Big Metal Balls and Saint-Emilion

Fun Stuff:

I have taken up playing a game that some might call an old man game. The more I think about it, however, the more it seems to fit me. The game of pétanque is an old man game that oddly made it into the olymics. It is no stranger than curling. though.

Pétanque is a lot like bocce another uncommon game in the U.S. You play with cool looking heavy metal balls and you try to throw/role them close to a little wood/plastic ball called the jack. It is as simple as that.

The cool parts about the game are the balls, because they are heavy and metal, and the fact that playing pétanque and drinking go hand in hand.



The last time I played, I lost the actual game, but I won the... drinking.

Wine Stuff:

The wine I am drinking now deserves a proper wine snob review, but if that is what you want, google it. I usually drink a bit before I even start writing thus ensuring a non-technical write-up. So, on with it.

I am drinking a 2002 Chateau Pontet-Clauzer Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.



Wanna Drink?!?: This wine is yummy to say the least. Though I am presently drinking it by itself, I think it is best enjoyed with food. St-Emilion, in general, is highly respected stuff that is designed to hold on to and taste at peak moments during it's maturation. The city of Saint-Emilion is located in Bordeaux, and the growing region around the city is one of the four major regions that make up Bordeaux.

In case you want to know what you are drinking when you drink St-Emilion, or any other Bordeaux for that matter, the wine maker usually does not release the percentages of each blend. The grapes they commonly use, however, are Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon to a lesser degree.

Keeping the ratios secret is their way of holding onto their special recipe. Sometimes I think they forget that they also grow the grapes there. The fact that the rest of us do not grow Bordeaux grapes is pretty good protection against duplicating their wines.

Wanna Eat?!?: This stuff is good with beaf, grilled or otherwise. It would also be nice with duck, but I would avoid less robust bird like chicken and turkey. A sweet sauce on duck might compliment the dryness of the wine perfectly. Then again, I might have just pulled that out of my butt.

happy drinking,
-PMo