded? Taking his hat off and holding it makes the elevator more crowded, and so he need not and should not do so. The point is that etiquette is supposed to be a set of rules based on common sense and common decency. It is not an excuse to inconvenience those that one comes in contact with.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-12T22:04:00.000-06:00

Gravati unlined three-eyelet plain-toe blucher boots in snuff suede with microcellular rubber soles. Jim Pierce has received an answer back from the Gravati rep in the United States about the pattern actually used on these boots. You will recall that I originally specified them as the five-eyelet 15950 but that these came in with three eyelets and with other pattern elements that were completely different from the 15950. Well, it turns out that the factory changed the pattern to 16899 because 15950 apparently isn't adaptable to an unlined construction (called sfoderato in Italian) while the 16899 is. I do wish that Gravati had told us about the pattern change before actually making the boots up, but I have to admit that these turned out much better than they ever could have had they been made up in the 15950 pattern.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-12T20:45:00.000-06:00

If it sounded like I was sorely disappointed with the Iron Horse Classic Brut that I opened last night, it's because I was. It could not possibly have been better calculated to appeal to me on the shelf. It's an all-American sparkling wine when most American sparkling wine is made by French companies. The packaging is strictly first-rate. The labeling, while not as technically geeky as those on the wines made by the likes of Ravenswood and Ridge, still is as straight-forward and information-filled as I could ask for. It tells me, for example, exactly how much Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are in the wine and how long it speds en tirage. In fact, it was what the label said about the time en tirage that really sold me on this bottle. Vintage Champagne only has to be aged en tirage for three years. This Iron Horse was aged for four years. Yes, I am perfectly well aware that longer doesn't necessarily equal better when it comes to alcohol or anything else; but late disgorged sparkling wine, which ages en tirage for several years longer than normal, is a rarity and is regarded as a delicacy. So I had very high hopes.

I can't say that this is an awful wine because it assuredly is not. It's just that the differential between what I hoped for and what I got was as great as it was for any non-corked wine that I've had in a long time. The chalkiness that I complained about yesterday was still present last night, and it is very distracting. But it does improve with temperature. I like most sparkling wine cold; but if I ever have this wine again (probably not on my own nickel), I'll let it warm up for a while before drinking it.

Hats Are Back!

2008-01-11T22:58:00.000-06:00

Hats are back! Well, they might be if you can believe the Ask Teri column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal:

Brimmed hats -- made of felt in the fall, straw in the summer -- are a jaunty flourish that appeals to guys with a confident, individual sense of style. Worth & Worth, the venerable Manhattan shop that has specialized in fedoras and top hats since 1922 and is now online (www.hatshop.com), says that a new generation is taking an interest in fedoras. For years, its core fedora fans had been conservative executives, lawyers and bankers between 40 and 60 years old.
"In the last year and a half, we are getting more guys in their 20s and 30s who are buying fedoras for the first time," says Orlando Palacio, hat designer and one of the owners of Worth & Worth. "They come in and don't have any idea what their hat size is." ("Wearing a Fedora Hat", January 10, 2008, p. D8)

The columnist attributes the trend in part to celebrities like Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt, who have taken to wearing narrow-brimmed fedoras (called stingy brims or just stingies). Aside from the celebrity endorsements, it actually makes sense. Brimmed hats keep the head warm in cold weather and the face, ears, and neck protected from the sun. In other words, they're functional in ways that baseball caps are not. Of course, fashion is fickle; and brimmed hats are both more expensive and more difficult to store than caps. Even if the weren't almost assuredly on the tail end of every fashion trend, I would suspect that Messrs. Depp and Pitt will soon move on to something else and take their legion imitators with them. Oh, well. The very idea that I would like something that approaches fashionability is ludicrous, anyway. In any event, the mention of brimmed hats in the Journal inspired me to order a new one from Art Fawcett, this one a fedora in midnight blue beaver felt with a C-crown and a 2 3/4" brim. (Art calls the hat above the Savoy; it's also made from midnight blue felt, but the crown and brim are different.) It should be ready next month, and I fully expect women to flock to me like they do to Brad Pitt when I take delivery.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

Gravati cap-toe double monkstraps in textured forest green suede (called moon suede) with a fudge welt and rubber lug soles (15847, 671 last). The shade of the suede used on these shoes is somewhat unusual, at least to me. There are a lot of suedes out there that are some version of olive green, and most shoemakers will have at least a couple of these in their swatchbooks. This is the only forest green suede that I have ever seen, though.

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-11T19:54:00.000-06:00

Many of the California wineries making méthode Champenoise sparkling wines are wholly or partially owned by the major Champagne houses. The most prominent are Domaine Chandon (owned by Moët et Chandon), Roederer Estate (owned by Louis Roederer), and Domaine Caneros (owned by Taittinger), and they make a lot of well-regarded sparkling wine. Of course, there are California sparklers that are made by wineries completely unassociated with the French. One such is Iron Horse Vineyards, owned by the Sterling family and producing sparkling wine for many years from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes mostly grown in the Green Valley of Sonoma County.

I have to admit that I wasn't looking to buy a bottle of Iron Horse sparkling wine when I went to Spec's the other day. I was looking for Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs. Schramsberg, like Iron Horse, is an American winery producing sparkling wine in California, and its Blanc de Noirs bottling is widely regarded as one of the standard examples of the good things that can be done with sparkling wine in California. But Spec's didn't have any on the shelves, so I began to consider the Iron Horse offerings. There were four Iron Horse bottlings available: the Wedding Cuvee, which is Iron Horse's Blanc de Noirs; the Classic Brut; the Russian Cuvee, which apparently is an extra dry version of the Classic Brut; and the Brut Rosé. I was tempted by the Brut Rosé, but it was $10 more per bottle than the others. I didn't really want an extra dry sparkling wine, so the Russian Cuvee was out. So it was between the Wedding Cuvee and the Classic Brut. What decided it for me was that the Classic Brut spent four years en tirage whereas the Wedding Cuvee only spent three years. Since more is better (right?), I went with the Classic Brut.

The bottle of the 2002 vintage that I ended up buying says that it is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. That fact and the long time that the wine spent en tirage gave me high hopes. Alas, I was very disappointed. The overwhelming aroma that I experienced was chalk. The wine tasted sour and was not very pleasant. Things improved as the wine warmed up a little bit -- the chalky aroma dissipated somewhat, and there was actually some noticeable fruit -- but I still didn't like it much. I should have gone with the Brut Rosé or the Wedding Cuvee, alas.

More Islay

2008-01-10T23:28:00.000-06:00

I spoke to Ben this evening, and, as ever, he was in search of BIGGER, PEATIER ISLAY SCOTCHES. He specifically wanted to know if I knew anything about a Scotch that he had recently seen in liquor store named Auld Reekie. I had seen it, but I didn't know anything about it. I mentioned that I had also seen a bottling called The Big Smoke, but I also knew next to nothing about that, either. Through the miracle of the Interweb, though, knowledge is but a few keystrokes away.

Both Auld Reekie and The Big Smoke are vatted Islay malts produced by Duncan Taylor & Co., an independent bottler of Scotch originally based in Glasgow with a long and distinguished history. They don't reveal which distilleries provide the whisky that goes into either bottling, but it's not like the list of possibles is very long. It appears from casual reading that principal difference between The Big Smoke and Auld Reekie is age: Auld Reekie is 12 years old, while The Big Smoke is younger (how much younger is not specified). The Big Smoke also comes in both a 40% bottling and a cask-strength (60%) bottling, although I've only ever seen the 40% bottling. Age tends to mellow and reduce the impact of peat, so I would expect The Big Smoke to be wilder and more smoky. Neither one of them is cheap (The Big Smoke 40% sells for $41 a fifth at Spec's, while Auld Reekie goes for nearly $57 a fifth), even when compared with the available Islay distillery bottlings of comparable age. If I were Ben (and believed that the mo' peaty the mo' better), I might give The Big Smoke try. In fact, I hope he does, which would allow me to bum a dram off of him without investing the money in a whole bottle.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-10T22:50:00.000-06:00

Day

GJ Cleverley bespoke split toe bluchers with handsewn apron and toe seams in dark tan Russian reindeer with double leather soles. It's been a while since I've worn these last; and when I first put them on, there was an odd squeaking when I flexed my foot. I think that the felt that fills the void formed by raising the feather (this is a cork amalgam in factory-made shoes, but not with bespoke shoes) had lost its adhesion to the insole. With wear through the day, the glue softened up or something, but the squeaking went away. This has actually happened with both of my Cleverley Russian reindeer pairs of shoes. I don't exactly like it, but I doubt that tearing the shoes apart to fix the problem would be in the long-term best interests of my shoes.

Evening

Gravati plain-toe monkstraps in dark brown peccary with combination leather/rubber soles (16371, 640 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-10T19:46:00.000-06:00

The regular, old Gruet NV Brut sparkling wine ends my recent tour of the sparkling offerings of this New Mexico winery. They make others -- a vintage Blanc de Blancs (made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes), a vintage rosé, and a tête de cuvee bottling that Gruet named after its founder Gilbert Gruet -- but those others don't have a wide distribution, and I haven't been able to find them except on the Gruet website. I'd love to try them, but for now, I will have to content myself with the four non-vintage offerings that I can find.

Where the Gruet Blanc de Noirs is mostly Pinot Noir with a smattering of Chardonnay, the Gruet Brut is mostly Chardonnay with a smattering of Pinot Noir (75% to 25%, according to the label). One would consequently expect this wine to have more citrus and sour apple flavors and aromas (both associated with Chardonnay when used in sparkling wine) and fewer raspberry and strawberry aromas and flavors associated with Pinot Noir. And so it is. But here's the key: it is sour, but pleasantly so. There is still fruit, so it's not just acidic nastiness. Gruet's Blanc de Noirs gets all the press, and that's probably appropriate. I like it better than I like this because I like raspberries and strawberries and fuller-bodied sparkling wines than I do apples and citrus and lighter-bodied ones. But this is still very enjoyable, and it is a raging bargain for the price it commands.

Polls

2008-01-09T23:23:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire Democratic Presidential primary, beating Barak Obama despite the fact that the final opinion polls conducted before the election showed Obama with quite a large lead. I have to admit that I experience not a little bit of schadenfreude when pollsters experience discomfiture, largely because I think that polls have taken an outsized place in the media's coverage of events and in way that public officials shape policy. Overemphasis on poll data turns elections into horse races where legitimate differences in policy among the candidates are ignored, and instant opinion polls discourages politicians from actually attempting to lead.

But complaining about polls is like the Pope issuing a bull against the comet. They are here to stay, and we might as well learn what we can about them. If you wonder what in the heck happened with the polls in New Hampshire and you're not satisfied with the shoot-from-the-hip glib garbage that most pundits spit out, be sure to read The Mystery Pollster. He's a real live pollster named Mark Blumenthal (joined by others now) who began blogging immediately after the 2004 Presidential election in response to an offensive amount of ignorant bloviation from many quarters about the significance of exit polling, and he has been a reliable producer of quality analysis about the meaning, strengths, and weaknesses of various kinds of polls. He certainly does have a quantitative bent, but I think that he's perfectly comprehensible for even the most math-challenged reader. Check him out early and often in this election season.

Today's Shoes

2008-01-09T22:55:00.000-06:00

Day

Gravati plain-toe side-zip ankle boots in dark brown kangaroo with single leather soles (16821, 683 last). One of the things that makes Gravati the best value of the mid-level Italian makers is their attention to detail that most of their competition misses. Moreschi, another mid-level Italian maker, also has a side-zip ankle boot. In their side-zip ankle boot, the back side of the zipper rubs against the ankle and lower calf. That's not very comfortable, and it's hell on socks. Gravati solves this problem by having a narrow strip of leather covering the underside of the leather. It's a very small design feature that probably added virtually nothing to the cost of materials or the time it took to make the boots. But it makes a world of difference to how useful and wearable the boots are.

Evening

Gravati plain-toe saddle bals in medium brown (Nicotina) peccary with combination leather/rubber soles (15578, 640 last).

Last Night's Tipple

2008-01-09T20:52:00.000-06:00

I have been contemplating the Gruet NV Demi-Sec sparkling wine that I opened on Monday and finished last night. In my post yesterday, I was decidedly unenthusiastic about this wine: I didn't think that it was sweet enough or rich enough or unctuous enough. I was expected carbonated Sauternes, and that wasn't really fair. Demi-sec sparkling wine made from the traditional Champagne grapes just isn't ever going to be like that, and the drinker of demi-sec sparkling wine needs to realize that.

So, after purging myself of unrealistic expectations, what can I say about this wine? Well, even if it can't be carbonated Sauternes, I do wish that it had been more fruit-focused. This wine didn't have the explosive berry aromas and flavors that the Gruet Blanc de Noirs and Rosé sparkling wines, and this is a shame. Sugar calls out for fruit to make it interesting instead of just cloying, and I just didn't experience enough of fruit in this wine. I can't say that I didn't enjoy it, just that I would rather spend my money on other Gruets.