La boda del torero japonés Taira Nono paraliza hoy el centro de Huelva. EFE, Huelva, España 29/9/2007. En una ceremonia al estilo de su país celebrada en la plaza de Toros de la Merced y que ha tenido como invitado especial al embajador de Japón en España, Motohide Yoshikama. El recorrido de los novios se ha iniciado frente al monumento que existe en la ciudad a la dinastía taurina de los Litri. Junto con su novia, el torero ha subido a un carro tirado por un hombre, como manda la tradición, para dirigirse primero al ayuntamiento y luego al coso taurino onubense. Como un español que quiera ser luchador de sumo. En un recorrido seguido por cientos de onubenses, atraídos por la curiosidad del mismo, la pareja ha estado acompañada por Yoshikama, que ha agradecido el cariño mostrado por los vecinos de la ciudad y ha asegurado: “Para nosotros que quiera ser torero es como si un español quisiese ser luchador de sumo”. Antes de acudir a la boda, el embajador se ha reunido con el alcalde de Huelva, Pedro Rodríguez (PP), para iniciar así una nueva línea de contactos entre la capital onubense y Japón. A pesar de la distancia, como ha comentado el alcalde de la ciudad, “Japón es un pueblo muy ligado a España, ya que el arte y la cultura, especialmente los toros o el flamenco, que también se reflejan en los onubenses, son dos de las grandes aficiones del pueblo japonés”. Taira Nono, que se hizo su primer traje de luces a partir de uno viejo comprado a un torero local, debutó como novillero en Mijas (Málaga) el 2002, cumpliendo el sueño que alumbró un día en su Tokio natal al ver un reportaje taurino en la televisión. Visite su propio sitio aqui…

Enviado por email del Club Torres Online: Mi jefe me ha invitado a cenar, ¿Qué vino llevo? Inevitablemente, en la carrera de todo empleado, llega el momento en que el jefe propone un plan fuera del horario laboral. De todas las opciones, la peor, es la invitación a una cena en su casa: nos tememos la decoración, la conversación con su pareja, los críos repelentes… Así que empecemos por aligerar el ambiente y relajar nuestras tensiones, y que mejor que un vino para romper el hielo. Hay una regla infalible que dice que todos los jefes son carnívoros; además, su afición por el vino tinto suele ser directamente proporcional al cargo que ostenta. Así que por lógica deductiva, para no errar, optemos por un tinto potente y clásico (no es el momento de hacer experimentos). Dependiendo de nuestro presupuesto (y nuestro sueldo), podemos optar por un Jean Leon Gran Reserva o un Mas la Plana, y si de verdad queremos ese ascenso, nada de rodeos: un Vega Sicilia o un Grans Muralles. Ahora bien, os advertimos que si el jefe es un sibarita, tendrá ya dispuesto el maridaje perfecto para su cena, y, nada más inoportuno que estropeárselo obligándole a abrir nuestra botella. Sugerencia, un vino dulce para el postre; escoged uno de esos de origen insólito y elaboración curiosa, por el que cualquier gourmet se pirraría. Un vino de podredumbre noble (sea un Tokay húngaro, como el Oremus, un Sauternes, como un Château Lafon, o un Vendimia Tardía de Chile), o bien un vino de hielo o Eiswein alemán (de la familia Egon Müller, por ejemplo). Sutiles y exquisitos, su elección será todo un golpe de efecto.

Looks like one of the best toros of the Spanish season has won his right to make little Victorinitos. Molinito, negro bragado y meano at 570 kilos in weight. Molinito who was born in December 2002, sports the number 265 was fought and spared his life in Logroño, by Matador Diego Urdiales. This marked the first indulto given in the 2 year existence of the “La Ribera” Plaza de Toros. The toro himself displayed all the characteristics of a toro bravo who relentlessly shows fight, bravery, determination, strength, no fear and consistency. Molinito went to the horse twice without hesitation, once from the medios. Urdiales as well as the struggling and plateaued camada from Victorino Martin needed this triumph to salvage their seasons. It was actually the second extra ordinary showing for Victorino Martin having just been named “best encierro” in the recently concluded Bilbao feria. Manuel Jesús “El Cid” fought an encerrona that day cutting one ear on the fifth animal. This may be a sign a recovery for the Victorinos. With the mystic this fearsome ganaderia has, the results have been marginal at best for the last three seasons. It was also the first indulto for Victorino Martin since 2005.

Roman Ambramovich has done it. He has chived Chelsea Football Club by coming to an agreement with José Mourinho and thus ripping a whole in the fabric of the the club. Chelsea has 11 points after 6 games and Ambramovich wasn’t having it. Mourinho’s resignation has caused ill feeling in the club including a weeping Didier Drogba and adverse reactions from Frank Lampard and Captian John Terry. This all comes days before Chelsea’s date with ManU at Old Trafford. Don’t feel sorry for Mourinho though, before the day was over he had received an offer to manage Tottenham Hot Spur. I myself feel Mourinho should kick back and try his magic with the Portuguese National Team. Read the Open letter Chelsea F.C. posted on their web site later in the day 10/20/07.
The Chelsea FC plc board and everyone at the club has appreciated your patience and understanding during what has been a difficult time. It is only right that we explain the reasons behind José Mourinho leaving Chelsea and also recognise the immense contribution he has made to the club and to English football. Early this morning we announced that Chelsea and José Mourinho had agreed to part company by mutual consent. The key phrase here is that there was mutual agreement. José did not resign and he was not sacked. What is clear, though, is we had all reached a point where the relationship between the club and José had broken down. This was despite genuine attempts over several months by all parties to resolve certain differences. The reason the decision has been taken is that we believed the breakdown started to impact on the performance of the team and recent results supported this view. We did not want this to continue or affect the club further. Chelsea’s long-term football objectives and ambitions remain unchanged and the appointment of Avram Grant and Steve Clarke is aimed at continuing to achieve those goals. We also must pay tribute to the great job José did for Chelsea. He has been the most successful manager the club has known and he rightly deserves that place in our history. José has been instrumental in putting Chelsea where it is today, among the leading clubs in European and world football. He will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge, whether as the guest of Chelsea or as the manager of another club, and he will be given the reception and respect his position in our history deserves.

Chelsea Football Club

Portsmouth Manager Harry Redknapp, in a classic interview…

Its not exactly Sonoma County. Nor is it Napa Valley. Ramona, California in San Diego County is one of America’s newest AVA (American Viticulture Area) and as is tradition in up in coming anything in this country, many will protest its advancement. The county of San Diego prohibits the pouring of wine in tasting rooms so small wineries such as Salerno have had to struggle to get their wines sold aside from their web based business. Bigger wineries benefit from their tasting room sales and exposure, but the up and coming Ramona AVA is at the mercy of the ballot box. If a local tasting room ordinance passes, they will be able to join the biggy AVAs in the California and other states in pouring thier wine for the throngs of touring tasters. If the ordinance does not pass, the Ramona wineries face a long winding road to success. Just like the Highway 67 which runs through Ramona.

The youngest of the Mexican Adame klan is now a Matador de Toros. Joselito Adame, who gained fame in Mexico when he began traveling with the Niños Toreros at ten years of age. The cuadrilla included the Novillera Hilda Tenorio who recently returned fighting after a long rehabilitation. Adame has completed his task of going to Europe and becoming a Matador de Toros. Younger brother of Matador Juan Antonio Adame, Joselito had always demonstrated natural talent and was persuaded to enroll in the Escuela Taurina in Madrid. In España, Joselito learned the more classical and traditional Spanish style of Toreo. After a couple years touring Spain and France doing the novillero circuit, Joselito earned his chance to receive his “alternativa” in Arles, France yesterday September 7th, 2007. As you can see in this video from Corrida.tv, Adame was well prepared to live up to the “niño prodigio de Mexico” nickname he has been given cutting an ear from his first toro and two from his second while leaving the Roman theater on shoulders. The future of Mexican toreo looks bright with Adame, problem is he might be the only one on the horizon. Mexico is a little dry right now with young promising talent with the clownish “Cejas” drawing most of the press and Zotoluco growing old.

On Sunday September 2nd I convinced the family to join me in the 2007 Wine Grape Harvest in our backyard. We started the morning enthusiastically ready to harvest the Grenache I’ve been waiting patiently for. It was ungodly sunny, hot and humid so the earlier we got started the better. I estimated we had about 20 pounds of ripe wine grapes to pick. After ceremoniously thanking the wine gods, we started. After the morning harvest, we berry sorted the grapes and ended up with 12 pounds of salvageable fruit. Damn it. Mildew, rot and immature grapes took a toll. We started the crush and pitched the yeast. I figure I can get about one jug out of the effort. Oh well, the process was fun. If it works, I can’t wait to sample it. BTW, I got home this evening and the house reeked of fermenting fruit. Yes!

Michael Jackson has died. No not Jacko, Michael Jackson the worlds highest authority in the Beer Business and author of The World Guide To Beer first published in 1977, died of a heart attack on August 30th. Jackson became famous in the U.S. in the early 90′s when The Beer Hunter, a mini-series ran on The Discovery Channel. I learned kegs and kegs worth of my knowledge from that show. I have it on VHS and was just mentioning the other day how I’ve been wanting to digitize it and get it on DVD. Jackson made beer drinking look good. A big man with an unkept beard and drifting eye, listening to his explanations and critics on every aspect of IPA’s, Mexican Vienna Style Lagers, Pilsner Urquel, Budwiser and so on was captivating. So, I’m at a dilemma. I struggled with my diet last week because I had a total of 4 pints on two different nights. I will sacrifice some more poundage, because I’m gonna buy some Boddington’s and raise my glass towards England. Long live Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter. Not Jacko, he can fuck off!