Flashback February Returns!

Every day for the entire month I'll be taking a look back at the (almost) 4 years of this blog's existence. I'll feature one flashback meme and one flashback article a day, so it really will be like a trip through the timeline with the speedforce.

On the blog all day you'll see that day's featured article at the top of the page. It will also be put out there on social media at night around 8pm. I'll also be posting an old original meme every day in the morning (or in the afternoon, it depends on how the day is going) on social media.

I hope all you old readers give these oldies a re-read. And all of you newer readers give them a first read. Think of them as back issues. They're quite fun, geeky, and informative.

Man, looking back at all of this old material makes me realize just how much I love doing this and how much work I've put into it. My current situation makes it very hard for me to give this blog attention that I used to, and it could very well force me to stop all together after April. But I'm going to do my damndest to not let that happen, I tell ya what.

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February Wine Pick: Cesari Mara Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2015

Amarone della Valpolicella, more known as just Amarone, is a pretty well-known wine. It’s usually being sought out by the older customers who remember it from years ago at the height of its modern day popularity. Of course once I show them some Amarone their jaw drops at the sight of the price. Amarone is not cheap and for a good reason: It takes a lot of work to produce. The grapes are dried on mats in the sun or, using the more modern method, stacked in open crates being blown with hot air until they’re basically raisins. Then they’re squeezed for the juice, which isn’t a lot as you can imagine. So prepare to spend some dough on an Amarone.

But never fear, Amarone lover! There are other options. Namely a Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore. A quality fine wine is made using the same grape varietals as Amarone (Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella) in the same region of Veneto, Italy. “Ripasso” means “re-passed”, and this is because it then gets to sit and macerate with the pumice from recently made Amarone. This gives it a darker color, fuller body, more structure, that beautiful raisinated Amarone flavor, and it starts a second fermentation to give it more alcohol. Also, it’s much friendlier on the wallet.

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