French, Spanish and Portuguese Wines...and one random Australian Chard:)

Here is an update on my wine tastings I have done. I have had French,Spanish and Portuguese wines.

French Wines:Grenache/Syrah
Côtes du Rhône Parallel 45 Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2004
Grenache 60% Syrah 40%
This wine is a dark, robust wine! Smells of burnt rubber and has the same taste. Very rough on the tongue. The higher percentage of Grenache gives the wine a rich berry aroma as well.

Barton&Gustier- Chateauneuf du Pape 2007
Grenache 50% Syrah 50%
Smoother than the Parallel 45 due to the even amounts of both the Grenache and Syrah. Peppery, full of tannin flavors with hints of dark chocolate.

Spanish Wines: Albarino/Tempronillo
Martin Codax Albarino-Rias Baixas 2008
Wonderful citrus flavor(specifically lemon) with hints of honey. Feels light on the tongue and makes your mouth water. Very pleasant wine!

Encavio Tempronillo
Heavily oaked! Tastes like it had been sitting in a cider cigar box with some dark chocolate.Very bitter and leaves the tongue dry.

Portuguese Wine: Vinho Verde/Madeira/Port
Aveleda Fonte Alvarinho Vinho Verde
Such a beautiful wine! Slightly effervescent, tart and crisp. Tastes like unripe grapes, but for my pallet its a good taste. Serve Chilled, great for a summer evening! Its a adequate replacement for Asti or even Champagne!


Leacocks Rainwater Madeira/Bual
Totally a foreign taste. Its sweet and bitter and VERY alcoholic all at one time. I cant really describe the taste other than unpleasant. This one is classified by my professor as a very "un-American tasting wine." I feel as though you need to grow up drinking it to like it. Hard to believe it was the number one wine in the world at one point.

Cockburns Late Bottled Vintage Port 2004
Intense cherry notes. Very sweet with hints of spice as well as accents of plums. Leaves a strong cherry  taste in mouth long after you have swallowed.

I also, on my own, bought another Australia Chardonnay(I am mildly obsessed with Australian/New Zealand Wine)
Black Swan 2006 Chardonnay
Very floral boquet mixed with a slight citrus grove smell. Wonderful pear/sour apple taste. Nice lingering floral taste on tongue. I could have drank the entire bottle, it was fantastic.

Christian Tattoos

Today my life was changed by peacock feathers.

When I got my first tattoo it was to memorialize my acceptance of Christ as my Savior. It was my way of telling the world I loved Jesus. I got the tattoo as a young 18 year old who knew nothing about what was attractive in the tattoo world and I went to an artist who cared little about my faith and quite frankly cared even less about being an artist. I have never regretted my tattoos, they both represent myself and my love for my God, but over the years it annoyed me at how the first one was so poorly done I knew I needed/wanted to get it redone.

I have heard so many good things about In the Blood Tattoo in Pittsburgh in the South Side. So I did my research and I fell in love with Justun's work. I also fell in love with the fact that he was a Christian. I knew I wanted his work on me, so we talked over email and he told me when i wanted it done to let him know.

So this week I finally had saved up enough money and had made an appointment with my best friend who was also getting his 3/4 length sleeve done and we decided to make a day out of it. We were STOKED.

I love the south side of Pittsburgh and In the Blood tattoo parlor is right in the middle. The shop was beautiful with artwork by the artists all over the walls, awesome service and just all around comfortable feeling.

I have never been so impressed at a tattoo like I was when I finally looked down at my arm after watching the entire 1st Pirates of the Caribbean... 2 hours and 15 colors later. It took my breath away, Justun was simply amazing! He works with a quiet confidence, and after 11 years of practice it shows!I couldn't believe that what was on my arm was mine and will be mine for the rest of my life. He created a whole new tattoo that looks NOTHING like the old one. In a way it feels like a rebirth, a new bolder statement about my faith.



Following is a snippet of an article about Christian tattoos. Its a taboo in which the Christian community is facing more and more each day as young Christians express their faith through body art.

"Do the same principles apply to tattoos that are of a Christian nature, such as a cross, a Christian slogan, or even a Bible verse? Some Christians have found that having tattoos gives them more credibility, and thereby more possibilities of evangelism, with some groups of people. So what about Christian tattoos?

Obviously, a tattoo of a cross is “better” than a tattoo of a flaming skull, naked woman, or demon. Having a tattoo saying “Jesus saves” could indeed be a conversation starter with some people who would never approach a preacher wearing a suit and tie. Some refer to Revelation 19:16 as an example of Jesus possibly having a tattoo on His thigh, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The question is not necessarily “is getting a tattoo a sin?” The question is more “is getting a tattoo a good and necessary thing to do?” First Corinthians 10:23 declares, “Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive.” Christian tattoos may be “permissible,” but are they beneficial and constructive?

In 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, Paul exclaims, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel.” Becoming all things to save some is perhaps the only good possible reason for getting a Christian tattoo. If having a tattoo genuinely opens doors for evangelism that would otherwise be closed, getting Christian tattoos would likely “qualify” under Paul’s “becoming all things” qualification. At the same time, it is frankly difficult to envision a scenario in which having a tattoo would enable a greater possibility of evangelism. If a person will not listen to you due to a lack of a tattoo, it is highly unlikely that such a person would genuinely listen due to the presence of a tattoo.

With that said, the biblically based conclusion would seem to be that Christian tattoos are permissible, but it is highly questionable whether they can be considered beneficial and constructive. A Christian considering getting a tattoo should pray for wisdom (James 1:5) and ask the Lord to provide pure motives and discernment."

Bam's First Chardonnay Tasting

Here's the first set of tasting notes of the Chardonnays. I never knew how many different tastes one type of wine could have! Enjoy!

New Zealand Kim Crawford Marlborough Unoaked Chardonnay is so wonderfully light and crisp with hints of tropical fruit. Probably my fave. 
Kim Crawford Homepage


Natura Chardonnay from Chile is also really good. Its organic and the grapes are hand picked. Its really light in color and has a similar taste to the Kim Crawford. I felt refreshed after I drank it.
Organic Wine Information 


I wasnt impressed with French Fat Bastard Chardonnay ...it was dull in comparison to the Nutura and Kim Crawford. I would call it 'dirty' and 'grassy.'
Fat Bastard Homepage 


South African Two Oceans Oaked Chardonnay is extremely strong and well....oaky. The oaking of the wine is the first thing you smell and it covers your mouth. Has somewhat of a bitter after taste. I wasn't pleased and wanted to spit it out. Defiantly the worst of the five.
Two Oceans Information 


Californian Gnarly Head Chardonnay is a 'typical' Chardonnay with apple and pear tones. I think this could be served and people would be happy. It was probably in the middle for me. Not the best, not the worst.
Gnarly Head Homepage