cat shepard

@Vict0riann Ann thank you for the great news about Jacqui! @marshhawk Annie - is there a way to set up notifications from the airline when they change a flight? I know I can do that with Delta. Possibly American. The other Ann 😎

Thank Rich & Roy for creating & bringing us today’s Report & Daily. Already 52 when Bindi and I went out earlier. Deer were everywhere. Roy thank you for keeping it all together in so many ways. And I love the map of the Volendam & Zuiderdam together! Special thanks for that one! Off to the gym. Then chores. Last night’s dinner to a favorite place on the beach. But the ride along the Coast shows the devastation that still exists from Ian and Nicole. So many areas do not have a beach anymore. I am not sure what the answer is, but until they solve the problem, the Coast road is in jeopardy from these types of storms. I find myself singing every now and then. Bindi just looks.😎 Prayers for all who need our support, especially Jacqui & Kathi. Both dealing with major issues away from home. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone! ********** Quartz Reef Pinot Noir Central Otago Single Ferment 2020 This vintage is a bit elusive, unless you live in New Zealand or Australia, but earlier vintages are more widely available. All share excellent reviews and prices that don’t exceed my budget. Several online distributors with prices starting at $31.57. Distributor notes Divine ruby red in colour with intense cherry and berry aromas. Rich on the palate with dark cherry, subtle floral and herbaceous notes. Excellent depth, fine tannins and a long vibrant finish.” Rudi Bauer, who continues to explore Pinot Noir’s many dimensions, and the convergence of the old and the new wine worlds. Certified as Bio-Dynamic.

Thank you for today’s Report and Daily, Rich via Roy! It is just starting to get light now. Bindi and I did a mini walk to the light of the moon this morning. It is a bit warmer this morning at 46. Roy thank you for keeping it all together. Especially with Jacqui’s injury limiting her ability to type. Off to the gym, Aldi, Bindi walks and then a get together with friends and family, now that everyone is over their bout of flu or colds. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********** Akitu Pinot Noir Central Otago A2 2020 This New Zealand wine is a bit elusive, but this vintage is ultra elusive. I used the 2019 vintage info for this post. And even that requires shipping from overseas. I did see that this vintner is a member of Naked wines, so perhaps they are marketing the 2020 vintage through them. The Naked Wines’ “Angels” support small vineyards by taking the marketing off their hands, so they can focus on making some great wines. My “traveling Sister” is a member, and we have enjoyed some special wines through this program. If you opt for the 2019 vintage, I found it for $28.98 + shipping from some European and New Zealand distributors. Wine Enthusiast rated the 2019 vintage - 92. Winemaker’s notes Dark garnet with a crimson edge within a deep plummy hue. The first aroma from this wine gives a hint to the depth and complexity that lies beneath, hidden for now in the glass. Layers of graphite, brown spice and wild herbs sit across dark plummy fruit. Ripe dark cherries, dark rose petal and a hint of sous boisare all coiled very tightly in a compact bundle of aromatic intensity. This one will take some time to show its true depth and complexity. The palate opens with intense fruit concentration over a core of powerful soft tannin. There are layers of textural phenolics pushing up against fruit plushness which impress and excite. This wine, our 8th vintage of the black label, without doubt shows in its shape and structure that it is unequivocally of the Hawkesbury vineyard. A fine line of acidity suggests a long and exciting evolution. It will start to hit its straps at five years old and continue for at least another five, perhaps much more.

Dixie we had one day of “rolling swells” going to Hawaii, but that was it. Not sure if there is any way to predict the waves. Perhaps you should bring your pills as insurance.

Annie I was only on the Niew Amsterdam for 7 days for an Alaskan cruise and loved the ship, the service and wonderful crew. I also spent a week prior to the cruise in Seward and Denali. And then a couple days in Vancouver and Seattle. My cruise visited Hubbard glacier, Glacier Bay, Skagway/Haines, and Ketchikan. I might be able to find the links to some of my “reports”, if interested.

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily Roy, on behalf of Rich! It is 43 this morning. The deer are everywhere having breakfast on the go. Roy, thank you for keeping our lists and backing up Rich & Jacqui. Praying that @kazu gets the medical help she needs and recovers quickly. And then I think we need to wrap you in bubble wrap, Jacqui. Then when someone jostles you, or when you misses a step, you will simply bounce. Zumba, Bindi walks and taking down the outside Christmas decorations will fill my day. After coffee, of course. I have yet to meet a dog that does NOT need to hear this… Praying for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone! (Yes, Jacqui, this means YOU). ********* Chateau Ste. Michelle 2020 Riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington State I used the 2020 vintage for this post because it has the best ratings and is so widely available, you should easily find it. Not the driest of their Rieslings, but if you pick up a bottle and it is too sweet for you - you can use it as a base for a white Sangria, or for cooking. And not only is it widely available - prices start at $7.98! Winemaker Notes Chateau Ste. Michelle sources Riesling from both warmer and cooler parts of the Columbia Valley which provides a range of flavors and styles in the Riesling. The warmer sites add more tropical flavors while the cooler sites bring more pear and lemon-lime notes. Try it with light pasta and rice dishes, grilled fish, and a wide array of cheese. W&S90 Wine & Spirits This wine is the Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling’s kissing cousin, cut from the same cloth but adding a dollop of residual sugar, a whiff of peach fruit to the lemon-lime core of flavors. It’s firm, simple, lively—and another steal.

Jacqui, this is horrible. Praying that you get the correct treatment and have a speedy recovery.

Thank you for another wonderful Report & Daily, Rich via Roy! The past two mornings it was 70 at 6 a.m. This morning it was 48. Even Bindi was not a fan of heading out at that time. The sun has not crested the trees yet, but once it does it will warm up to the mid-sixties. Roy, thank you for all you do! After coffee, I head to the gym. Then Bindi walks & my quarterly file clean out. Tax time is coming. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ******* Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown Napa Valley, California I have enjoyed several bottles of this Napa Cab over the years, but admit that there are so many equally excellent wines available for less, that I probably would not buy it now. I used the 2018 vintage’s ratings and prices, since this is the most recently released vintage. It is available from several online distributors with prices starting at $42.98. Winemaker Notes This approachable Cabernet offers aromas of blackberry crisp and exhibits flavors of cherry, clove, and a hint of dark chocolate. Full bodied and smooth with a lingering finish. TP94 Tasting Panel With some Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Caber- net Franc blended in, this standup Cabernet Sauvignon aged 17 months in primarily French oak, seeing some Hungarian and American oak as well. Sourced from the winery’s estate vineyards (Mt. George, Silverado, and Oakville Station), the fruit yielded tight-fisted tannins of coffee and plum skin that hold this superbly structured, concentrated, and elegant red together. Chewy, with earthy undertones and depth defined by dark choco- late and black olive. WW92 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com The 2018 Silverado Vineyards Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon is rich yet not overpowering. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of sandalwood, black fruit, licorice, and oak. Pair it with a steak salad. (Tasted: December 20, 2021, San Francisco, CA) D91 Decanter Ripe cassis, toast, vanilla and spice nose. Sleek tannins and appetising acidity. Precisely defined blackcurrant and black plum flavours and well-integrated oak. Blend : 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot WE90 Wine Enthusiast With small amounts of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc included, this elegant red shows graceful layers of plum, black cherry and currant built around a soft, supple midpalate. Approachable and youthful, it's a wine to enjoy in the near term. W&S90 Wine & Spirits A strong young Napa Valley cabernet, this wine needs hours in a decanter for the tannins to begin to soften their grip. It slowly gives up that initial severity to yield notes of dried figs, gaining flesh to wrap around the tannins. There’s a good wine here that requires patient cellaring.

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich via Roy! It looks a bit cloudy this morning, but it could be a marine layer that will burn off soon. Roy, thank you again for holding down the fort for all of us. Bindi has had two great days, so I am hoping we have turned the corner. She is enjoying her numerous mini-meals. I would too, if I could pick what I ate. Somehow Greenies just do not appeal. No gym today. Not sure if my HIIT class will take place tonight. So I will fill my day with walks, decluttering and perhaps some yard work - if this is just a marine layer that burns off. My cousin shared this with me. You crocheters might identify with this. I do not crochet, I drink wine. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Cakebread 2019 Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros, Napa Valley, California Excellent consumer and critic ratings make this a wine to try. But there are so many wonderful Chardonnays that you can find for less. It is available from several online distributors with prices starting at $60.93. Winemaker Notes For every vintage of our Chardonnay Reserve, we select the finest lots from our four Napa Valley estate vineyards in the Carneros region. This quintessential expression of cool-climate Carneros chardonnay offers concentrated flavors of creamy golden apple, ripe peach and baking spice, supported by pitch-perfect acidity. WW94 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com The 2019 Cakebread Cellars Reserve Chardonnay is lively, well-textured, and mouthfilling, with an excellent crisp finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows aromas and flavors of green apples, dried spices, oaky notes, and minerality. Serve it with grilled lobster in a decadent cream sauce.

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich via Roy! A bit cloudy this morning with a possibility of showers. We shall see. Bindi’s vet fixed her up with some good meds, so hopefully she will be back to normal soon. She lost too much weight and needs to put on a couple pounds. Though I would love to have to put on weight, I would not want to go about it the same way Bindi did. Roy, thank you for all you do. Off to the gym. I need to do some garage decluttering. Perhaps I will start today. Weather here is a lot like this… Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ******* Château La Gaffelière St.-Emilion 2019 It is not always easy being a member of the food & beverage department. Especially when Rich uses his secret code to announce the wine du jour. But I pulled out my trusty decoder ring and voilà- we have a wine worthy of a secret code. All released vintages share similar excellent - superb ratings. Numerous online distributors with prices starting at $55.25. Winemaker Notes #67 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 Blend: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc WE97 Wine Enthusiast This estate has made a dark, dense wine in this vintage. That density is penetrated by the freshness of the black currant fruits. The result is a wine that is powered both by structure and crisp fruit. There is definitely plenty of aging potential here. Barrel Sample: 95-97 JS96 James Suckling A vibrant, fragrant red with aromas of blackberries, currants, walnuts and mint chocolate. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Pretty walnut notes on the polished finish. Fantastic length. Driven acidity and focus. Try in 2025. D95Decanter An estate with a gathering sense of excitement around it, and once again proves why with the 2019. Sleek and flavourful, with the insistent tug of limestone slowing things down and allowing the juice and the tension to really inform the palate. Creamy texture also, with blueberry and raspberry fruit played gently against tobacco and crushed stone minerality. Highly successful. Barrel Sample: 95 JD95 Jeb Dunnuck The flagship 2019 Château La Gaffeliere is mostly Merlot, yet the cuvée always includes around 15% Cabernet Franc. It offers a complex array of spiced red and black fruits, cedary herbs, lead pencil, and a kiss of tobacco to go with a medium-bodied, elegant, impressively balanced style on the palate. It shows the more classic style of the vintage, has no hard edges, and is going to be relatively accessible in its youth yet also age gracefully. Barrel Sample: 93-95 RP95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2019 La Gaffelière wafts from the glass with a rich bouquet of blackberries and cherries mingled with subtle hints of burning embers and loamy soil that's framed by a deft application of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's a concentrated, vibrant wine built around bright acids and fine, powdery tannins. Its vivid fruit tones and classical balance make this Cabernet Franc-rich blend a promising candidate for sustained bottle age. Anyone who has tasted the great wines this estate produced in the 1950's and 1960's knows how great this site can be; and with stricter selection as well as the elimination of fruit from vines growing on the plain from the blend, that potential appears to be being unleashed at last. Best After 2027 WS94 Wine Spectator This rolls out dense fig, boysenberry and red currant paste flavors laced with pronounced chalky minerality and notes of tobacco, dried anise and juniper. The serious tannic drive on the finish puts this in the 'classically austere' camp. Worth cellaring for sure, but patience is required.

Perhaps they realized they had a celebrity onboard. After all you are the Editor-in-Chief of the Report & Daily! Bon Voyage, Rich! I am thrilled that your adventures are about to begin!

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich via Roy. Another very foggy morning here. Last night was so foggy, Bindi would only go to the end of the driveway and she stood and gazed around her for the longest time trying to figure things out. Roy, thank you for getting up so early to post the Report & Daily, and doing the Bon Voyage threads for Jacqui and STILL keeping our Care & Celebration lists! I really appreciate the time it takes you to do it & do it so well. Bindi heads to the vet early this morning, since she got in to something outside that has caused her major digestive problems. Right now the only thing she is able to eat without problems is puréed pumpkin. Sigh. Then we take down the cul de sac decorations. I have one gym class in the afternoon, and I really need to get out in the yard. Last week’s cold spell did a job on so many plants. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France I enjoyed this Champagne at my nephew’s wedding a few years ago. It is lovely. Lots of consumer and critic fans. It is outside of my budget, but there are numerous online distributors with prices starting at $73.98. Winemaker Notes A supple, harmonious attack on the palate, firm but rounded. A voluptuous texture and vinosity that is not excessive, supported by excellent freshness. A very refreshing mineral finish. At first very intense on the nose, giving way to fresh fruit notes, particularly ripe citrus and exotic fruits (pineapple). A highly refined floral second nose with notes of linden and white fruits (white peach). Beautiful pale yellow colour with glints of gold and green, a vibrant, luminous color. Active effervescence with a fine, persistent release of bubbles. Food Pairings Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is a perfect champagne for all occasions: aperitifs, lunch, dinner, or celebratory meals. The vivacity of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is a perfect complement to seafood and white fish, pairing perfectly with dishes such as sea scallop carpaccio and sea bream tartare. WS93 Wine Spectator A toasty blanc de blanc with an aromatic overtone of smoke and lemon peel notes accenting flavors of poached apricot, brioche, passion fruit coulis and fresh thyme. Fine and creamy in texture, with a racy finish. Best after 2022. WW93 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com COMMENTARY: The Ruinart Blanc de Blancs has always been one of our household favorites, and the current cuvée is alluring and pleasing from start to finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine is refined, steady, and attractive, with aromas and flavors of tart and ripe apple and a hint of spice. Enjoy it with ikura sashimi appetizers. (Tasted: July 14, 2022, Menlo Park, CA) WE92 Wine Enthusiast With its 100% Chardonnay, this Champagne is finely textured, elegant with minerality and the freshest crispest apple flavors. It does have some weight and certainly has intensity—a satisfying, textured wine that is ready to drink. JS92 James Suckling A fruity yet firm blanc de blancs with some brioche, cooked-apple and pear aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and flavorful. Fruity finish. Always a good bottle. Drink now. W&S90 Wine & Spirits Creamy in its gentle texture, this has the floral scent of hops and the sweet citrus tang of oranges. A subtle aperitif. Récoltant-Manipulant in Avize (Côte des Blancs) founded in 1947 owns 10 acres of chardonnay average vine age: 45 years oldest vines: 70+ years.

Safe travels, Charlene! It has been very foggy the past few mornings. Hope that will have moved on by the time you return.

Lenda my gmail account allows me to select an unopened email and then select “report spam” from the option list.

Congrats, Rich. I would have been a bit anxious waiting to hear.

Thank you for sharing today’s Report & Daily, Roy! Rich thank you for creating it, so we would not go through withdrawal while you are cruising the World! What an amazing adventure to look forward to! Thank you for keeping our lists Roy! Super foggy this morning. But it was already 58 here this morning. I have a few more tree ornaments to wrap and pack away, and then I am done until next weekend. One gym class, Aldi (since it was closed yesterday), Bindi walks, chores. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Safe and smooth travels to those traveling. Get well & stay well everyone! ********* Sokol Blosser E-Evolution Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon Pinot Noir fans may have enjoyed this one on a BHB. All released vintages of this Pinot share the same very good - excellent ratings. Available from several online distributors with prices starting at $15.99. Winemaker Notes Bright red, round & juicy fruit. Cherry pie and a hint of oak. This Pinot is round, rich, and ripe with jammy fruit flavors. Easy to drink and even easier to find something to pair with it. JS92 James Suckling A pretty nose of forest berries, fresh cherries, pine cones, fresh flowers, slate and baking spices. Medium body with sleek, seamless tannins and bright acidity. So supple and pure. Juicy finish. Drink now.

Congratulations on Georgia’s heart-pounding win!

Happy Anniversary!🥂

Happy New Year! Thank you for the first Report & Daily of 2023! Rich, I was happy to read that you went to a wine tasting. Hope you enjoyed it. It is still totally dark here and very foggy. The street lights look as if they are floating in the fog. Bindi is not a fan. Roy, thank you for doing triple duty! After coffee I head to the gym, then Aldi. Hope to see the sun today. We did get a little rain yesterday, but not much. I hope to round out the day with Bindi walks and family visits. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! ************* Terrazas de los Andes Chardonnay Reserva, Valle de Uco, Argentina You might want to taste this one before you buy a bottle of it. There are some fans, but some critics use “burnt matches” or “burnt popcorn” to describe the taste. Doesn’t sound very appealing. Similar reviews and prices for the 2018 and 2019 vintages. Easy to find online with prices starting at $18.99. Distributor notes As we formally enter winter and the coldest months approach us, fuller bodied, and more robust red and white wines add comfort to ease the chill. There are few white wines that are requested more during this period than a chardonnay. The Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Chardonnay is one of these wines. The grapes are harvested from high elevation vineyards (nearly 4,000 feet) in Mendoza's Uco Valley. Warm days and cool evenings during the growing season produce wines with nice acidity and bright fruit character. This golden straw colored wine has a nose of tropical fruit, a hint of a floral character, and a bit of oak. On the palate, I found the wine to be very well balanced. Once it has a chance to open in the glass, the wine comes alive with bright tropical fruit characteristics. There is a slight mineral character and it finishes with bright acidity. There is a layered oak component that will satisfy a consumer who enjoys an oaked chardonnay, but it is not overdone making this a wine that many will find appealing. Terrazas de Los Andes produces wines from high elevation vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina. They have a commitment to producing quality wines with less winemaker intervention, sustainability, and commitment to their local community. They are best known for their malbec wines. We are proud to feature this on our list, and it compliments any of Chef Bruno's sandwiches, chicken pabellon plates, and arepas. It is the perfect companion to the Ensalada Gaucha. Why we added this wine: We needed a high quality, well balanced, oaked chardonnay to round out our fuller white wine section. This chardonnay offers nice complexity, bright fruit, and a nice restrained oak character.

Melisa Praying that your DSIL is made comfortable. Bless you for making the trip. I am glad your DH wants to remember the nice visit.

I am envisioning that HAL put out an APB for your laundry, Joy! They might even have an entire detective squad devoted to this important function.

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich & Ron! Really foggy here this morning. Almost eerie. Bindi would not go out. We might get some much needed rain later. Roy thank you for everything you do with keeping our lists and covering for people. I am heading to Zumba this morning. I will start putting away Christmas decorations. At least the inside ones. I will leave the tree and outside lights up awhile longer. I just hate taking them down. Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone! Happy New Year’s Eve! ******* Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut, Champagne, France Wht are the odds of a sparkling wine coming up for New Year’s Eve? I think Rich worked some magic for us. This one has a great many consumer and expert fans and is not outrageously expensive. Widely available with prices starting at $58.96. Winemaker Notes Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is the signature champagne of the House. Dominated by Pinot Noir, it offers a perfect balance of structure and finesse. First, Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label looks beautiful: golden-yellow, with a foaming necklace of tiny bubbles. Next it is so pleasing to the nose: initially reminiscent of yellow and white fruits, then of vanilla and later of brioche. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty aromas, the result of the three years of bottle aging. The first sip delivers all the freshness and strength so typical of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label with a symphony of fruit tastes following (pear, lemon). Here is a true member of the Brut family, well structured, admirably vinous. The lingering aromas echo and re-echo, with each fruit or almond notes distinct. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label manages to reconcile two opposing factors - strength and silkiness - and to hold them in perfect balance with aromatic intensity and a lot of freshness. This consistent power to please makes it ideal as an apéritif, and perfect as the champagne to enjoy with a meal. JS92 James Suckling Toasty and generous with lemon freshness, this also has quite some dried-pear and peach aromas from mature elements of the blend, plus a touch of spice at the long, structured finish. The cuvée is based on 2015 and is 50% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay and 20% pinot meunier. Reserve wines make up more than one third of the blend. Drink now. D91 Decanter Noticeable fruit intensity and fresh notes of red fruits, fresh blueberries and a small amount of quince. Interesting and quite demanding. Blend : 55% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay W&S90 Wine & Spirits Brisk lemon-lime flavors and floral apple clarity lend this wine its freshness and mineral-tinged refreshment. It smells like chalk, then the flavors are enriched by toasty brioche and spiciness from the lees aging. Simple and saturated, finely made in a grandmarque style. Best Buy WE90 Wine Enthusiast One of the most popular of all Champagnes, this is now showing a freshness that wasn't always there. The crisp texture and green-apple flavors give it an immediate drinkability as well as perfumed acidity and a vibrant aftertaste. WS90 Wine Spectator A crisp and lacy Champagne, with a hint of smoke underscoring flavors of poached apricot, pastry cream and pickled ginger. An overtone of Mandarin orange peel ties it all together.

Annie! If the Hotel Nationale has not changed, you will love it. I spent a week there in 2006 and could walk everywhere! My nephew was so impressed, that whenever he went there for business after that trip, he stayed there. The rooms were lovely. The breakfast room was unique and the breakfast was impressive in its variety. There was also a great meeting room near the entrance where we would enjoy planning our next outing. Enjoy! Ann

My Mom was one of nine children, and I always got a kick out of her siblings greeting us when we arrived at the family reunions with two big pots of it with us. Some of my older cousins enjoyed it too. My Sister reminded me that Mom often used Shell Beans, if Cranberry Beans were not available.

Terri, thank you for sharing. That flooring is gorgeous!