oenophile

Happy belated birthday Sushmeister Robin

Who's yo' Daddy.

Doojie, Happy Birthday Angel. Enjoy the girls today. Robin

Game 6 A total meltdown by the 'Canes. With play like that why not give the Oilers a gimme on game 7 and save your fans some money. The Lowell farm club could have played better.

A bitter loss. :( It's critical that the 'Canes leave this heartbreaker in overtime behind and take back the momentum. They are the better team. The Oilers cannot beat them if they don't beat themselves. I hope Aaron Ward and Doug Weight are healthy after their injuries.

Oh no, Tom. We re not claiming the Cup just yet. What Im saying is that Lord Stanleys Cup will be in the house Wednesday night. The Canes arent looking to Wednesday as a coronation. They will be there to earn it.

WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! 'CANES WIN 2-1 LEAD SERIES 3-1 LORD STANLEYS CUP WILL BE IN RALEIGH FOR NEXT GAME.

Game three was close. Canes got into too many penaltys early on. Never got the momentum going, I guess. Anyway, I don't feel so bad about the outcome. The 'Canes get to hoist the Cup in front of the Caniacs in Raleigh rather than an empty house in Edmonton. Go 'Canes WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO I don't know how many of you followed NWA Wrestling but Rick Flair was always a colorful character. He got his start doing the wrestling circuit in North Carolina in the 70's. Always controversial. Always colorful. When he would lay his opponent out with a body slam say...He would yell...WWWWOOOOOO. So on the Canes scoreboard in the RBC Center when the 'Canes score...on comes Ric Flair saying "thats a Carolina Hurricanes Goal...WWWWWOOOOOOO to which the delighted Caniacs respond WWWWOOOOOOO. This process repeats three times.

Happy Birthday Precious Bowtwi

I must say that my heart is with the Mavs. I liked Avery Johnson when I lived in San Antonio and he was the point guard for the Spurs. I liked how they pulled together in beating two strong teams to get to the Finals. However, they are going to have to step up their game a notch or two to hang with Miami. They beat the Pistons who have been the best team in the NBA all year. Go 'Canes!

Canes Win 5-0! Two more to go. David, I had some Summit Beer today. Yummy.

Sour grapes, Hills Bro? What we Caniacs lack in numbers, we make up in passion. Three years ago, I couldn't tell the difference between icing and a cross check. I know now. I'm not alone. There is a Hockey 101 class an hour before each game. Kids are playing in hockey leagues all over Raleigh, which are supported in part by the 'Canes. Moms and Dads are watching their future 'Cane wannabes. The 'Canes are involved in charitible causes in the area. What does this mean? It's the beginning of a ravenous Hurricane Nation. Speaking of passion. Did you see the noise meter in game 7 of of the Eastern Finals...through the RBC Centre roof it was. Did you see the game last night. There was no lack of enthusasm there. Give us some time to establish a dynasty, which you have to admit this collection on 'Canes are capable of doing. Give us hardcore Caniacs some time to teach our basketball crazed area that the NHL playoffs is every bit as exciting as any Duke v. UNC hoops meeting. You will see the numbers in droves. The Hurricanes have a commitment to our home state that they are here to play and here to stay. Raleigh was awash with the Hurricane team logo during the 'Canes 2002 Stanley Cup Finals appearance. I am sure that it is now is even more so. Given time the excitement will spread out from there like wildfire. The hoisting of Lord Stanleys Cup within the next few days by our beloved 'Canes will no doubt will light the tinder. Just you watch. Carolina Hurricanes...the real America's Team. Go 'Canes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you say sweep?

Tom, Yes, Dwayne Roloson the Oilers netminder went down with a knee injury midway through the third period during a collision with 'Cane forward Ladd. He's out for the Series. That injury proved to be pivotal in the game and is thought to be critical for the rest of the Series. The Oiler fan next to me said that I could go home now assured that the 'Canes had won even though the game was tied at the time. The backup goalies aren't exactly puck magnets. Indeed, the game winning goal did come on a major lapse of judgment on an exchange behind the Edmonton net. On a personal level, I feel for Roloson. I hope his knee heals completely. As a 'Cane fan, it would be not only unseemly but also crass to celebrate the injury.

Thomas, I remember Pat too (for some reason, I remember her as Pam) and I agree she was "easy on the eyes." She was always fun to be around and had a smile for everyone. Robin

'Canes come from a 3 to 0 deficit to win 5-4. Whatever it takes!! Cam Ward made some unbelievable saves.

I'm getting a little tired of stupid little sports pundits saying that it is too bad for hockey the year following the lockout that the Stanley Cup begins with home ice advantage to a team in a small market. Just for the record the RDU Triangle is a larger market than Green Bay but no one complains when the Packers make it to the Super Bowl. Oops, puck drops in 1 minute. Later, Red Wings, Flyers, Rangers, Bruin, Kings, Blackhawk fans!

I'll do my best. Do you prefer dry or sweet? Full or light bodied? How inexpensive? I like Lustau sherries. Typically, Lustau is easy to find in most wine and spirit shops. I prefer the fino style which is dry and light which makes a nice before meal aperitif. Also, finos pair nice with olives which make a nice appetizer dish.

Bill, I am all for supporting local wineries. Besides producing some excellent wine like the Texas Syrah I tasted yesterday, they pay my bills. Visiting local wineries is probably the best way to begin one's wine education. My point in my post above is that they are LOTS of areas that have the capacity to produce world class wines. It is a matter of time that the wineries along the 45th paralell in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota find through experimentation in vineyard management, winemaking (vinification) and aging (copperage) that will produce world class wines just like other regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy that hug the same line of latitude. Regarding more recent vintages of some the best New World wines rating higher than some of their European counterparts, I do take notice of that fact. However, it would be misleading to suggest that they consistently exceed the wines from Europes most celebrated domaines, chateaux, weinguts and negociants from year to year. It would also be equally misleading to suggest the reverse. Wine making skills are very important in producing quality wines but so is vineyard management, climate, soil and exposure. Afterall, it does take the best grapes to produce the best wines. As we Southerners are wont to say, "you can't make a silk purse from a sows ear, no matter how good a pursemaker you are." Cheers and a votre sante, Robin Let's Go 'Canes!!!

Let's Go 'Canes!!!!

The 1976 Paris wine tasting was the watershed event the forced the wine world to concede that California is a serious viticultural region and was quite capable of producing wines of classic structure and that not only rivaled but on some occasions surpassed wines from the hallowed vineyards of Europe. Before that time California wines endured such scoffing as " it's a California wine but I think you will be amused by its presumptions." Northern California, blessed with a Mediterrean climate, soil, slope of the land in the best vineyards which provide good drainage as well as good exposure (more sun, riper grapes, better wine) was always capable of producing world class wine. What was lacking was the recognition. The best of California not only continues to challenge the best of Europe but is itself becoming challenged by the best of Oregon, Washington State, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Austrailia, New Zealand, Hungary and an ever increasing list of new arrivals on the wine scene. It's only a matter of time before not only the Midwest but other areas of the country produce wines of similar distinction. Today, I tasted a Texas Syrah that I thought was one of the best that I have ever tasted including Penfold's Grange from Australia and J.L. Chave Hermitage from France's Northern Rhone. European countries have had at least two millenia to determine which grape varietals grow best in what regions, which vineyards within a region, commune or village produce wines of the first order. This process of experimentation is becoming crystallized in California, Austrailia and is just beginning in other viticultural regions. The result will be a plethora of fine wines and even classic wines from heretofore unheralded regions. Who benefits? Wine lovers everywhere benefit with more choices and better prices. I would offer a word of caution to those who would write off the best of French wine as inferior to the best of California based on the 1976 tasting. Questions do arise as to the validity of that argument that appeals to this tasting for validity. The most obvious question is, was the 1973 vintage year equally as kind to Bordeaux as it was to California.? Both Stags Leap and Chateau Mouton Rothschild will always make wines that are at least good. They will make wines very good to stellar depending on the climatic as well as other natural circumstances encountered on any given vintage year. A tasting of the 1982 vintage from the same producers would yield a dramatically different result. Trust me. Cheers! Robin

Joyeaux Anniversaire, ma belle amie. Je t'aime. Robin

The Sabres played a hell of a series especially with a decimated defensive phallanx. I was impressed with Ryan Miller's goaltending and the team defense his team mates played in front of him. They and their fans have no need to hang their heads. They forced the 'Canes to bring their AAA game in order to prevail. Clearly, this was the best series of the post season. Now its on the Cup finals for the Hurricanes starting at home on Monday night. Edmonton will be a formidable foe. They were impressive in ousting the top rated Red Wings in the first round and have played a dominating game to make it to the Finals. The key for the 'Canes is to play the physically punishing game that brought them to this place and stay out of the penalty box. Let's go 'Canes! Mayberry will need to get a new trophy box to accomodate Lord Stanleys cup but don't worry the Ladies Auxillary will have a bake sale in order to pay for it. Caniac Nation is loud and proud.