Wine & Dine

Here it is folks, my pick for Value Red Wine of the Year. This coy lady came to me on a random run to the grocery store late night on a Sunday evening (love those midwestern liquor laws!). It is none other than Lindemans Bin 40 Merlot, Vintage 2002. This darling of SE Australia had a very good year, the strongest showing by this label I've encountered in the past two years. At a sale price of $6.99, it's well within my everyday, impulse-buy value range, while still respectable enough for a dinner guest or party invite. The bouquet is subtle, even understated, but once on the palate it's mid-to-full body performance is hard to beat. Dark red cherry and vanilla bean are countered by sharp blackberry flavors. I even tossed a few tablespoons in a beef and potatoes stir fry, and it added a dynamic zest to a ho-hum dinner.

In related news, I recently discovered the greatest thing to grace the coffee table since coffee, Wine-X Magazine. It's a new rag for/by Gen-X wine enthusiasts, without the pretentiousness of Wine Spectator or other stuffy old man mags. Visit their website and sign up for their free email newsletter...it's the only spam worth enjoying with a glass of Shiraz-Cab blend!

Word to the wise: despite former successes, I would avoid Rosemont Estate Chardonnay-Semillon blend, vintage 2002. 2000 and 2001 were choice picks, but apparently last year was not so hot! From my dining room table to yours, this is Nate's Wine Review!

Meanwhile...

Welcome back. When last we left our hero, Nate was strolling along the boardwalk of Coney Island, breathing in the salt sea air and taking in the mottled imagery of the ruins of yesteryear...

Summer Break: NYC! - Week Two

My second week in the great City yielded many more amazing adventures. One sunny Saturday afternoon, Isak and I were walking through Central Park on the jogging track around the reservoir, admiring the man-made skyline just above the natural skyline of trees. As I gazed into the distance, who should I nearly bump into but Sabrina the Teenage Witch star-turned-talk-show-hostess Caroline Rhea! She was power-walking with a female companion, and nearly took us out in a swarm of celebrity calesthetics. I did a double-take when she came barreling down the pathway, arms swinging in full cardio workout. My first New York celebrity sighting! Well...semi-celebrity. (Sorry Caroline, you're no Rosie, or Ellen Degeneres for that matter!)

But by far, the most memorable character I encountered in New York City was Jessye Normous, the star of the Sunday night show at the hottest new lounge in Chelsea, XL. For those who are not familiar, JessyE NORMOUS is a drag parody of America's opera darling Jessye Norman. I managed to catch this show on my last night in New York, and what better grand finale to a memorable vacation than to watch 300 pounds of grand dame diva belt it out on stage. Jessye Normous stayed true to her namesake in every last detail, from Jessye's overenunciated speech to her oversized floor-length bedeckled gown. She performed some classical arias, in addition to a less-traditional reperatoire of rap-as-opera and comedy songs. (think Ana Gasteyer and Will Ferrell as the music teachers on SNL) Her voice was perfect and resonant, and filled the room as her fat suit filled her dress. The most amazing part of it all, was that it WAS HER VOICE...the man who performs as Jessye Normous is actually a Julliard-trained vocalist who has perfected a very convincing female soprano voice! Brava, Jessye!

As they say, it ain't over till the fat lady sings, and how! It was a hysterical ending to a fantastic vacation, and I'm already planning my next return to the Big Apple. Until then, its back to DAAP for me!

Hit the ground running...

AAACK... Yes, I'm still alive, and yes, I realize I haven't posted anything for three weeks. (aww, and I thought you didn't care!) I have tons of relate to the world, including the exploits of my second week in New York, my return to Cincinnati and the move-in to my new apartment, and the first week of school. However, until yesterday I have been without the internet (thank you RoadRunner!) and I just today managed to coerce my Airport base station to broadcast the broadband to the outer reaches of my one bedroom apartment....soooo, what I'm trying to say is that I'll get to it when i get to it. Deal.