| Oops...Wait a Minute....Do We Really Want the Obamas to Choose a Portie? |
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In the last two newsletters, we've spoken out in favor of this breed, encouraging the Obamas to make this choice for their White House pooch.
Some Portuguese Water Dog owners aren't thrilled the breed is a front-runner for the first family. The choice could mean a spike in the dogs' popularity - and that could mean a rise in shady breeders and fickle owners who don't understand the dogs and eventually abandon them.
Right after the movie "101 Dalmatians" was released, people became enthralled with the breed, ran out and bought the dogs. And, as can happen with such un-researched impulse buys, folks found out they were not quite as adorable as the ones in the movie or maybe didn't want a dog anyway. Also, the integrity of a breed can be compromised by over-breeding due to sudden demand.
First Lady Michelle Obama told People magazine that the family is looking to rescue a Portuguese water dog in April, though her press secretary said last week that the decision isn't final. President Barack Obama had also mentioned a Labradoodle as an appealing choice.
Portuguese water dogs were bred centuries ago to help fishermen along the Portugal coast, working as couriers, retrieving nets and diving for fish.
Even before the Obamas, the dogs' star was rising - Sen. Ted Kennedy has two.
In 1998, the breed ranked 82nd in popularity, according to American Kennel Club registration statistics. Ten years later, they were ranked 62nd. Some of this rise is attributable to the dog being good for allergy sufferers. Malia Obama, 10, has allergies.
Michelle Obama also praised the dogs' personality and size in the People magazine interview.
Neither Ripley nor Romeo has weighed in on this national issue. |
| About KDM |
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KDM Global Partners, LLC is a wine producer and importer whose core business is creating and building new wine brands for its clientele of retail chains, restaurants, hotel/resorts, corporations, meetings/events - and individual brand owners.
With corporate offices in Philadelphia, PA and wine-making capabilities throughout the world's great viticulture regions, KDM's turnkey brand-building capabilities are unparalleled: packaging design, regulatory approvals, warehousing and distribution (to all 50 states and overseas)...all varietals, price points, low case minimums.
The world of wine production, distribution and sale is evolving quickly, creating compelling opportunities for businesses of all types.
"The scope of the subject of wine is never ending, [as indeed,] so many other subjects lie within its boundaries. Without geography and topography it is incomprehensible; without history it is colorless; without taste it is meaningless; without travel it remains unreal. It embraces botany, chemistry, agriculture, carpentry, economics - any number of sciences whose names I do not even know. It leads you up paths of knowledge and by-ways of experience you would never glimpse without it."
- Hugh Johnson
View our Previous Newsletters:
January 2009
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"Take me out to the Ballgame!"
Time to pull out the well-worn mitt, your jersey with your favorite team's logo on it (are there any readers out there not wearing Phillies paraphernalia?) and sing the song we all know and love: "Take me out to the ball game; take me out for some wine!"
Okay, we're taking poetic license here...but wine is quickly becoming a reality at many major league parks.
If you are at San Francisco's AT&T Park watching the Giants, you can now enjoy a single-serve plastic cup of wine complete with peel-off foil lid to keep from spilling any of your precious juice on the way back to your seat - or the guy sitting in front of you. And, according to Angela Todero, Restaurant and Club Manager at PETCO Park, fans of the San Diego Padres have been enjoying wines from the concession stands since the opening of the park five years ago!
While California seems the obvious place to showcase local wines in its major league baseball parks, there is a growing list of other venues offering their fans the choice of "wine or beer." For example: (1) Greg Read, Operations Manager at Comerica Park in Detroit, reports that Detroit Tigers fans now enjoy Chardonnay, Merlot and White Zinfandel from portable carts; (2) John Clope, Operations Manager at the Milwaukee's Miller Park offers Brewers fans wine at two different concession stands and at three portable Tiki Huts; and (3) Kevin Haggerty, Concessions Manager at Fenway Park in Boston says Red Sox fans can now buy Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at Fenway's concession stands or from vendors in the aisles.
More stadium wine offerings are on the way, too!
Please share your baseball stadium wine experience with us at: [email protected].
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Does the Wine Glass Really Matter?
Acceptable? Yes, but only because there's nothing bad about sitting at a cafe in Verona, tasting a local Pinot Gris.
But...could your wine experience be better? Yes.
Wines offer a number of complexities that wine geeks evaluate, thus the creation of the '4-S' methodology: Swirl, Smell, Sip and Spit (for the purposes of this piece let's change Spit to Savor). And the glass used contributes to the evaluation - and enjoyment - of any wine.
The first S, Swirl, has two components. The first component being a correct pour, approximately 1/3 or two fingers depth of the glass, after which the bowl of the glass comes into play. The bowl allows the wine to "open," or aerate. As you swirl the glass, the wine begins to "breathe," awakening notes to please both the nose and the palate.
So what type of glass should you choose?
First and foremost, choose one that has not been washed in a dishwasher. The residue from the detergent used in a dishwasher will destroy any chance you have of getting to "know" the wine you are drinking. Also, even though they are interesting, avoid the stem-less glasses. Holding a wine glass by the bowl transfers the heat from your hands, to the wine, changing the complexity of the wine greatly ... use the stem.
The next determining factor is: are you drinking a red or a white? When drinking a red wine, it is best to choose a bowl that is wider. Red wines tend to be "bigger" and "bolder" than whites and the wider bowl will allow the potential of these wines to breathe/open fully. Plus, with a wider bowl, there's room for your nose - don't be bashful...get it in there to savor the spectacular aromas! For white wines, you typically want to choose a more-narrow bowl which allows the wine to maintain its recommended cooler temperature for a longer time, maximizing optimal drinking conditions. |
Tempranillo
This red wine is full of intense dark fruit flavors such as blackberries, plums and cassis, with earthy and herbaceous (mineral) undertones and high tannin levels. Tempranillo wines are perhaps one of the most food-friendly wines around. They offer versatility - and value - but without forsaking flavor and lift.
Consider pairing Tempranillo with its 'hometown' favorites - tapas, pork, grilled or roasted entrees, such as Beef, Lamb, Bacon, Turkey or Duck. Tempranillo also pairs beautifully with hard cheeses, such as Manchego or Edam.
Tempranillo goes under many different names throughout Spain and the New World. Such names include "Tinto del Pais," Tinto Fino and Tinto Roriz (as it is known in Portugal where it is blended with other grapes in the production of Port) and Valdepenas (in California). With the common application of the grape name to describe a wine in the New World, Tempranillo is becoming accepted as the common name for this grape.
Legend has it that Tempranillo may be a mutated version of Pinot Noir - a grape that it is often compared to (although the wine produced from it is much lighter) - transported to Spain by French monks centuries ago.
Black Elk 'Wines of the World' will soon launch its own Tempranillo as an addition to this "All-Star Lineup" of great world varietal wines.
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