WTN: It`s only minus 30, open some whites Doris!!

Yup, pretty chilly past couple of days and tired of shovelling, snow-blowing etc so good excuse to try a few whites I had lined up. Have 8 cases of mixed wines and have to make a dent in my cellar!!!

WTN: `04 Pascal Cotat "Les Monts Damnes" Sancerre.

Minerally, flinty. So young but good acidic grip. Grassy, citrus and some chalk as it breathes.Very nice balance here, love my SB.

WTN: `04 La Soufrandiere Bret Brothers Macon-Vinzelles "Clos de Grand-Pere".

South of Pouilly-Fuisse, 100% chardonnay. Minerally nose, retains old world acidity. Oak is there but under control. 13% alc, very well balanced and a great wine in my books. Very well received by my guests who drank most of it whilst I was outside horse tending. Good website at http://www.bretbrothers.com

WTN: `98 Riesling "Whispering Hill" Capel Vale, W Australia.

Thrid bottle tasted and this is still fair stuff. 13%, crumbley cork, colour is light lemon and not much advanced since last time of tasting in `02. Nose has tons gasolein, peach and sharp stonefruit. Palate shortish finish melon as it airs and some orange marmalade. Quite developed, perhaps too much?

Yup, pretty chilly past couple of days and tired of shovelling, snow-blowing etc so good excuse to try a few whites I had lined up. Have 8 cases of mixed wines and have to make a dent in my cellar!!!

WTN: `04 Pascal Cotat "Les Monts Damnes" Sancerre.

Minerally, flinty. So young but good acidic grip. Grassy, citrus and some chalk as it breathes.Very nice balance here, love my SB.

WTN: `04 La Soufrandiere Bret Brothers Macon-Vinzelles "Clos de Grand-Pere".

South of Pouilly-Fuisse, 100% chardonnay. Minerally nose, retains old world acidity. Oak is there but under control. 13% alc, very well balanced and a great wine in my books. Very well received by my guests who drank most of it whilst I was outside horse tending. Good website at http://www.bretbrothers.com

WTN: `98 Riesling "Whispering Hill" Capel Vale, W Australia.

Thrid bottle tasted and this is still fair stuff. 13%, crumbley cork, colour is light lemon and not much advanced since last time of tasting in `02. Nose has tons gasolein, peach and sharp stonefruit. Palate shortish finish melon as it airs and some orange marmalade. Quite developed, perhaps too much?

Is the minus 30 F or C?

-30C. Think your book is ready for me to pick up, Thomas.

-30C. Think your book is ready for me to pick up, Thomas.

-30C; that's not cold...

Sure, it's only, hmm. . . . -22 Fahrenheit. Yeah, ain't that cold!

But when you add the windchill factor, it's currently -40 Celsius. Which coincidentally enough is also -40 in Fahrenheit.

(That's not me blushing - my face is red from the cold.)

Mike,

How does that work? I mean as the minus's go lower the C and F converge?

When I lived in Greenland for a year, as a comp from the Air Force, we didn't need to check the temp--we knew it would always be lower than we wanted it to be.

Hey Thomas,

That's because a degree Fahrenheit is 5/9 of a degree Celsius.

Because I love these kinds of details, I'll expound more:

Celsius is based on the melting and boiling points of water. Ice melts at zero C and boils (under a pressure of one standard atmosphere) at 100 C.

From what I've read about the Fahrenheit system, there doesn't seem to be any agreement on its development. One theory even states that Daniel Fahrenheit was a Freemason and based it on the Freemason's 32 stages of enlightenment (32 F being the freezing point of water and the boiling and freezing points being 180 degrees apart).

[quote="Bob Parsons Alberta."]Yup, pretty chilly past couple of days and tired of shovelling, snow-blowing etc /quote]

Gee, sorry to hear about the weather Bob. Here in southeastern Ontario we are suffering from a cold snap too. It only went up to 2 degrees (C) above zero today. So far, no sign of snow.

But don't worry about us: we'll tough it out. It is supposed to be 12 degrees tomorrow (Wednesday) and a very respectable 16 degrees on Thursday.

Hey Thomas,

That's because a degree Fahrenheit is 5/9 of a degree Celsius.

Because I love these kinds of details, I'll expound more:

Celsius is based on the melting and boiling points of water. Ice melts at zero C and boils (under a pressure of one standard atmosphere) at 100 C.

From what I've read about the Fahrenheit system, there doesn't seem to be any agreement on its development. One theory even states that Daniel Fahrenheit was a Freemason and based it on the Freemason's 32 stages of enlightenment (32 F being the freezing point of water and the boiling and freezing points being 180 degrees apart).

I'm not even going to try to calculate the 5/9 thingy; I'll take your word for it. Reminds me of the old joke about marrying someone who is 20 when you are 40--makes her 1/2 your age. When you reach 50, she is 30, which makes her 3/5 your age. When you reach 60, she is 40, which makes her 2/3 your age. The question is, how long before she catches up?

Thomas,

Here are the formulas

Tc = (5/9) (Tf-32);

Tf = (9/5) Tc+32;

Tc = temperature in degrees Celsius
Tf = temperature in degrees Fahrenheit

Or you can use this handy online convertor

http://www.albireo.ch/temperatureconverter/

Richard

Well, that's Alberta for you. It's now only -9 C (about 16 F). What a change a couple of days makes. I was out at lunch and people were walking around with their coats open and gloves off, even though it's still well below freezing.

You'd think it was spring.

Thomas,

Here are the formulas

Tc = (5/9) (Tf-32);

Tf = (9/5) Tc+32;

Tc = temperature in degrees Celsius
Tf = temperature in degrees Fahrenheit

Or you can use this handy online convertor

http://www.albireo.ch/temperatureconverter/

Richard

Thanks Richard,

I've already figured out that each 1 degree C is 1.8 degrees F. The trick is that under F you start counting at a positive 32 and under C it logically begins at 0, and that is why they meet at -40.

The upshot of this exercise is that I think I now understand why the 100 point wine rating system starts at 50...

Oh, oh. Once you understand that Foodie you are liable to be sucked in to the numbers game.

Bob, I'm very fond of Cotat S.B., maybe especially that from Les Monts Damnees," but you killed it too young.

JC, have you opened any 2002 Cotats recently? I haven't tried one in a while, just wondering how they were doing.

Well, that's Alberta for you. It's now only -9 C (about 16 F). What a change a couple of days makes. I was out at lunch and people were walking around with their coats open and gloves off, even though it's still well below freezing.

You'd think it was spring.

Wait 5 minutes.

Marc D[quote]

JC, have you opened any 2002 Cotats recently? I haven't tried one in a while, just wondering how they were doing.


It's been at least since summer since I've opened a Cotat. I will check my inventory and perhaps open one before Christmas and report back.