Oxford Landing GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre) 2005  (Southern Australia)
		56% Grenache and 11% Mourvedre, captured my attention at the wine store and then I took a double take on the price of $7.99. I had just spent a boatload on Chateauneuf's and then there is this wine, almost the same grape varieties. I had to try it out. Reviewer notes (not me): "The Wine is deep plum in colour with hints of magenta. The nose shows bright fruit aromas of fragrant raspberries and plums, a hint of white pepper, and a dash of nutmeg and allspice. The palate is generous and fruit driven with layers of cherries, red berries and spice from the Grenache. Fuller plum and dark fruit flavours from the Shiraz provide flesh and weight in the mid palate with the fine, soft tannins providing structure and a slightly savoury finish." My 2 cents: It was too peppery and too savoury to finish. Perhaps I should have let it breathe more. The day after it was definitely better than the first day. Buy Factor: Was not totally happy with it, so no.

It was a picture perfect day with bright blue cloudless sky, warm sun and cool breezes, to be apple picking. My friend and I drove up to Smolak Farms to meet a bunch of other folks and enjoy the farm, the weather, hang out and pick some apples. Looked like the rest of New England had the same notion. Must have been at least a few hundred that showed up at the farm for apple or pumpkin or heirloom tomato pickings, or hay/pony rides, or the hot fresh baked apple pies and cinnamon-sugar donuts! What a perfect way to start off the Autumn season (Sept 23rd was the first day of Fall), with the smell of fresh baked goodies, cool breezes nipping at the nose, and warm sun overhead! Gosh! Love every minute of it. I wish I could bottle it! I can still smell the day (absurd but true)!

Picture perfect day with plenty of apples
Plenty of pumpkins (above) and my humble pickings (below)

Yep! I just picked it up! The set of six Châteauneuf du Pape.

Yummy! Now, I have to make space in the small wine bottle cellar that I have. Eeeps! I am already out growing the current 30 bottle cellar and may need to get another!

I can open one of the six this year, and earliest to open the others..... 2009 onwards. A long patient wait for these gems to mature.

After what appears to be a very long exhausting week, I was indeed happy it was Friday morning. Friday is indeed a wrap-up-the-week meetings with contractors, code reviews, upcoming task scheduling and delegation, one lunch meeting with the boss and I am done for the week. As I turned on the computer at 6:40AM, expecting to be flooded with emails from the day before, I was pleasantly surprised to see exactly two emails! One from my spam filter-blocker listing all the emails, either marked as spam or specifically blocked and the other from my neighborhood Wine store - Bermans. Ignoring the spam lister email, I went straight to the wine newsletter. One simply cannot ignore the newsletter called "Great Châteauneuf du Pape Specials 2004-2005".

The newsletter offered six spectacular wines, and very very decent prices for these wines. The listing comprised couple of the domaines that I knew and others I had no clue on. 7:05AM I had shot a reply back with "I want a set!" to Joel Berman (owner of the Bermans Liquor store). There was no way I was going to pass this up.

I have had very few Châteauneuf du Pape and have yet to have one that I did not like. It is considered the most famous Côtes du Rhône of all the ten appellations. Just a few miles north of Avignon on the slopes of Provence, are some of the most well known Domaines. The listing and details (I added some more notes from my research):

{Edits: To add the images and grape varieties}

	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape-Bois de Boursan, France A burly style, with lots of braised chestnut, game, black pepper and beef leading the way. There's a solid core of black currant fruit, with a long, structure-driven finish that shows great herb and mineral notes. Best from 2009 through 2022. 3,750 cases made. (Score: 92) Grape: 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% Other
	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape-"Cuvee Felix" Bois du Boursan, France Very solid. This is packed with black currant and fig paste notes pushed by dark, loamy tannins, with notes of grilled herb, iron, black olive, tobacco and mineral. The finish is long and structured. Best from 2009 through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 455 cases made. (Score: 94) Grape: 65% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, 5% Other
	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuvee Etienne Gonnet" Font de Michelle, France Domaine Font de Michelle produces deeply colored, juicy, sweet, very modern styled Chateauneuf du Pape. This wine is a masterpiece made largely from 90-year-pld Grenache. It is rich and smoky, with coffee, truffle and tar notes up front, but also plenty of plum, black currant and fig fruit. Long, rich finish lets the fruit and truffle notes play out nicely. Best from 2007 through 2022. Only 1,250 cases made. (Score 93) Grape: 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre
	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Saint Prefert "Collection Charles Giraud", France Domaine Saint Perfert Made from 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre from 60-100 year old vines, has a gorgeous, salty sea breeze smell that seems to be component of the best wines from the Mediterranean with peppery Provencal herb and mineral notes. Best from 2007 through 2026. Only 330 cases made. (92-95) Grape: 60% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre
	2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieux Donjon, France Wine Spectator: Juicy and spicy with lots of raspberry ganache and blueberry notes offset with hints of mulled spices, black tea and fig cake. Really picks up steam on the finish, with a racy, mouthwatering minerality. Should age beautifully. [The owners] went back to using stems in 2005, after dropping them in '04-and the great rugged texture is back too. Drink now through 2025. (Wine Spectator: 95, Robert Parker: 90-93) Grape: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre and Cinsault
	2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Clos des Papes, Southern Rhone, France The wine has a fabulous bouquet of kirsch liqueur, raspberries, licorice, and a combination of spice and Provencal herbs. It is rich, full-bodied, with high but sweet tannin, good acidity, and a blockbuster finish of close to 45+ seconds. This is a knock-out wine that will probably need 4-5 years of bottle age and last for 20-25 years. Grape: 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% others

Got an update from the organizers to the trip to Davis's Mega Maze. Interestingly, I was the only one who could not make it on Sept 29th and rest all could. So, the correct decision was to go with Sept 29th.

But it just made me think! How well do I know these folks? How well do I know the folks for the Apple picking?  Is this back to the Friends & Faces question? Maybe I am reading too much into non-existent issues, or making a mountain of a mole-hill (or less). I like to think that I have way too many options and way too many things to do with way too many people to do them with and hence, there is always a choice to be made. I made the choice to go apple picking on Sept 29th. It so happened that the rains washed the plans of the Maze from Sept 15th to Sept 29th. So, it is just a bunch of choices

This fall, I have plenty to do and (of course) no time to get it all done. My fervent hope is to tackle them all.... er....or at least most of them.

After watching Greenfingers, I have been bitten by the fall planting bug. Several blubs and plants have been ordered and soon shall be lovingly planted. I think, I have to order some Critter ridder (or blaster), something - anything, to keep those furry little nuisances (squirrels) from digging up the bulbs. I would love to have a gizmo, that goes 'pop' and scares the living daylights off the rodent, when they dig in the yard and are just about the get their paws on the blub. Now, that would be funny! Couple of years ago, I planted 40-45 Crocus bulbs and those nasty little devils dug most of them out. So, this year, I am going to be prepared. I hate to add toxins in ground, but in this case I am going to make an exception. Oh! I do believe their furry tail is way overrated.

Both the little kitties need to get their annual shots! Poor things, they are petrified with visits to the vet. I have to make it doubly sure, that I can be with them for at least couple of hours after. They cling on to me, like there is no tomorrow. If I move around holding them, they dig their claws deeper and a loud "meow" makes it amply clear for me to stay put. I wish I could take both together, and get it done in one afternoon. According to the vet - NO. One has to get it in Sept and the other in October. The reasoning being, they were given shots in different months to begin with, so I have to stick to that schedule. Hmm! Weird! I don't get it. What if I skipped the September month and delayed the shot for one of them into first week October, would it be the end of the world? Does that mean, on Sept 30th, the effect of the previous shot ceases and Oct 1, the kitty is vulnerable? Of course, I don't know the exact date and time when the previous shot was given. It could have been earlier in the month and not later. Arrggghhh! Stupid!

In some previous post, I mentioned that my neighbor (and her family) has moved to Japan for six months. Since that post, they have arrived safe and sound in the little city of Tokyo and getting over jet-lag and settling in. Meanwhile, on this coast, I am now the landlord and caretaker of their house. This is going to be so interesting to do. Everything I do for my house, has to be doubled (I think)! Or I have to simply keep a watchful eye out. Their gardener has been instructed to do the lawn and fall clean up. Thankfully the house is going to be rented for a few wintery months, so, I don't have to worry about keeping the pipes from freezing and keeping a closed house in working condition. So, really, I do not have too much to do, except collect mail, keep a watchful eye out for issues, solve them if they occur, and email my friend and reassure her.

Fall Schedule:

• Sept 22, Saturday: Either the Davis' Mega Maze (if organizers decide it will be Sept 29th and not Oct 6th) or fall planting prep begins or hang out at home playing with board games.
• {Edit: 10/1}! Did some yard cleanup, but nothing new planted.
  
• Sept 23: Official Autumn Starts!
• {Edit: 10/1}! Right-o!
  
• Sept 29, Saturday: Apple picking! Umm! Yes! of course! It wouldn't be fall without going out to the farm lands one more time before winter sets in. This year, I missed strawberry and peach picking, but did great on blueberry and red/yellow raspberry. A bunch of us heading to Smolak Farms for apple picking and then baking.
• {Edit: 10/1}! Picked 11lbs. of apples at Smolak farms, hung out with new folks. played Cranium. Did not do any baking.
  
• Sept (sometime):
  • get one kitty to vet.
  • get car inspection done.
  • complete two stain glass restorations...... ok! At least one then!
  • {Edit: 10/2}! Arghhh.... no appt till sometime in Oct.
    
• Oct 2, Tuesday: Figaro at Loeb Theater. This is for my mum. I miss her so much and wish she were here! I wanted to see Don Juan too, but the schedule is too crazy.
• {Edit: 10/3}! Done... excellent evening with French food and Figaro!
  
• Oct 6, Saturday: Davis' Mega Maze. This will depend on scheduling with organizers. If does not work, then go on Sept 22nd, Saturday. So, either the Maze or the fall planting continues.
  
• Oct (sometime): get the other one to the vet. Dumb! I am going to take both of them together. They are not outdoors cats, so, there is very limited 'catching' they can do.
  
• Nov 10, Saturday: Wine and Apple Festival, Russell Orchards. I missed the peach festival, held in August.
  
• Nov 11, Sunday: Innovations..... All afternoon (argh! one of those things where appearances are essential).
  
• Nov 17, Saturday: Keep absolutely open! Celebrating (dunno how!) four year completing at my current job.
  
• Nov 19, Tuesday - Nov 26, Monday: Thanksgiving week! Taking all week off. Yes! I need that. 

I am pretty sure, lots of other field trips and activities will crop up and I will not be able to say no. Well, there is no reason to say no. Love this weather, with nippy cold mornings and warm days.

{Edit}: Oops, forgot..... get to work during the weekdays!

Double feature this weekend with Greenfingers and Chocolat. I enjoyed both movies, but Greenfingers was so much more fulfiling. Chocolat was all about a woman and her daughter settling in a conservative French village and shaking up its rigid morality with chocolate shop. It was definitely watchable with brilliant actors like Judy Dench and Johnny Depp. Meanwhile, Greenfingers is all about turning hardened criminals into productive gardeners. With actors like Clive Owen and Helen Mirren and gorgeous gardens, it was really a no contest that I would like Greenfingers better.

Perhaps another reason why I liked Greenfingers better is because in the past two years, I have worked hard to turn my yard into something pretty. It has still some ways to go, but it is getting there. It was just very inspiring to start off fall planting.

Lately, I have been doing tremendous amount of soul and mind searching towards (perhaps!) a fruitless goal. Every morning on the bus ride to work as I listen to Russell Watson belting out Va Pensiero or Nessum Dorma, I have been trying to answer the following:

***** Who are my Friends and Who are just Faces? *****

If you can answer that one for yourselves then I congratulate you. To really answer the 'Who' I need to clarify what makes a friend and what makes a face (duh! of course in my personal opinion, yours may be different). For me a face is simply a soul with a name, whose path(s) have intersected with mine at some juncture and that intersection distinguished them from the general masses. A friend is a face with whom I might share a tad more, in terms of interests, conversations, emails and spend time together. I am pretty sure there are levels within the friend section that distinguish one from another by how much of the sharing/giving/spending is happening. But whatever the levels may be, a friend commands some of my heart and soul. Therein lies the true distinction for me, how much does a person really have a hold on my heart and soul. A face holds nothing, while friend can command from a little to all of it. I was a little enlightening (at least to me) to reach this graduating scale, and the realization why it hurts when a friend falls off the cliff to become a face.

Right now I find myself on very shaky ground and I know why! In the past few weeks too many friends have fallen off the cliff, or have they? or have I changed to increase the minimum bar for friend and the gap between the friend and the face has increased, causing friends to fall off and become faces? Or was I mistaken (to begin with) to call them friends when they really were only faces. As I battled these.... I posed several people couple of different scenarios to help me sift through this mess.

Scenario 1: For five or six years, two people looked after each others houses and cats when the other was out of town. Then one day one of them moves to live just couple of miles away and that is it. No more conversations, no nothing..... Did this two people just fall off the friend cliff and become faces?

Scenario 2: Two people go to a movie; one buys the movie ticket for both. After the movie at a quick bite to eat place, the other does not even offer to buy the edibles. Are these two friends? or are they just faces? Or was it a mistake for one to assume that the other was a friend?

Scenario 3: Two people live next door to each other, exchanging hellos/byes over a fence etc. One day one of them relocates for several months to a different country and leave the other in charge of their house. Did those two people just move from being faces to friends?

The soul search continues......

So, how did I do with what do I want for my 35th?

10. I want... to start a new arts/crafts (crochet, knitting) project.
I got... to start an ambitious crochet scarf with a beautiful peach color yarn (pics coming soon). I started the project three days ago, and had to undo and redo several times to get it all just right, correct mistakes, change needles etc etc. And yesterday, as I was running out the door, I left the yarn ball with about 6 inches croheted on my couch. I tell you this, because, my kitties decide to lend me a hand at this project! When I came home on friday, my good helpers had managed to spread, roughly 450 yards of yarn all over the dinning, living room and porch, around the tables and couches! A prefect new project! Thanks guys!

9. I want... to play a board/card game or two.
I got... nothing

8. I want... to go for a movie or walk. 
I got... to think about it, but then didn't go to see any movie. I talked myself out of sitting in a dark room for 2-2.5 hours. When I could be walking in 90+ temp...... Nah! I did walk within Wilson farms getting flowers.... I think that counts.

7. I want... an email or a comment in this blog.
I got... an email from my aunt and uncle with warmest wishes! Thanks guys! I knew that wishing a comment in this blog would be asking too much. Besides, I don't think anyone reads this anyways, it is a great place for me to write stuff.... who really cares if people read it or not.

6. I want... a call or two with wishes.
I got... two calls!

5. I want... to receive a house plant, flowers, balloons or bottle of wine.
I got... myself bunches of white lillies and lavender. Forget balloons! I am not 10! and I spent the budget on flowers, rather than wine.

4. I want... to have a visitor or two...er, postman does not count.
I got... no visitors... and the postman did drop cards at my door! I received the cards from my nephews! Thanks for the cards, they are wonderful.

3. I want... to be treated to a coffee/drink... or dinner.
I got... treated to lunch by two of my office colleagues! This year, I had gone out of my way to ensure that our office manager did not put my name up and did not put the goofy wishes on my computer screen. Yet! These guys remembered or found out, doesn't matter. What is important that they wished me and took me to lunch on Friday.

2. I want... to wake up to celebrate my 30th birthday and not 35th! HA!
I got... to get wiser! I am 35! Proud of it and looking forward to the next milestones. I really don't want to be 30 again!

1. I want...
I got........... hmmm! ask me and I might tell you!

A year ago, if some one had asked me what a Crape Myrtle was, I would not have known it from an animal to a plant. With a bit of research last year, I found it to be a flowering plant with absolutely gorgeous little tufts of pink/red blossoms. I was hooked and absolutely had to have it.

I ordered the plant last year around this time and was horrified to get a bare-root twig in the mail about foot in size. I was sure I was swindled! and $19.95 + s+h later, I had a dead twig! Ah! Well! I dug a small hole, put some fertilizer and planted the twig..... and waited for 9-10 months for the twig to do something..... either wither away over winter or revive in spring.

I had almost given up on the whole twig business...... this is what it did in summer and today...... I am impressed! Impressed that I did not throw away the twig, impressed that it grew! This little plant it supposed to grow to about 8-10 feet. This fall, it needs a bit of pruning to shape it....:) (I am one happy gardener!)

 

With the approaching 35th birthday, I got thinking about what I would truly want for the day. As I pitter-potter-ed around the house, getting some work and house work wrapped up, I jotted down all the items I would want. This morning, I finally ordered them from 10 to 1, where ten is the most simple, yet attainable wants to one more difficult and almost impossible ones.

I want...

10.   to start a new arts/crafts (crochet, knitting) project.
9.    to play a board/card game or two.
8.    to go for a movie or walk.
7.    an email or a comment in this blog.
6.    a call or two with wishes.
5.    to receive a house plant, flowers, balloons or bottle of wine.
4.    to have a visitor or two...er, postman does not count.
3.    to be treated to a coffee/drink... or dinner.
2.    to wake up to celebrate my 30th birthday and not 35th! HA!
1.    ...