Cruising the neighbourhoods, and Lawrie's wine recommendations!



Interesting new sculpture on west side of Isla

It's always fun to see what's new on the island when we are out walking in the early evening. 

We left our house around 4:30 in the afternoon and headed towards town, eventually wrapping around the airport to walk along the west side of the island.

New stamped concrete sidewalk and seawall on west side

We ambled along while I snapped photos of the seawall reconstruction project, admiring the white stamped concrete walkways, white stone walls, and the new fishing boat sculpture.

When completed, it will be a beautiful place to sit and watch the sunsets.

On our walk, we eventually made our way to the new Bahia Tortuga Bar (Turtle Bay) just to have a peek at this new facility. 



new - Bahia Tortuga Bar

It is located about two lots north of the ever-popular Soggy Peso Bar & Grill.  Danny, the owner, has created a beautiful setting for the bar.  

And, some of you may remember J-J, the very tall and very pleasant young man who worked last year at the Soggy Peso as a bartender. He's the new bar manager for the Bahia Tortuga Bar. 

Beautiful sunsets from this location as well.                                  __________________________

Wine!  by Lawrie Lock

The Curse of the Tropics

I know, you think all is perfect down here in paradise. I assure you it's not! Wine (my little vice) in the tropics has a shelf life that is decidedly short, especially white wine. 

My favourite white wine is a Sauvignon Blanc, and it's a good example of why I don't buy anything over two years old. The fruit flavours and citrus overtones fade when the wine is too old or has been mistreated in transit. A hint for you, if you see a white wine that is lemon yellow in colour when viewed in a bottle or poured in a glass - stay away. It is old, has no flavour, and is just plain nasty to drink!  The exceptions are the big, oaked Chardonnays from Australia and California.  French Chardonnays are typically not "oaked" and should be light in colour, not lemon yellow.


 Our favourite: Sauvignon Blanc, and a Chardonnay

So now that it's 2012, for white wine, I buy nothing older than 2010. The date on the bottle is when the grapes were harvested. And you have to remember that when you are looking at wine from south of the equator, such as New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina, their seasons are opposite ours. Their winter is our summer, and vice versa, which means that the wine is six months older than when calculating for our northern seasons. A good Chardonnay can be a bit older, but it will also lose its fruit characteristics with heat and rough treatment.

Recommendations for Sauvignon Blanc in Mexico

Argentina - Secreto

Chile - Santa Rita Medalla Real 

Chile - Santa Rita 120

New Zealand - Kim Crawford

New Zealand - Nobilo

For the reds, again, use caution when buying. Nothing over three years old.  Yeah, I know, in Canada, the US, and Europe, this would be considered to be a very young red wine. Remember, the temperature in the tropics is hot all year round.  The bigger stores may be nice and cool with air conditioning, but the un-refrigerated truck that brought the wine to your city travelled over miles of highways and rough local roads pitted with pot holes, through temperatures of 120F or 40C. Rough treatment will prematurely age wines.

Recommendations for reds in Mexico

Australia - Cabernet or Shiraz

Chile - Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

France - most of the reds, but watch the dates

USA - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

So, remember to drink fast and often. You don't want the wine to go bad. 
Cheers, Lawrie

(Lawrie has, in a previous life, managed several gourmet restaurants, and he managed a winery in the Okanagan Valley of Canada. He wrote a weekly wine column in Canada for three years. He enjoys wine!)

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