Date: Fri 26-Sep-1997

By Previous Employees

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: DONNAM

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(Wine Wisdom column on Pinot Noir, 9/26/97)

Wine Wisdom-

The Tasty Palate Of Pinot Noir

By Steve Small

In the wine business, the fall months are tasting months. Attending various

wine tastings affords me the opportunity to taste new wines, sample new

vintages, and prepare for the holiday season. As I drove home from a recent

tasting, it was Pinot Noir ("pee-no n'wahr") that made the biggest impression

on me.

Pinot Noir is also known as the headache grape because it is so hard to grow.

However, when it is grown successfully, it produces a charming, medium-bodied

red wine with delicious berry fruit flavors. Merlot is an extremely popular

red wine today. Those who enjoy the fruit flavors in a good Merlot would

probably also enjoy Pinot Noir.

The world's most acclaimed region for Pinot Noir is the Burgundy region of

eastern France. French red Burgundies are 100 percent Pinot Noir. Do not

confuse California jugs of Burgundy with French Burgundies. Comparable wines

from California are simply called Pinot Noir.

The best French red Burgundies are usually medium-bodied with nice fruit, lots

of complex flavors, and long finishes. Burgundies are generally priced from

$15 and up for a 750 ml bottle. Two of the more readily available names are

Joseph Drouhin and Louis Jadot. Vintages are critical in determining the

quality of many Burgundies. 1995 and 1996 were both good vintages for French

red Burgundies.

Back in the USA, both California and Oregon are producing tasty Pinot Noir.

There are also quite a few very average domestic Pinot Noirs. Price is also

not the most reliable factor in determining the quality of the wine.

Inexpensive Pinot Noir I have enjoyed include Dunnewood, Pepperwood, Firesteed

and Napa Ridge. In the $15 to $20-a-bottle price range, I can recommend Wild

Horse, King Estate, Sokol Blosser and Robert Mondavi.

Some of the classic food matches with Pinot Noir include salmon steaks and the

traditional Thanksgiving dinner. So if you are ready for a change, Pinot Noir

makes an excellent choice.

(Steve Small is the proprietor of Steve's Liquor Store, in Ricky's Shopping

Center at 71 Main Street South/Route 25 in Newtown.)

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 26-Sep-1997

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