Getting back to the party, the invite indicated that 3 wines were being sampled, the night actually consisted of 5 tastings of a combination of 1 of Mission Hills Five Vineyards Collection, 1 of the SLC collection and 3 of the Legacy Series wines. To compliment the tasting, the 100 or so guests were treated to a selection of cheeses, meats and preserves to snack on while tasting. The stars of the night were the wines, so without further ado, here are the Legacy Series reviews:

It was a great night where I got to experience a new concept in wine retailing, meet some great new people and sample some of the finest new wines from a brilliant Canadian producer. I would like to extend a big thanks to the staff of David Walker Wines and to the representatives from Mission Hill for making the launch party entertaining, informative and most importantly fun.

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(Running Time 32:28, Size: 74megs Mp3)

Albums featured:

Yoshida Brothers – Best of Yoshida Brothers

Track: Overland Blues

Cat Power – Moon Pix

Track: Say

Rodrigo Y Gabriella – Rodrigo Y Gabriella

Track: Vikingman

Sia – Colour The Small One

Track: Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix)

A Tribe Called Quest – J Dilla - Anthology Vol.4

Track: Rock n Roll (Jay Dee Mix)

Ave.To – Three Way Intersection

Track: Mama’s Koolaid 2

The Long Lost – Woebegone

Track: The Art of Kissing

Sufjan Stevens – Illinois

Track: They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!

Natalie Walker – Urban Angel

Track: Right here

“Hey man, how’s it going?” he says, sounding groggy with his cold and hangover, but not the least bit against doing the morning interview. “It’s no problem, seriously. But I’ve got this cold while we were playing on the east coast and I’ve been battling it for a few weeks. Colds aren’t just colds anymore – they’re like some kind of terminal illness.”

The soon-to-be father of four is once again making his way across Canada, serenading a solid legion of fans and creating new ones along the way. He was one of the founding fathers of Broken Social Scene but has since taken his own route, one that isn’t as flashy, but is still heading in the right direction. Scattered throughout his four albums are appearances by current BSS members such as Kevin Drew and BSS alumni such as Leslie Feist and Emily Haines. Even though his history with this Canadian institution is a part of who Jason Collett is, it’s definitely not who Jason Collett is.

“I mean I never saw the Social Scene as my main focus, you know?” he admits. “It was always a side thing for me and I was always focused on doing my own thing.”

And eight years later, Jason is once again experiencing that inventive environment with his touring group, opening act and rock-and-roll disciples Zeus.

“It’s a great energy to be around with lots of ideas being sparked back and forth,” Jason says. “I’ve always been attracted to that kind of dynamic in a band, that level of collaboration.”

Jason pauses for a couple of seconds.

“It makes me want to dig deeper musically,” he adds.

This connection is very evident at Jason’s show about a week later at the Urban Lounge in Edmonton. At the back of the stage, sitting behind the soundboard, Jason sits quietly, tapping his foot to every Zeus beat and giving the sound guy any suggestions to make the band sound better.

“Jason is like my mentor, you know?” says Zeus guitarist Neil Quin. “It’s been amazing touring with him and just learning from him.”

Looking at Neil’s face, you see that he’s having the time of his life.

On stage, Jason Collett is part poet and fucking madman, swooning one moment and then on the ground with his guitar the next moment with a look of agony on his face.

So how would you describe your live show in one word Jason?

“I can’t,” he replies with a laugh. “In two words maybe - sloppy fun.”

One of the nice things about an event like this is that it can cater to everyone which makes for an interesting mix of people. This year the vibe certainly felt slightly bar or club like, with the beautiful people being the majority and dressing to impress being the norm. By the time I left, it seemed the majority of the people had enjoyed several of the samples being offered and the buzz in the hall had begun to reach deafening levels. As well, quite a few of the exhibitors didn’t have sample discarding receptacles, and were not provided them by the organizers which speaks to the expected state of attendees by the end of the night. It certainly has become an event to see and be seen at which is one of the reasons it has remained so popular. That being said, if you are a connoisseur or you are looking to glean a substantial amount of information from the representatives about the products, you might want to look to a more specialized night as the sheer amount of people looking to be served make these important interactions challenging and sometimes impossible.

I must admit that I had a motive of my own which was to try some wine that I hadn’t had before. My first tests were some wine examples from China in the form of two reds; the first being a 2003 Chateau Changyu - Castel from the believed to be rare varietal Cabernet Gernischt followed by 2005 Noble Dragon Shandong Red which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and a Chinese varietal called Dragons Eye. I must admit that I was skeptical about Chinese wines before I sampled and both of these wines turned out to be acceptable but had room for improvement when compared to examples from other regions with similar price points. I do however think that Chinese wine is on the radar and is here to stay and will be at the very least a conversation piece if brought to your next dinner party or served up with some Chinese take away. If you are looking to try these wines, expect to pay between $20 to $30 in stores.

From the wines of China, I began looking for the wines of Cupertino, California based producer Ridge which this year came in the form of the 2005 Geyserville 40th Anniversary and the 2005 Lytton Springs Zinfandel blends. Each of these examples blended a base of 77% Zinfandel from their namesake vineyard then flip flopped with the Geyersville coming in at 17% Carignane and 6% Petite Syrah and the Lytton Springs bringing in 17% Petite Syrah and 6% Carignane. I found the Geyserville to be lighter and fruitier as compared to the Lytton Springs example which was spicier and had more aggressive tannins. These are not the ‘in your face’ hot, big body Zins that I have been previously exposed to, but rather elegant, complex wines that have characteristics that are tremendously interesting and are altogether delicious. Each one is easily 85+ points and would be something to consider if you have some cash to spend ($50 plus) on a wine lover you want to impress, or you are looking for something to cellar and enjoy in a few years time. Staying in California, I tested offerings from Napa Valley producers Stags Leap, Beringer and Etude. All of these Cab Sauvs were amazing (90+ points) and I could see myself enjoying them with a piece of Filet Mignon and some good friends. These wines probably can’t be considered values coming in as high as $120 retail per bottle, but if you are looking to treat yourself to something special, they are excellent considerations.

From the USA, I moved towards the wines of Australia and it was here that I spent most of my evening testing out a variety of new to me producers and wines from old favorites like Rosemount Estate. The first stop on my trip down under was Sieber Rd., which is a family run producer out of the Barossa Valley. The examples I tested from them were their GSM and their Shiraz - Viognier blend which were very fruit forward in true new world style. I haven’t seen these wines in stores but if you can find them I would put them in the 85 to 88 point range just with a small taste. I had a chance to briefly chat with Tim Geddes whose is the winemaker for Sieber Rd. and who talked about the awards his wines have won and talked to me about his own label Geddes Wines from McLaren Vale which I am excited at the opportunity to try. My next stop was Narkoojee, where the representative was pouring some very remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon from 2000. This wine had very evident V8 - Tomato juice like aromas, and was a fruit forward example with subtle, velvet like tannins.

Moving about the festival, I tested Rosemount Estate highly revered Balmoral Syrah from the 2002 vintage. This wine was certainly the most surprising in the sense that it was presented in a decidedly old world methods. The nose on this presented a little funkiness and was tightly wound on the palate, and unfortunately my expectations and its actual delivery were not on the same page. I also tested the Wolf Blass 2003 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz blend and 2005 Grey Label Shiraz which were both great examples of what to expect from premium Australian reds showing off rich dark fruit with complex and integrated tannins. Do not let their Yellow Label offering fool you about a world class producer like Wolf Blass, they make some serious wines and the above examples are 90+ points.

From the land down under, I moved towards South America and began to look for examples from Argentina and Chile. I am usually quite impressed with wines from these regions simply due to the general quality of their offerings and the prices they come in at. I tested out the Chilean Errazuriz Estate Carmenere which was recently opened and was quite green but had some potential. From Argentina, the star of the show emerged in the form of the 2005 Bodega Enrique Foster Firmado Malbec. From pour, to color to the taste of this wine everything about it is rich and opulent and decadent. Lots of dark chocolate, fruit and oak come together to provide a full, integrated mouthfeel and a finish that goes on for an eternity. I have to say that this is one of the best wines that I have ever tasted and although the price of this is not cheap ($100+) for a bottle, it seemed to me to be worth every penny.

With the hall reaching capacity and my nose, palate, patience and tokens completely run out, it was time for me to make my exit. If I have any complaints about the festival it is that it can get very expensive especially if you are testing higher end wines and spirits. I think that doubling or tripling the price of admission thus reducing the number of tokens required for samples might be a good strategy. As well, there is no way to sample everything in one night, and potentially an all festival pass or premium paid VIP pass system might make trying everything possible. I suppose that organizers are continuing to think of ways to make the festival better and maybe there might be ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ attitude which seems to be working as indicated by the event selling out for the final day. Once the construction of the Roundup Centre is complete, the festival should return to its fully capacity for next year and if you have never been or have taken a hiatus, I would encourage you to give the festival a go as there is something for all tastes and should be stop for all who enjoy the better life.

Now five years later and in a venue 24 times bigger, Feist has not changed one bit, even after seeing her perform at the 17,000-seat Rexall Place last night. In which was probably the biggest hipster gathering of 2008, Feist was as playful and entertaining as ever, swooning through a long list of songs from her two albums including a jazzy version of Inside and Out, which was introduced as a cover of Guns and Roses’ November Rain to invoke a sea of waving lighters and cell phones. In a red dress that could have been worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie Scarface, she brandished her guitar like a true rock star, banging her head and pumping her fist occasionally. The last time I ever saw so many people smitten at Rexall would have been two years ago when the Oilers made their last worthy run at the Stanley Cup.

Ontario artist Hayden was a gracious and talented opening act, but looked almost uncomfortable, like a student performing at a high school talent show. Despite this criticism, I enjoyed his set and the army of cardigans and scarves around me seemed to as well.

When Feist made her way onto the stage, she brought with her a humility that is rarely seen in the music biz these days. The former-Broken Social Scenester brought a love to the building that would have made Mark Messier shed a couple of tears. Using an engaging but simple show of shadows and silhouettes on a screen behind her, Feist did the impossible – she made the cold, concrete building in north Edmonton feel like we were in a small club. At one point she even asked to the crowd to poor their drinks on the floor in an attempt to replicate the sticky-bar ambiance.

I was skeptical after paying my 60 bucks to see the new, big time version of my beloved Feist. I was pissed that the ex-punk rocker from Calgary had blown up so big that she was appearing on fucking iPod commercials and Sesame Street. But even within the walls of Rexall, where seven-dollar beer is chewed down, and a giant oil rig looms from the ceiling, Feist did the unimaginable – she made Rexall feel intimate.

Man, her and Broken Social Scene front-guy Kevin Drew are going to make some cool-ass babies.

Our travels took us to 4th Street Liquor, which is your run of the mill liquor store, providing the everyday consumer with all the basics pertaining to offerings of wine, beer and spirits. I am often asked, and was this night by my fellow experiment observers as to what I look for when I am shopping for wine, which quite frankly, is an excellent question that I find myself now pondering an answer to. I think one of the first things that I am interested in is finding a price barometer, in the sense that I look for a wine that is available at my local store and use that to see what kind of values the store is offering. I am not sure why I do this, probably because I want to know if the store is trying to rip consumers off but nevertheless, it is one of my first goals. From there, I usually I spend at least an hour, going from section to section, evaluating all of their product and attempting to make some decisions about what I am looking for. (cellar dwellers, never before sampled, wine to pair with food, easy drinkers, stunning values etc.)

Most stores worth anything will queue a cashier or attendant of some kind to query about how one is doing and if help is needed. I always, always will try to talk with this person to see what kinds of questions they ask and what they recommend. My assistance came in the form of a 50 something year old clerk named Dave, who asked me what I was looking for (I answered value red) and whisked me immediately to some sub 10 dollar red that he admittedly didn’t enjoy himself but liked the price of and wanted me to buy. After I asked what else he had, he pulled me over to an Australian blend which seemed interesting as a 2005 at 11 dollars, so I made it my choice.

Going back to what my crew had chosen….Ian grabbed a 2007 Chilean Cabernet and David jumped on an 2006 Argentine Malbec, with none of our selections coming in over 15 bones.

The three choices were:

Bleasdale Langhorne Crossing

Vintage: 2005

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $10.99

Coming in as the biggest value with the highest alcohol content (14.5%), this Aussie red blend was a thin, Kool - Aidish looking effort giving off slight hints of oak and some berry fruits on the nose. On the palate, it was slightly one dimensional with lots of biting tannins and tons of residual sugar. Drinkable, but not by very much.

65 points

Concha Y Toro Casillero Del Diablo

Vintage: 2007

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: $13.99

Next up was this Chilean Cabernet, which loosely translates to Square of the Devil, which presented a dark burgundy color, with some toasted oak and heat on the nose. This wine was super dry and tannic with some cherries up front but was hot and hollow on the mid and finished thin. This wine would do well by some additional bottle time and decanting and it would not hurt it to pair with some red meat or buttery cheese.

70 points

Bodegas Escorihuela Don Miguel Gascon

Vintage: 2006

Varietal: Malbec

Price: $14.99

Finally, the most expensive selection in our experiment, this Argentine Malbec displayed a deep, rich purple tone to it. Slow to open up, the nose gave off hints of subtle oak and had such a delectable perfume to it that I couldn’t help continuing to smell it. On the palate, it was very fruit forward with full, chewy tannins. This was a unique example that is very new world in its total presentation, and I would have expected it to be around double its price.

83 points

Overall, the evening provided an excellent, inexpensive adventure from the visit to the store to the sampling of the wine. It was a great way to try new wines and enjoy our choices with friends with a variety of levels of expertise and made us think more about the complex nuances and characteristics of fermented grape juice all while having a lot of fun.

Ridley Scott should stop making sequels, because he sucks at continuity. If the man were standing here in front of me, I'd put up my hand and say, “Ridley my man! Put 'er there! Gimmie 5 you most brilliant director of Alien, Blade Runner and American Gangster!”

He might look at me for a moment. Perhaps if he was eating dinner at a fancy restaurant he'd apologise to his guests for the interruption. But if he turned back to his food, repeated screaming of his name and frantic waving of my outstretched hand would bring his attention back to matters at hand.

“Slip me some skin Ridley! I loved the directors cut of Kingdom of Heaven! It was way better! Whoo hi-five!”

Eventually, as the upper crust of society always do, he'd come to understand the only way of completing his dinner would be to smack his hand against mine. Perhaps thank me for the compliment.

“Ridleeeeeee! Matchstick Men was brilliant!” (More frantic waving of the hand.)

So eventually Ridley would come over. He'd raise his hand, swing it towards mine, finally accepting my compliments and tribute to his greatness.

And it would be at that point, I'd alter the swing of my open palm, diverting it from his hand to his forehead. Smack.

As the security guards throw me out of the restaurant, as they often do, I'd shout defiantly: BODY OF LIES is THE WORST SEQUEL EVER.

Body of Evidence was an early entry into the torture porn genera, released hot on the heels of Basic Instinct. Rebecca Carlson [Madonna] is accused of using her naked body to torture and murder a wealthy lover. She then seduces and tortures Frank Dulaney, her defense lawyer (played by William Dafoe).

Of course Body of Evidence was created long before photos from Guantanamo Bay made the nightly news, and what was considered shocking and graphic then, seems quaint by todays torture porn standards.

Take, for example, the torture of Frank. Rebecca tears his shirt off and pours hot wax down his chest. She rapes him while grinding a broken light bulb into his back. And she also scratches his back with her fingernails. Ah, 1993 was a simpler time, one of indian burns and 20 chocolate bars jammed into various body cavities.

And now we finally have a sequel.

I'm not going to address the question of whether or not the original needed one. Hollywood finances render this moot. If there is money to be made from a sequel, then that sequel will be made. The best we can hope for is a good sequel.

And I find Body of Lies to be inferior. Allow me to point out Ridley's transgressions:

Leonardo DiCaprio is no Willem Dafoe

Just as Ridley swapped Silence of the Lambs Jodie Foster for Julianne Moore and hoped no one would notice, there is virtually no one left from the original cast to give the sequel any sense of continuity.

Sausagefest

These is one female character in Body of Lies. She lives in Jordan so has her head wrapped in a Hijaab. Call me old fashioned, but to go from Madonna full frontal nudity to only exposed face… that's not progress.

Violent foreplay goes way too far

Early in Body of Lies, a naked man is strapped to a table and spanked repeatedly. He has been very naughty: we are informed “this is not torture, it is punishment”.

Later, in the pivotal scene where Al-Saleem (Alon Abutbul) and Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) consummate their relationship, I have to admit as a heterosexual male I felt extremely uncomfortable.

Roger is tied down for Al-Saleems' enjoyment. Roger spits into Al-Saleems face, Al-Saleems responds by smashing Roger's fingers with a hammer.

Roger howled in ecstasy. I fled the theatre.

Conclusion

From what I saw, would I recommend Body of Lies to anyone? Well, the spy thriller backstory is well written, and the big budget explosions were well beyond the usual torture porn effects. The acting was solid except that I never felt the sexual tension between Al-Saleems and Roger was very believable.

If you haven't seen Body of Evidence then you might be in a better position to enjoy it, as the lack of Madonna's vagina won't be such a disappointment.

7/10