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An Afternoon at Argentina's Flichman Vineyards

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:50:48 -0800

This story was written by member Eleuthera and comes from the Wine Cellar group in the YumSugar Community.I recently had a chance to attend a wine tasting for Flichman from Argentina. I especially enjoyed the experience because I had a chance to chat with the winemaker, Luis Cabral de Almeida. From my standpoint, it didn't hurt that he was pretty hot also. We began with a bottle of their Chardonnay for $8. Frankly, I didn't want to taste a bottle of $8 Chardonnay as I hate that overly oaked buttery flavor of vanilla predominating, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was delightful and easily equal to wines I have enjoyed at twice the price. In fact everyone of the wines' price points was spectacular.

To learn more about these amazingly priced Argentine wines read more.

Although there were some I preferred more than others, I enjoyed all of them. All the others, with the exception of an interesting and delightful champagne (for about $8!!) were red. In fact, even the champagne was made in part from Malbec also! The biggest surprise of the afternoon was how much I enjoyed Malbec.

Several years ago a friend tried to tell me how great the Argentinian (and Chilean) Malbecs were, but I wouldn't even taste them. However, the grape I knew from living in Bordeaux was a far cry from the one I finally tasted in South America: Malbecs from Argentina are rich, jammy, and luscious with some surprising complexity. Malbec thrives in Argentina, Luis explained, because of the low humidity. This explains their ability to get the delightful jammy qualities which I thoroughly enjoy.

One I liked is called Gestos (2007) (gestures in English) and it was made from Malbec at two different elevations. You have to be careful because there are several varieties of Gestos, including one with Cabernet. The first thing one notices was the lovely aromas, like blackberries and maybe blueberries. The taste was even richer with jammy qualities mixed with the French oak and the earthy background.

Luis was kind enough to explain to me at length that he uses two different elevations of Malbec in order to achieve an extremely well-rounded wine. It is somewhat interesting that Argentina seems one of the few places where this combination can be exploited, although to a lesser degree, California winemakers have been touting mountain grown fruit for years. I rated this wine at least 88 points and perhaps even 89 out of 100. It was $12 or 13 and worth every penny.

Another wine I liked and purchased was the 2007 Expresiones reserve which was 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet. I would rate this slightly better, perhaps 89-90 points as it had a lingering finish. The complexity reminded me greatly of a Bordeaux style wine and it had the great structure of the Cabernet with the luscious sweet berry qualities of the Malbec. Personally I think this will do better with a few years of patience, although it is delightful now.

The last one I tasted was called Dedicado (2004) and it was clearly the top of the line. At almost $20 it was hitting my price point, but rarely have I had a wine this good for this money...so I bought two. The bottle weighs a ton and it is a mixture of Cabernet, Syrah, and Malbec (30%,10% and 60%). It spends 12 months in new French french oak and 12 months in the bottle according to the label, but I thought Luis told me this one spent 2 years in wood. In short, I thought the result was stunning, perhaps even 91-92 points. The deep intensity and aroma of the berries and black pepper is wonderful and its opulence is nothing short of amazing with a lovely lingering finish. It will benefit from a year or two more in my estimation but it's fantastic just the way it is, at least with an hour or two of breathing.

Because of the high inflation in Argentina and the fact that they are tied to the Euro which is strong (the owners are a Portuguese group) the wines get the benefit of great prices on oak barrels. As far as price point is concerned, I thought each of these wines was wonderful and they certainly impressed me a great deal. Luis wasn't all that bad either!

Have you been to an amazing winery? Join the Wine Cellar group, upload your photos and a description of the experience, and it could be featured on YumSugar! If you are new to the YumSugar Community, here's a detailed guide to posting to groups.

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Très Cool! Babies Cry in Their Native Language

TresSugar — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

I've always found it fascinating that dogs "bark" in different languages. Though we say "ruff ruff" in English, that same noise is expressed as "ouah, ouah" in French. Now here's something even cooler: German researchers have started to think that babies' wails sound different depending on what language their parents speak.

The scientists observed 60 babies born to families speaking French and German and found that the infants could be absorbing their parents' accents from inside the womb. In the last three months of pregnancy, babies have already begun to memorize sounds, and based on the analysis of the babies' cry "melodies," the sounds mapped closely to the parents' accents:

The French newborns cried with a rising "accent" while the German babies' cries had a falling inflection.

Writing in the journal Current Biology, they say the babies are probably trying to form a bond with their mothers by imitating them.

The findings suggest that unborn babies are influenced by the sound of the first language that penetrates the womb.

Fascinating, right? Now I want to hang out with a big international gang of babies and see if their cries all sound different. Wait, that means being trapped in a room with a bunch of crying babies - nevermind!

Isla Fisher Lands Two New Movie Roles!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:30:33 -0700

Isla Fisher's career has yet to live up to my expectations. I loved her in Wedding Crashers - who else can hold their own against Vince Vaughn the way she did? - but then Definitely, Maybe and Confessions of a Shopaholic weren't the launch into leading lady status that I'd hoped they'd be. Earlier this year, we heard that she was working on a film script with Amy Poehler, but we still haven't seen her on the big screen in months. Too long if you ask me.

But wait! This week's casting news reveals that Fisher has two new films in the works at Universal. First up is Life Coach, about a woman who consults - wait for it - a life coach. The second project is a rom-com based on a French script titled, Un Jour Mes Princes Viendront or in English, One Day My Princes Will Come.

With so few details at this point, it's hard to say whether either film will prove to be Fisher's big breakthrough, but I really want to see her career take off as the A-list funny lady I know she can be. I'm keeping my fingers crossed - how about you? Are you excited to see Isla Fisher get more work?

Say What? The Brits Know the Truth About Beauty

TresSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

“The English at heart know that beauty is a cheat; it is an unfair advantage, a distraction from the real qualities that you want in a girl: the ability to fry a breakfast with a hangover, have sex in the rain without complaining, flatten an intruder with a left hook, sink a pint, tell a joke, take a joke, be a brick, be a mate, be a mum."

- Reporting from the south of France, British columnist AA Gill explains that while French women might have the chic, unattainable beauty thing down, English women know that a free spirit is a beautiful thing, too. Perhaps the male writer's extensive musings on the differences between women is just another way to say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

On the Market: Yves Saint Laurent's Villa Mabrouka

CasaSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:00:34 -0700

French designer Yves Saint Laurent, who passed away in June 2008, is known for his iconic fashions. However, the designer also had a discerning eye when it came to the world of real estate. His Moroccan home, Villa Mabrouka, or "House of Luck," is currently on the market, and I am swooning over the house's location, style, and interior design.

Interior Design notes,

The Moroccan home represents a collaboration between two of the great French aesthetes of the 20th century: Laurent, who turned pantsuits and safari jackets into haute couture, and Jacques Grange, the only interior designer ever to receive the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest decoration. Perched on a cliff overlooking the coast of the Spanish region of Andalusia and the Strait of Gibraltar, the 9,688-square-foot home rests on nearly two acres of grounds landscaped by Madison Cox, featuring soaring palms, Italian lemon trees, and extensive lawns. A heated swimming pool was excavated into the mountain rocks on which the estate stands, while a nearby pavilion was designed by architect Stuart Church.

To take a tour of this gorgeous Moroccan home, read more.

The home, which is located five minutes outside of downtown Tangier, features gorgeous Mediterranean Sea views,and is surrounded by immaculate gardens. A mix of Moroccan and English styles, the home is eclectic, refined, and absolutely gorgeous. I'm ready to move in! If you have the cash for this killer property, check out the details at Christies Great Esates.

View 11 Photos ›

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Are You Excited to See Coco Before Chanel?

FabSugarUK — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:44 -0700

The most exciting fashion film of the year has to be Coco Avant Chanel starring the gorgeous Audrey Tautou. The French film has gathered a lot of hype throughout it's production owing to an impressive wardrobe and a little guidance from Karl Lagerfeld. We've already seen stills from the film and it is finally released across the UK on 31st July. Here is the English trailer which is sure to get you intrigued, I can't wait to see it – are you excited?

Pixie Gives Lots Of Insight To InStyle

PopSugarUK — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:01:11 -0700

Pixie Lott took the UK charts by storm when her single "Mama Do" went in at number one in June and now she's featured in the August issue of InStyle magazine! The eighteen year old reveals a few things about herself in the interview, including where her funky name comes from, and the pains that come with making music videos! Here are a few extracts:

On her talent: "Mum told me I've been singing since I was in my cot. Which is strange because I'm from the least musical family. Ever. I must be a genetic throwback!"
On her name: "My real name is Victoria. But when I was born I was so small, like a fairy, that my Mum called me Pixie because of that! And it just stuck."
On school vs work: "I started recording my album in LA at 15 while I was still at school and studying for my GCSE's. I had to take a lot of time out of school but I managed to straight A's in Dance, Drama, English Lit, English Language, Maths, History, French and Science."

To find out what else Pixie had to say, just read more.

On bad habits: "I've been offered drugs and if I wanted to do that I would have by now. I'll have a drink when I'm out with friends, but not when I'm working because it's bad for my voice. A lot of my songs are high and I have to really belt them out."
On her music video: "I loved making my video for Mama Do. It was a really long day - 7.00am - 2.00am. And afterwards we all had bruises because one aspect of the dance routine involved slapping our thighs!"

View 3 Photos ›

The August issue of InStyle magazine is out now, with Pixie's full interview inside and Sandra Bullock on the cover.

Star-Faced Tattoo Girl Continues Her Complaint Campaign

BellaSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:59:18 -0700

A whopping 95 percent of you think that the case of this star-faced teenager is going nowhere fast. Like you, I keep wondering, "Who could fall asleep while 56 stars were tattooed on your face?!" But Kimberley Vlaminck continues to argue that she deserves payment because she asked for only three tattoos. Her original claim - the tattoo artist spoke broken English and French and therefore didn't understand her request - seems pretty flimsy, considering how well the guy speaks English in this video.

France Ready to Admit English Is the New Lingua Franca?

LibertySugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

French students struggling with English can soon take intensive English-language classes during vacations. France's education minister Xavier Darcos thinks poor English is a handicap disproportionately bestowed on the nonrich. He said, "Well-off families pay for study sessions abroad, I'm offering them to everyone right here."

This development deviates from France's usual protection of the French language. In 1635, L'Académie française (the French Academy) began conserving what it deems the proper vocabulary, usage, and grammar of the French language. Lately the academy especially tries to stop the Anglicization of the French language - email should be called "courriel" and walkman should be "baladeur."

While the French have a lofty academy to protect their language, American businesses turn to ordinary signs informing customers that "This is America. When ordering speak English." But with a loudening call for second-language fluency in both America and France, these countries' conservative forces may soon have more than one language to protect.

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Should We Preserve Individual Cultures in a Globalizing World?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:00:19 -0700

American Idol has never seen this kind of philosophical debate! In the European song contest, Eurovision (the same contest that launched ABBA) the French are un peu mad that their candidate will be representing the country singing a song that's mostly English.

In response, the head of a group dedicated to preserving French against the growing use of English said, "a song represents the soul of a country. It appears logical that a song representing France be a French song sung in French." Making his argument he went on to denounce cultural "uniformity" and the "hegemony" of the English language in the modern world. But statistics show contest preference to English language songs - they've won 22 times since 1956. Perhaps proving the encroachment, this year more than half of the contestants-25-will sing in English.

The debate raises an important question. To see the conflict, read more. Our world, thanks to the internet, easy plane rides, and economic interconnectivity is becoming smaller and smaller. The It's a Small World ride, while admittedly stereotypical, paints a silly but broad stroke sketch of the distinct cultures we might be sacrificing to globalism.

The French, with their Academie Francaise, a group dedicated to the preservation of the French language, are kicking out English words like email, supermodel, and Wi-Fi to help keep the culture and language pure. Is this the right move? Should countries become more proprietary and defend their cultures against the creep of influence from outside? Is diversity what makes our world unique, or is it the ability to evolve with changing times?

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