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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2004)
BY LANCE SPARKS Fun with War and Wine No debating these standouts. O h, what a lovely war! Through this war, we are gifted with marvelous lessons in comparative values and relative meanings of language, all by virtue of charming charades. The Bushites, on the one hand, have offered us a view of civilized le- galisms through which we can arrive at won- derful new definitions and distinctions for tor- ture, when it is, when it isn’t (must reach level of pain caused by damage to internal organs; lawyers know how to measure such scales of pain). These are refinements to rival the fi- nesse of Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. Radical Islamist butchers respond by decapitation, which Bush then describes as “barbaric,” at the same time that American soldiers are going on trial for suffocating to death a prisoner in their charge. Now, our problem, students of war, is to determine: Which is more (or less) barbaric in the treatment of helpless prisoners: severing the head from the body with a sword (recall- ing that the inventor of the French guillotine argued that this method would be more “humane” than, say, hanging); or slowly beat- ing the prisoner nearly to death, then shoving him into a sleeping bag and smothering him? We could probably extend this debate to con- sider other forms of institutional killing, as in the application of executions for death penal- ty states: Which is more humane/less barbar- ic, hanging, electric shock, firing squad, lethal injection? Any votes for decapitation? Related issue – isn’t it swell how war rais- es profound questions of morals? Is it more (or less) civilized to show a beheading on broadcast television, or shoot digital film and then circulate that on the Internet? Probably most Americans will feel grateful that we have broadcast personalities like Rush Limbaugh and Jay Leno to help us distin- guish between terrorism and frat-boy hijinks. For myself, I confess that I’m having a hard time keeping score. Better think about wine. Last month, I was involved in helping raise funds for Davey Untz, a three-year-old fighting leukemia. We tried a wine auction at Eugene Wine Cellars, relying on the dona- tions of local wineries and wine merchants. I’m pleased to report that we were able to generate, through the auction and raffle, over $4,000 for the lad and his mom. I still glow with pride for the generosity and humanity shown by the winefolk. What a contrast to the burlesque of war. While running from vineyard to winery in my pursuit of donations for Davey, I tripped over some treasures. Let’s start with facts: It’s summer and we’re gonna burn (soon, I think) and even the most fervent winefiends will (usually, reluctantly) admit that summer is made for lighter wines, matched with lighter foods. High Pass Winery 2000 Sauvignon Blanc ($10) is lovely, has a little bottle age on it, so flavors have matured into pleasant roundness of tropical fruits on a firm but balanced frame. It goes very well with grilled halibut or chicken. Winemaker Dieter Boehm is also happy with his High Pass 2003 Pinot Noir Rosé ($10); the wine is dark pink and so rich with fruit character that it drinks like a very light-bodied pinot noir, with bright cherry fla- vors, low alcohol (11 percent), and just enough acidity to accent foods like summer pastas, cheeses, and light meats. Makes a nice sipping wine, too. Rosés are vastly under-valued as well as under-appreciated, and deserve a lot more attention. Some of the damage done to these wines can be blamed on the marketeers who have corrupted rosé into “blush” wines like white zinfandel, too often schlocky sweet and utterly lacking in character. Oddly, though, the blushies have also opened the world of wine for the shy and reticent; after some time at the entry level, folks are ready to try wines with greater flavor and complexity. Good rosés make a fine transition. One of our favorites for this summer will be Territorial 2003 Rosé of Pinot Noir ($10), a fine product from Eugene’s newest urban winery, bursting with bright fruit flavors (pie cherries, roses, tangerine), finely balanced in alcohol and acidity, just straight-forward deli- cious. While at Territorial, You might pick up Territorial 2002 Pinot Noir Stone’s Throw ($25). I’m a known pinotphiliac, okay? I love this wine, especially after an hour open; it delivers sweet black cherry/black raspberry flavors with a candied note and lingering fin- ish with fine tannins. Its sister wine, Territorial 2002 Pinot Noir Capital T ($25) is a deep, smooth, rich Pommard-style, probably best after two more years in the bottle (only 120 cases made). Hide some in a cool, dark place. Since I made acquaintance with New Zealand sauvignon blancs, I’ve developed a severe jones, but Andrew Rich 2003 Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc Croft Vineyard ($15) scratches my itch: lush fla- vors of lychee and other tropicals, mouth-fill- ing, silky smooth, so satisfying. Serve with fresh fish, and blow somebody’s mind. One more: Some of the best merlots in the world are coming from Washington and fetching hefty prices in the $50-100 range and beyond. One of the best I’ve tasted is Hogue 2001 Columbia Valley Merlot (around $30): just explodes in the mouth, hits all the corners, a real bunker-buster, with profound black fruit flavors, satin-smooth, long finish. Don’t give a rip for the swelter, must-have- big-red? Try this one, swoon in bliss. Well, friends, pour a glass or two, lubri- cate your debates and enjoy the war. ew writers: T as t y Th ai K i tc h en T ra di t i on al T ha i C ui s in e by Owner and Chef Pismai WEEKLY SPECIALS FOR LUNCH & DINNER VEGETARIAN & VEGAN OPTIONS AVAILABLE BEER & WINE NOW AVAILABLE NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH ON SATURDAYS! Mon - Fri 11 AM - 9:30 PM • Sat & Sun 12 PM - 9:30 PM 80 E. 29th & Willamette 302-6444 do you just wanna rock? WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS FOR EUGENE WEEKLY! We are now accepting submissions of CD reviews by local writers. What’s in it for you? You’ll just do it for the glory . . . (These are unpaid reviews, but you’ll get to see your work in print!) What’s in it for us? We’ll boost our music coverage and get rockin’ reviews from the experts (that would be YOU) who know what’s really happening in the music world. Reviews should be between 100 and 200 words, on any musical genre, and should be emailed to cal@eugeneweekly.com under the subject heading: “Local CD Review.” Please include complete information about the CD, including band name, album name, year and record label, contact information so we can reach you, as well as a short bio about yourself. For additional guidelines and information, contact Ben at Eugene Weekly: 484-0519, Ext. 26 JULY 1, 2004 31
