The Red Wheelbarrow Poets will hold Open Mic poetry readings hosted by GainVille in downtown Rutherford:

Holiday Schedules will be Friday Nights, Dec. 04, 2009 and January 08, 2010 from 7 to 9 PM at

GainVille Café, 17 Ames Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070

$4 admission includes coffee/tea and a pastry.

Friendly atmosphere, generous reading times.

Mark Fogarty is the host. All are welcome. All ages attend these events.

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See NJ Poets & Poetry calendar below for additional poetry events. Listing is not an endorsement of event, attend at your sole discretion.

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Carnival

Copyright © 2010 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved.

November 22, 2009

Today I woke up to a terrible rushing sound outside of my window. It sounded like a plane flying low and I thought that was pretty strange. I looked out the window and the sound got louder and louder. It sounded like a hurricane but there was no wind. The leaves on the trees didn’t move, my house didn’t shake yet the sound kept getting louder. Then I saw four planes disappearing into the horizon. The sound continued long after they were out of sight. Then it was quiet. They appeared again about ten minutes later. I realized they were fighter jets as they passed overhead. They came from the NorthWest and headed NorthEast I wondered if something was going on in the city. This happened about five or six times and then it stopped. There was nothing on the news so maybe it was just a test flight? I don’t know but it was pretty weird.

I did a quick Google search and found an article from April. Apparently this happened over Jersey City and people panicked and evacuated the office buildings along the Hudson. Turned out it was just a photo shoot. I don’t think that’s what this was. I asked my friend Keith who is a Marine Vet and he said he had no idea.

If anyone from the North Jersey area has any idea what was going on or has any other stories of this event please let me know.

I’m guessing they’ll be an article in the newspaper about this tomorrow.

***Update: I just found a forum discussing this event *apparently* they were doing a flyover over Giants Stadium. They were circling on standby. This makes absolute sense to me because it started around 12PM and ended around 1PM. Also they were headed towards Rutherford which is where the Meadowlands is. Is this a regular event? I’ve never heard of this happening before.

La supuesta inspección que hicieran Jehová Dios y su hijo Jesucristo a su templo espiritual en 1918 (fecha en que los TJ creían en que las pirámides de Egipto eran testigos de piedra de Dios, y que la numerología y piramidología eran aprobadas por Dios), y la elección que hiciera Jesús en 1919 de su Esclavo fiel y discreto en la persona de la organización Watchtower Bible and tract society por su fidelidad, resultaron ser una mentira. Esto se evidencia claramente cuando el segundo presidente de la Watchtower, el Juez J.F. Rutherford, dice en  la revista La Atalaya del 15 de Noviembre de 1928, pág 344, que en 1919 el “esclavo” estaba realizando prácticas que sólo eran satánicas y que las pirámides en el desierto de Egipto no eran “testigos de piedra” de Dios, sino de Satanás.

Esto quiere decir que en 1919, ese “Esclavo fiel” a quien Jesús supuestamente escogió para que dé su alimento espiritual a los domésticos, no había salido en absoluto del poder del maligno en 1919, sino que seguía estando dentro de la organización de Satanás en 1919, practicando la numerología y la piramidología de Satanás.

Vean el siguiente vídeo:

La Sociedad Watchtower enseña que en 1919 Jesús encomendó sus bienes a un grupo llamado ‘la clase ungida’ o el “resto ungido” del remanente del Israel Espiritual de Dios.

Según la Watchtower, esta clase privilegiada con esperanza celestial no era un hombre, ni tampoco la Watchtower, sino más bien una clase llamada “El siervo”.

Esta falsa doctrina cae por su propio peso debido a que en 1919 el único que estaba dando el alimento espiritual no era una clase o siervo, sino un único hombre, su segundo presidente llamado Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Prueba de ellos son los más de 100 libros y folletos publicados por él solamente durante su presidencia en la Sociedad Watchtower, y su famosa colección de libros con vistosos colores conocida como el “arco iris de Rutherford” conteniendo las doctrinas fundamentales de la Sociedad Watchtower.

Estas pruebas ponen en evidencia las mentiras de la Sociedad Watchtower, de que sí se trata de un solo hombre y de ninguna manera de una clase ungida conocida como el Esclavo que provee el alimento espiritual a los domésticos.

Ver siguiente vídeo:

Indigo, Tennyson, Barnaby, Ashby, Rowan, Arlo, Benson, Beckett, Dashiell, Dante, Emmett, Emilio, Gabriel, Gulliver, Hugo, Harvey, Leo, Oakley, Orlando, Pablo, Preston, Perrin, Quinlan, Raphael, Romeo, Remy, Rupert, River, Rafferty, Rutherford, Samson, Sommer, Steven, Troy, Tristan.

Bellona, Bedelia, Decla, Eloisa, Evangelina, Freya, Ferelith, Genevieve, Greta, Ginella, Hazel, Hyacinth, Honora, Isabella, Isadora, Junia, Luciana, Lucelia, Leora, Maddalena, Noella, Ophelia, Ottilie, Polly, Pearl, Primrose, Rosabel, Romilly, Raphaella, Rosamund, Seraphina, Sofiel, Simone, Tallulah, Valentina, Viola.

Meaning unsure. Anyone know?

Mission Codename: The Lords and Ladies of Rutherford

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Infiltrate Raymond Vineyards and acquire their exceptional Rutherford Merlot.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Raymond Vineyard & Cellar

Wine Subject: 2005 Rutherford Merlot

Winemaker: Walter Raymond

Backgrounder: Raymond Vineyards, located in Napa Valley’s Rutherford AVA was founded in 1971, by one of America’s first-families of wine, the Raymond family. In the United States, ‘multi-generational’ in wine-making usually means two or three generations have been involved in crafting wines. Kristi Raymond, whose great grandfather was wine-making pioneer, Jacob Beringer, is a fifth generation winemaker and head of wine-making for Raymond today.

The Rutherford AVA is among the most famous names in the valley and is primarily know for its exceptional Merlot. Located just south of St. Helena, Raymond’s slogan is Powerful Wines – Deep Roots. After you taste this wine, you’ll understand that its more than a slogan, its a way of life.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple with garnet and ruby tints that shine through the dark but clear core. The color remains deep along the edges and when swirled, evenly spaced thin legs streak down the side of the glass.

Smell – Medium in intensity with classic Merlot aromas of rich red and black fruit layered over toasted oak, subtle herbal and floral hints, dark chocolate, spice, vanilla and dark minerals.

Feel – Soft and round, this full-bodied classic is rich and chewy with mouth coating tannins and well balanced acidity. The finely grained textured tannins cling to the tip of the tongue and linger long into the finish.

Taste – Rich and juicy red and black fruit including blackberry and both black and red cherry and currants are integrated with toasted oak and vanilla. Soft herbal, floral and spice notes layer with dark chocolate cocoa powder and hints of dusty minerality.

Finish – The wine finishes long and clean with its classic Rutherford minerality and structure leading the way and supporting its rich fruit and other complex flavors making he mouth yearn for another sip.

Conclusion – The 2005 Raymond Vineyard & Cellar Rutherford Merlot shows exceptional depth and purity of its classic Rutherford fruit. This Merlot (with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in) will instantly appeal to lovers of both Merlot and Cabernet. Rich fruit, complex layers of aromas and flavors that linger long into the finish, a structure that holds on tight, this wine is quite memorable.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Walter Raymond

DATE OF BIRTH: March 1943

PLACE OF BIRTH: St. Helena, California – It’s true, I am the 4th generation in my family to make wine in Napa Valley!

WINE EDUCATION: Mostly scraped knees, but I also attended Cal Poly in SLO and studied business.

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: I got my start in the family business at Beringer when I was just a kid. I rejoined the business after college and made wine at Beringer until we started Raymond Vineyard & Cellar in 1970. We bought 90 acres and had to plant vineyard, so our first harvest was in 1974.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Generally speaking I believe that great wines start in the vineyard. Location, soil type and vine health are all critical to growing quality fruit. After that the winemaking is easy!

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Cabernet Sauvignon

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Starting Raymond Vineyard & Cellar in 1970 with my family – my parents, my wife and children and my brother and his family.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Having the 5th generation join the family business

AGENT RED: Greetings, Walter. What a pleasure it is to meet with you today! We are thrilled to be showing your . Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

WALTER: Thank you for sharing our Rutherford Merlot with your favorite consumers!

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

WALTER: I am one of the lucky ones – I grew up in the business, so it was early exposure that inspired me. I joke around that I am unemployable outside the industry! RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

WALTER: On the job really. Every vintage is different and presents new opportunities and challenges. The vintners in Napa really work together, share information and help each other make better wines – it is a fun way to learn. RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

WALTER: Well, I love to plan, prepare and enjoy meals with my family – and wine is a key ingredient at our table. So, I would say I have tended to make wines in a style that pairs very well with food – fruit driven and full bodied, with balanced tannins and oak. RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

WALTER: I do not have an “influential” story for you! I have found that making wines year after year from the same vineyards has had the biggest influence on my winemaking style – you learn from the vineyard and build expectations and make winemaking decisions based on experience and knowing what flavors you are trying to get from each lot.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

WALTER: 45 years – and that is amazing since I am still in my 30’s! I got my start at Beringer as a teenager and we are just finishing up my 36th harvest as winemaker at Raymond.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

WALTER: I would have to say I make it for the consumers that have enjoyed our wines for years – we have a style that you can taste all the way back to our 1974 vintage – balanced wines that pair very well with food!

RED: Tell me, what makes the Napa Valley, and Rutherford so special?

WALTER: Napa Valley, and the Rutherford Appellation in particular, has amazing soil and very consistent weather for growing wine grapes year in and year out. RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

WALTER: While education is important, on the job experience at wineries that produce the varietals you are interested in making and drinking!

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

WALTER: We are just wrapping up harvest today – the next month will involve finishing up fermentations and getting our wines into barrels.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

WALTER: The Merlot from our Rutherford estate is a personal favorite – it is very full bodied and lush, and pairs really well with food.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

WALTER: Well my favorite is a juicy grilled steak – but bbq’d ribs or braised meats are always great too!

RED:What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

WALTER: Sauvignon Blanc is a favorite in my house, but bubbly is very popular!

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

WALTER: Relax and enjoy them – don’t worry about descriptions or ratings. Wine is personal, so if you like what you are tasting don’t let someone tell you it isn’t good! Just drink it!

RED: Great advice! If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

WALTER: Something with bubbles!

RED: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

WALTER: Question: What do you do when you are not making wine? Answer: I love to travel with my wife and if I’m home, I enjoying kicking back in my Lazy Boy and raiding the fridge!

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you today – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

WALTER: Thank you!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Raymond Vineyards and Cellars can be seen in this satellite photo.

“Go see Kitty.” Gordon instructed as he set up an informational meeting with one of his musical colleagues over at Grgich Hills Estate winery. Kathryn Fletcher works in the Marketing Department and was overly generous with her time, leading me to through barrels and fancy event rooms to a cloth covered table in the back. She shared with me her experiences in working with the sales and marketing department which was invaluable to me, and explained how Los Angeles was one of their biggest markets. We had a lot in common as we both had an artistic background and had done various jobs in the past, but she was originally from Napa and came back to what she relayed to me as the “countryside” after being away for awhile, whereas I am thoroughly an urban creature looking for a way to apply my experience in advertising in a whole new way.

I wasn’t prepared when she led me back through the maze of barrels and up to the tasting bar for the historical significance of what I was about to taste. The gentleman conducting my pour had a slight French accent, set my glass down and filled it with 1 oz of Chardonnay. I drank and was immediately shocked: it was the best wine I had tasted yet on my journey and strikingly different. “We are famous for our Chardonnay.”

An older man floated behind the tasting bar, made eye contact and headed straight for me. He took my hand in his fragile white hand and lifted it to his lips. He was very happy to see me and in fact I think he offered to marry me, a couple of times. He requested to kiss my cheek.

There was a man tasting next to me and he set a book down on the bar and asked if this man would autograph it.

“Who IS he?” I asked the man.

“He’s Mike Grgich, the man behind the famous 1976 Paris tasting.”

In my research I had heard about this groundbreaking event for California wines where a Napa Chardonnay won in a blind tasting over French wines, and put California wines on the map, but I had no idea that this was the winery. The crowd explained that there was also a movie made about the book Judgment of Paris written by the only reporter from Time Magazine who was there to cover the event, George M. Taber. The movie is called Bottle Shock and to my delight starred Chris Pine (celebrity crush), in a very bad wig, and Alan Rickman. However, gossip flitted throughout the tasting room that Mike has disowned the film, claiming that it is too “Hollywood.” I must admit that after watching the trailer, I don’t see any characters that have a Croatian accent like Mike’s. Plus I’m sure he hated that wig that Chris Pine was wearing. Then again, maybe he was the Bill Pullman character. The trailer makes it look like its all about Doobie brothers music and sex out in the vineyards in hippie dippie Nor Cal circa 1970s. I’m adding this to my Netflix queue right now!

Mike was so sweet and available to the crowd, posing for pictures, signing a bottle of Zinfandel that I purchased (I never met a Zinfandel that I liked before Grgich and besides I thought they were all pink) and a copy of his book for all of us. On the inside of my book he inscribed, “To Sweet Victoria, Mike Grgich, 10-14-09”, a wonderful souvenir of my trip and my journey to learn about wine and its history in California.

I was struck by how the winery maintained the feel of being a production facility that you can come and be a part of. A massive wall of barrels with dried burgundy stains created a humble yet dramatic backdrop and the counters, walls and bookcases were all constructed of a dark red wood that emanated the odor of fermenting red wine. “We’ve been coming here since it was a shack back in the 1970s” one couple shared with me. The French pourer conversed with the couple about how there were only 50 vineyards back in the 1970’s and now it was grown to over 400, but Grgich Hills Estate tries to maintain that early feel even as it expands to become legendary.  I would later read in Judgment of Paris there were originally hundreds of wineries dating back to the 1800’s but that Prohibition killed these and it would not be until 1976 that US wines would make a legitimate comeback to the world stage. In fact, a plague of pestilence threatened to completely wipe out European vines in the 1880’s and their only salvation came from grafting European vines onto North American roots.

Mike continues to pioneer wine making technology, using biodynamic farming methods which according to its marketing materials “feeds the soil, keeping it alive and healthy using organic materials but it is advanced in that it uses the earth’s natural cycle and preparations to produce balance in the soil and plants. Organic farming is concerned only with substances, while Biodynamics is concerned with forces.” There is a spiritual and lunar component to the development of the vineyards’ grapes. Biodynamic wineries are certified by the Demeter Association. For Grgich Hills this means a stronger sense of terroir (the conditions and characteristics of a specific site) is imparted into their wine and they have even been able to save vines that have been producing since 1959. I guess that’s why it tastes so good!

Sometime later, while in Portland with my friends,I shared this wonderful bottle of 2006 Zinfandel described as having flavors of strawberries and raspberries backed by hints of allspice and black pepper with appealing fruit and soft tannins.  The magic of Grgich Hills Estate wines can be tasted in it complete simplicity. We all agreed it was the absence of anything overwhelming that gives the wine its striking character; almost as if to say that the wine doesn’t need much more than Mike himself and a smooth easy finish.

Cazenovia, New York (pictured), is a town on Highway 20, southeast of Syracuse. But descriptions of its history and its notable citizens fail to mention Harriet Eugenia Peck (later Mrs. Harriet Buell), though that is where she was born in 1834. It should remind us that the Lord keeps far different records from what society often does. Things that receive acclaim and notoriety down here may not be lauded in heaven. Take heart, if you feel under appreciated for your faithfulness to God. The Bible says:

Those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. (Mal. 3:16)

It is easy to see our hymn writers in this description. Many indeed feared God, meditated on His name, and spoke to one another, and speak to us today, about Him. And God has been listening, and He remembers. Among those who are obscure in terms of this world’s historical records is Harriet Buell, who gave us the song A Child of the King.

My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King.

(2) Today in 1845 – Chretien d’Urhan Died
Mr. d’Urhan was a well-known French musician who played the violin in the orchestra of the Paris Opera House, and was the organist of St. Vincent’s Church in that city. He is known in hymnody as the composer of the tune Rutherford, used with the beautiful hymn The Sands of Time Are Sinking.

The sands of time are sinking, the dawn of heaven breaks;
The summer morn I’ve sighed for—the fair, sweet morn awakes:
Dark, dark hath been the midnight, but dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel’s land.

O Christ, He is the fountain, the deep, sweet well of love!
The streams of earth I’ve tasted more deep I’ll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel’s land.

(3) Today in 1874 – Phoebe Palmer Died
Phoebe Worrell Palmer wrote the gospel song The Cleansing Wave. Her daughter Phoebe (Phoebe Palmer Knapp) supplied the tune.

Oh, now I see the cleansing wave!
The fountain deep and wide;
Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save,
Points to His wounded side.

The cleansing stream I see! I see!
I plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me!
Oh, praise the Lord! It cleanseth me!
It cleanseth me—yes, cleanseth me.

3.1 Probing matter

3.1 Probing matter -worksheets

Constituents of the Atom

The Photoelectric Effect

Wave-Particle Duality

Electrons and Atoms

Structure of the Atom

Nuclear Changes

Observing the Photoelectric Effect

Explaining the photoelectric effect

Models of the Atom

3.1 Probing matter -video tutorials

Rutherford Experiment

Bohr Model of the Atom

De Broglie Wavelength

3.1 Probing matter -videos

Ernest Rutherford

The Atomic Nucleus

Is Light a Particle

Atoms Absorb and Emit Light

Photoelectric Effect

3.1 Probing matter -animations

¿Fue inspirado Joseph Rutherford por ángeles de Dios?

El Apocalipsis según Joseph Rutherford

El entendimiento actual que poseen los testigos de Jehová sobre las profecías del Apocalipsis, y la aplicación de otras profecías bíblicas, se debe a la interpretación particular y a las experiencias de Joseph F. Rutherford, el segundo presidente de la Sociedad Watch Tower tras la muerte de Charles T. Russell.
Joseph Rutherford fue encarcelado el 21 de junio de 1918, y liberado el 26 de de 1919, junto con otros 7 directivos de la entonces
Sociedad Watch Tower.
Todo aquel que conozca la historia de los testigos de Jehová sabe
que se considera la liberación de Rutherford y sus 7 colaboradores
ocurrida en 1919 como el gran suceso espiritual que marcó la
historia del pueblo de Dios.

Si bien es 1914 la fecha clave por ser la fecha de la entronización de Jesucristo como Rey del Reino de Dios, es realmente la fecha de 1919 la que es tomada como la fecha en la cual Dios demuestra que    respalda a la Organización de los Estudiantes de la Biblia         (Testigos de Jehová).

A continuación se alista una serie de consideraciones              sobre   la importancia de la fecha de 1919                                               para los testigos de Jehová:

• Cae Babilonia la Grande (Rev. 14:8; 18:2): re 205, 206, 209, 259-261; w89 1/5 3-5

• “Camino de la Santidad” abierto (Isa 35:8): ip-1 380, 381; ws 134

• “colocación de la cosa repugnante” (Da 12:11): dp 298, 300; w93 1/11 10, 11

• comienza a proclamarse: “¡Tu Dios ha llegado a ser rey!” (Isa 52:7): ip-2 187

• comienza la “mies de la tierra” (Rev 14:14-16): re 211, 212

• comienzan los 1.260 días (Rev. 12:6, 14): re 183, 184

• comienzan los 1.290 días (Da 12:11): dp 298, 300; w93 1/11 10, 11

• “esclavo fiel y discreto” ‘nombrado sobre los bienes del amo’ (Mt 24:47): w04 1/3 12; wt 131

• esclavos fieles ‘nombrados sobre muchas cosas’ (Mt 25:21, 23): w04 1/3 17

• espíritu de Jehová comienza a derramarse sobre el resto (Joe 2:28, 29): w98 1/5 14, 15

• fiesta de las Cabañas antitípica se reanuda: w96 1/7 24

• ‘fuego arrojado a la tierra’ (Rev 8:5): re 131, 132

• langostas ascienden del abismo (Rev 9): re 143-148; w89 1/4 17, 18; w88 15/12 13

• los 144.000 comienzan a cantar “como si fuera una canción nueva” (Rev 14:3): re 200

• nacimiento de la nueva nación (Isa 66:8): re 183, 184; ip-2 397-400; w94 15/1 14

• organización celestial de Jehová semejante a un carro se pone en comunicación con la clase Ezequiel (Eze 1): w91 15/3 11

• “puerta abierta” puesta delante del resto (Rev 3:8): re 60-65

• resto come “el rollito” (Rev 10:8-11): re 159, 160

• resto liberado de Babilonia la Grande: ip-2 74; ip-1 400, 401; w89 1/5 4, 5

• resto refinado (Isa 1:24-27): ip-1 32-34

• resto restaurado a un paraíso espiritual (Isa 35): ip-1 380

• resto resucitado en sentido figurado: re 169, 170; dp 290, 291; w88 15/10 13; w87 1/7 21-23

• ‘se desata a los cuatro ángeles’ (Rev 9:15): re 149-151; w88 15/12 13

• vírgenes oyen el clamor “¡Aquí está el novio!” (Mt 25:6): w04 1/3 14

Queda claro que la base de muchas creencias y enseñanzas se
basan en la liberación de Joseph Rutherford de la prisión, hecho
que Rutherford y los testigos de Jehová hasta el día actual
interpretan como la intervención de Dios que demuestra que
realmente Cristo respaldaba a los Estudiantes de la Biblia, en
contraposición a las demás confesiones religiosas de la
cristiandad.

El punto en cuestión es:

¿De dónde obtuvo Joseph Rutherford la interpretación de las profecías bíblicas, particularmente las del Apocalipsis?

¿Cómo supo la interpretación de profecías como las referentes a los 7 toques de trompeta y los 7 tazones, los 1260 días, los 1290 y los 1335 días (Revelación 8, 9; Daniel 12:7, 11, 12)?

Dejemos que publicaciones de la
Watch Tower respondan a esta
pregunta:

Esta cuestión se propone para el beneficio de los fieles del resto aquí en la Tierra, y el ángel del Señor les otorga a los fieles del resto la
información que necesitan en respuesta a sus preguntas
(Revelación 1:1).

Esto prueba que la interpretación de profecías no procede de hombres, sino del Señor Jesús, el Comandante en Jefe de la Organización de Jehová, envía la información necesaria a su pueblo a través de sus santos ángeles. (Libro Preparation, p. 28; The Watchtower, Agosto 1, 1933, p. 231, ¶23.)

Entonces, ¿creía Rutherford que recibía información
entendimiento sobre la Biblia por medio de ángeles?

Libro Preparation, 1933, página 64:
“La iluminación procede de Jehová… y es dada a los ungidos… el
resto no oye sonidos audibles, porque no es necesario. Jehová ha
provisto su propia buena manera de transmitir sus pensamientos a
las mentes de los ungidos”.
Se ha dicho que la literatura de la Watch Tower no es infalible, sino
que se trata del entendimiento bíblico más acorde a la “luz que se
va haciendo más y más clara” (Proverbios 4:18). No obstante,
Rutherford afirmaba recibir en su mente pensamientos que le
ayudaban a esclarecer el entendimiento de las Escrituras por medio de ángeles.
Información que aparece en diversos libros escritos por
Rutherford muestran que él afirmaba que la interpretación que le
daba a la Biblia, provenía de los ángeles, pero no era inspirada.
Ahora bien: ¿qué registra la literatura moderna de los testigos de
Jehová? ¿afirman que el entendimiento que tenía Rutherford él lo
recibía de ángeles?

Veamos textualmente qué indica el libro Proclamadores, página
708:
“Cómo guía Jehová a su pueblo“
Los que componen la actual organización cristiana no reciben
revelaciones angélicas ni inspiración divina. Pero sí tienen las
Santas Escrituras inspiradas, que contienen revelaciones del
pensamiento y la voluntad de Dios. Como organización, e
individualmente, aceptan la Biblia como la verdad divina, la
estudian cuidadosamente y permiten que esta obre en ellos.
(1 Tes. 2:13.)

Pero ¿cómo llegan al  entendimiento correcto  de la Palabra de Dios?

La Biblia misma dice: “¿No pertenecen a Dios las interpretaciones?”. (Gén. 40:8.) Si en su estudio de las Escrituras hallan un pasaje que es difícil de entender, tienen que buscar hasta encontrar otros pasajes inspirados que aclaren el asunto. De esa manera dejan que la Biblia se interprete a sí misma, y hecho esto, procuran comprender “el modelo” de la verdad que se expone en la Palabra de Dios.”

¿Por qué no se reconoce aquí o en otras publicaciones que
Rutherford afirmaba que recibía revelaciones de ángeles, hecho que aparece en publicaciones escritas por él mismo?

Si Rutherford recibía entendimiento de la Biblia de parte de ángeles enviados por Dios, ¿necesitarían ser esas explicaciones de Rutherford ser aclaradas constantemente si son “iluminación de parte Dios por medio de ángeles”?

¿No sería acaso superior la “verdad” revelada de Rutherford al continuo entendimiento siempre en renovación del Cuerpo Gobernante?

¿Eran realmente ángeles de Dios los que otorgaron “entendimiento” a Rutherford?

Esta es una cuestión importantísima.

Si realmente fueron ángeles de Dios los que inspiraron a Rutherford el entendimiento de, por ejemplo, el cumplimiento de las profecías del Apocalipsis sobre los 7 toques de trompeta y los 7 tazones de la cólera de Dios (Rev. 8, 9, 16), y los tiempos proféticos de Daniel (1260 días, 1290 días y 1335 días aplicados a los tiempos de Rutherford), entonces hemos de creer que toda la estructura de interpretación profética de los testigos de Jehová está correcta, y no requiere ser refinada, puesto que nadie creería en su sano juicio que Dios mandaría ángeles a enseñar errores.

Y ¿si no fueron los ángeles de Dios los que “guiaron” el entendimiento de Rutherford?

¿Pudieron haber sido espíritus malignos los que “inspiraron” a Rutherford?

Si esto es cierto, entonces se abren las puertas del entendimiento a
muchos asuntos.

¿Realmente habrá caído Babilonia la Grande en 1919?

¿Realmente las profecías del Apocalipsis se cumplen tal y como se han enseñado hasta la actualidad?

¿Son algunas de las enseñanzas proféticas de la Watch Tower simplemente una maquinación del Enemigo para distraer la atención del real y efectivo cumplimiento de las profecías apocalípticas?

Haciendo alusión al “alimento espiritual al tiempo apropiado”, ¿por qué será que desde el año 2001 no hay ni 1 artículo de estudio sobre las profecías de Revelación explicando algunos nuevos cumplimientos, tomando en consideración que el espíritu santo debe “iluminar” a los nuevos y más jóvenes miembros del Cuerpo Gobernante, autoproclamado conducto de Dios en la Tierra que no
necesita consultar con nadie sus decisiones?

¿Será que se fue la luz allí? ¿O toda la iluminación (del Cuerpo Gobernante) está dirigida a los asuntos económicos y cómo recibir más y más donaciones?

contribuído

investigación basada en

publicaciones de la Sociedad Watch Tower Bible and Tract inc.

y las siguientes páginas en internet:

Was Rutherford a Spirit Medium?
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/rutherford_spirit_meduim.htm
The Spirit World Guided Rutherford
http://www.seanet.com/~raines/guided.html

There are a lot of great restaurants on the island of Nantucket offering cuisine from almost every country, region, or parallel that you might get a craving for. But nothing quite like the cozy, cash-only Black-eyed Susan’s. What starts as an inspired diner by morning, packed with a mix of people from on and off the island, settles into dinner with a candlelit glow, friendly staff, and a crowd very eager to eat—and did I mention it’s b.y.o.b.?

Our night began with us running late and a need to divert for cash. Instead of a nice leisurely stroll to dinner, Carey and I split in different directions—me to run and get cash, and Carey to focus on navigating dark, wet, cobblestone streets in 12 pitch Burberry booties carefully trying not to drop the Rubicon Zinfandel we picked up on our honeymoon.

Before starting in on the wine talk, it’s essential to discuss the gastronomic onslaught laid out by the BES team slaving away in the open, countertop-surround kitchen.

Carey’s Eggs Benedict with dill hollandaise on a dessert-rated pumpernickel pancake over smoked salmon shocked us both, outperforming the eggs bene reigning champ from The Greenbrier—Senators and Congressmen, beware! What better way to follow up runny egg yolk than with a spicy aioli of tuna tartar… rare, cool, chunky, and cilantro-laden served aside a spicy remoulade.

A delicate duck sausage with a fruity pureé and tandoori-spiced salmon with turmeric and ginger-crushed potatoes—each constantly passed across the table in an indecisive, super-swap dining ritual.

The Edizione Pennino, Rutherford Zinfandel was the first bottle of wine Carey and I purchase on our vineyard visit to Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon Estate. After 5 days of tasting wine beyond the Rubicon visit, I had very little memory of the Zinfandel. It was nice to “blindly” taste a wine that I “loved” a year ago, with little to no recollection of why.

The briery, wild blueberry, slow to developed heaviness presented almost baritone in nature. Too dim in the restaurant to actually get a sense of color in the glass, I like to imagine our taste buds heightening—compensating for the lack of visual input. Wild and untamed fruit flavors, smoky cedar, and faint vanilla balance easily in the mouth and dissipate uniquely after a decent linger without an overpowering jam or leftover, muddled-fruit dregs.

Robust, ripe, and luscious, with an entirely different delivery system. This wine flows straight through the mouth, brooding in nature and flavor, but texturally light on the tongue with a mineral-laden coolness—the E.P Zin is big fruit without big cream. It is an exceptional example of a highly complex, heavily nuanced American Zinfandel.

As our dinner rounded to a close, our table neighbors, seated closely to our right, stood to leave and pulled an oversized red Veranda House umbrella from under the table—the same one we were carrying. We chatted for a while—she worked in fashion, he in wine—and settled on wine talk, given I had just had the pleasure of meeting Joern Tittel, the CEO of Monarchia Matt International (MMI), an importer/exporter/distributor of limited-production, seriously fine wines.

Joern generously left us with the better half of two incredible wines—a Michael Forrest, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and a stunning Vincent Latour Meursault Perrieres. Their moderation was our good fortune.

We spent our final half-hour in Black-Eyed Susan’s sitting at the counter sharing the rest of the Pinot Noir with the chef and sous-chef, complimenting them and a job well done and discussing favorite varietals, locals, the economy, life on the island, life in the kitchen…

I walked Carey back after this final dinner on our final Nantucket night, Premier Cru white Burgundy in hand, well aware that my taste buds had been thoroughly numbed at this point, but still unable to leave this brilliant, slaty, grassy-golden straw Chardonnay behind.

I drained the remainder of my glass and checked the bedside clock. Carey was fast asleep still in her dress. A perfect night all around.

-Rob

The Red Wheelbarrow Poets

will hold an open poetry reading

Friday night, Oct. 30, 2009 from 7 to 9 PM at

GainVille Café, 17 Ames Avenue, Rutherford, New Jersey 07070.

$4 admission includes coffee/tea and a dessert.

Friendly atmosphere, generous reading times.

Mark Fogarty is the host.

I had a funny inquiry a few hours ago from a wedding planner. I don’t remember her name, just that she called from a Beverly Hills phone number, 310-990-####. Her clients are getting married at “Auberge du Soleil” in Rutherford on November 15th of this year, and the groom was specifically interested in having her book me. I’m not sure how he’d heard about me, but he’d been listening to my mixes and was feeling my style.

Her initial question was if I had worked the venue before, which I have not. Upon hearing my response, she immediately moved to end the conversation. Given that I work many new venues every year with no issue whatsoever (as long as the venue has an open electrical outlet, I’m good to go…shoot, I have a battery operated PA, so even the electricity isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker), I had to ask what the big deal was. She mumbled about complicated load in and a bunch of other BS, but also mentioned the venue goes as far as to put restrictions on what “type” of music can be played there. Whaaaat?

Lots of venues have volume restrictions, but restrictions on what songs or genres a DJ can play? That’s a new one to me. Lame.

I can only speculate as to what type of music is allowed at Auberge du Soleil. Perhaps to fit in with their French Country Inn theme, the DJ is simply restricted to playing tracks from both the “Moulin Rouge” and “Ratatouille” original soundtracks. I’d also have to speculate that for your ceremony, they’d require you to stick to pieces composed by Claude Debussy.

If this turns out to be true (I’m going to give them a ring tomorrow to confirm), I’ll have to add ol’ Auberge to my list of venues I’m not interested in playing. My clients can certainly give me a Do Not Play list, but a venue…no way!

I guess my biggest question is, given that the groom in question knowingly booked this venue, what the hell did he want ME for?

UPDATE 10/22/09 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I didn’t even need to call them, as I pulled this quote straight off of Auberge’s “Wedding Wire” listing (LINK). This is even better than I thought:

“…you will need to provide a complete song list in advance for approval prior to the date”

So, it looks like they require you to pick out all the music in advance, and submit it to them so it may be vetted and approved. So much for a DJ being able to “read” a dance-floor at Auberge.

So, if you’ve been looking at this venue as a potential wedding site, and you’re expecting to have any type of a decent party, you now know what time it is.

Marc Skinner, Photographer/Guest Blogger

Participating in the Vegan Month of Food can be daunting the first time out.  It’s exhausting spending every second thinking one of two things: the ubiquitous “What’s for dinner?” and the even more distressing “I wonder if I’ll ever be able to eat dessert again.”

So, when the opportunity to get out of the kitchen and let someone else do the cooking, driving, and blogging came along, my wife jumped on it.    (That’s why I’m writing  today’s post.)  And what’s a better way to escape the kitchen than to take the family out on a nice little day trip that ends with yummy cupcakes?  I couldn’t think of  anything better.  (As I already mentioned, lately I’d been missing dessert.)

Our great escape was a road trip up North to visit the Sweet Avenue Bake Shop in Rutherford, New Jersey. The Sweet Avenue Bake Shop serves up a variety of vegan sweets, but mostly it’s a  ”gourmet vegan cupcakery.”  (I know.  I looked up “cupcakery” in the dictionary, too.)  We sampled the “Sexy Sadie” (best “red velvet” anything I’ve ever tasted, topped with a truly awesome vanila icing.)  The “Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough” cupcake was a cute, baked confection that actually tasted like raw chocolate chip cookie dough. (How did they do that?!?)  Our 2 year old devoured the “White Chocolate Chai Latte” cupcake.  Our 4 year old is a little ghoul in training, so it took her a minute to choose between the two Halloween-themed cupcakes: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the “Corpse Bride.”  She settled on the “Corpse Bride,” then slowly savored the icing. (By the way, Sweet Avenue also sells “icing shots.”)

Sweet Avenue Bake Shop is a family run business. The owners/bakers (that’s two of them on the right, not the left) are friendly and helpful.

They rotate through a menu of  about 30 flavors at a time,  serving at least 12 different flavors each week, to vegans and non-vegans alike. (The non-vegans form a devoted, neighborhood clientèle, so shhhh!  Don’t tell them there aren’t any eggs or dairy products in the cupcakes!)  The bakers don’t use any pre-fab mixes.  They make their own dough and concoct many of their own flavors using really good stuff, like Madagascar vanilla and imported European chocolate.  They bake everything in small batches, so if you want a lot of cupcakes, call and order in advance.  (They also do mail order, deliver door-t0-door, and cater events.)
Okay, so at this point my might be thinking this is nice, Marc.  But what does this post have to do with “Soul Food?”  Well, I admit it: I can’t find cupcakes on any “official list” of “Soul Food Desserts,” per-se.  (I can’t find tempeh on the list either, but I hear Bryant Terry’s working on it. )  All the same, I don’t think since the 1970’s there’s been a single, soul-food cooking mama who hasn’t had to make a few batches of cupcakes for a bake sale or two.  So in my opinion, you have to consider the spirit in which the item was cooked.  Was the cook creative?  Were the flavors intense yet blended well?  Did everything just melt in your mouth?  Were there moments of pure, insane decadence?   Yup.    When it comes to baking cupcakes, Sweet Avenue definitely “puts their foot in it.” That counts as “cooking vegan with soul,” to me.

Now, what’s for dinner?

I want to start by referring to the Block 512 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir review from the day before as an introduction to this review. The 512 was the first example I tasted of these generic district wines bottled under the title, or name, Vineyard Block Estates. The concept behind these wines is simple: purchase excess barreled juice from prominent, but anonymous, wineries whose supplies are in surplus. The wine is then bottled and sold exclusively through a handful of outlets at reduced prices. Each vintage is unique, each district is acclaimed, and each block stands only until the last bottle is sold—mostly likely never to be repeated again.

I know a lot of diehard California Cabernet lovers. I am one of them—but not on a full-time basis. I don’t have the money to always be drinking the good stuff. The reality is, when you have less to spend, the searches for quality and value become synonymous, and this often steers you away from Cabernet Sauvignon, and out of Napa Valley.

This is one reason I got so excited about these wines. It’s easy to get a non-specific Napa Cabernet for $20—but a district-specific Rutherford or Howell Mountain Cabernet for that price? Almost impossible.

We pulled both corks at the same time and poured tasting portions into a row of glasses. Both wines were very similar in color, with the Rutherford showing slightly darker and rustier than the deep ruby and garnet Howell Mountain. We started by tasting the Howell, which smelled brighter and riper with a seemingly more approachable nose than Rutherford. Hints of brown sugar, caramel, mixed berries and maple on the nose was followed in the mouth by an acidic juicy nip that settled high in the back of the throat.

Age could easily pull the Howell Mountain Cabernet into equilibrium. It was clear from the start that this wine was showing the essential components of a great mountain Cabernet: leather and tobacco, mixed dark berries (sweet, tart and lush simultaneously confused), cedar and baked goods, spice and dried flowers. Each sip was delicious and unique, confident but still immature.

The Block 345, produced from grapes grown in the Rutherford bench, was exceptional. A little more burly than the Howell Mountain, the Rutherford was deeper, sophisticated, and operating with better control—lumbering earth and leather sweetened by black cherry and mocha at the pinnacle. The tannins were strong, but reigned-in—rounded slightly, demonstrating form over function. Deep fruit, pepper, and cured meat—the flavor profile was not overreaching. I was inclined just to sip, rather than scribble.

Howell Mountain, the small sub-appellation of Napa valley, is known for producing thick-skinned, small, tightly-clustered berries responsible for uniquely concentrated, intense wines heavy in tannic structure and dark, briery mountain fruit.

The Rutherford Bench, situated on an alluvial fan of fast draining sandy gravel and volcanic sediment, provides textbook conditions for growing some of the most sought after Cabernet Sauvignon.

These are certainly not my own words… Though I have replaced my own name within their framework of wisdom. And there is a reason for doing this…

And, as if to Know and Embrace this Wisdom that Toporek helped me to discover, I just had to copy out his beautiful flow of words and add my own name in there as an affirmation of this freedom of Self.

“So, tell me Karl, what are you going to be when you grow up?”

The Scream, by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch... A feeling I've felt before.

As a child, it always bothered me when an grown-up asked me that question. And being so young and naïve, I didn’t know exactly why it bothered me so much… But today, with a little more headroom on my shoulders, I think I’m beginning to understand why it did, and still does, bother me…

The only absolute certainty is uncertainty itself.

According to legend, it was this assertion that prompted the Delphic Oracle to recognize Socrates as the wisest man in Greece. Socrates replied that he possessed no wisdom whatsoever, but paradoxically the Oracle interpreted his unapologetic acceptance of ignorance as evidence of great wisdom. The pride of many prominent Athenians was wounded by the idea of being ranked below this self-proclaimed ignorant, so he was accused of corrupting the young, and was sentenced to death by poisoning.

2,000 years after Socrates’ execution, at a point in time between the birth of Descartes and the death of Kant, the West became helplessly enamored with certainty. Calculus became the fundamental discipline that helped us understand and define reality with great accuracy, even when it was ineffective at amicably resolving the battle between Leibniz and Newton regarding its discovery.

According to Lao Tzu, what is true can’t be described, but after Newton’s discoveries of gravity and the laws of motion, it was hard not to be convinced that reality could be outlined and explained through scientific exploration. Newton was followed by Bernoulli, Coulomb, Avogadro, Fourier, Faraday, Kelvin, Joule and Maxwell, and with every new discovery the certainty that the universe could be completely understood through the reductionism of equations grew ever stronger. The prevalent scientific posture after Maxwell’s unification of electricity and magnetism was that at the end of the 19th century “all the great physical constants would have been approximately estimated, and the only occupation left to men of science would be to carry these measurements to another place of decimals”. Of course history had different plans, and a new batch of scientists that included Curie, Rutherford, Planck, Einstein and Bohr proved that the universe was not that simple to figure out. Radioactivity, the equivalency between energy and matter, the relative flow of time, and light behaving as both wave and particle were a few of the new discoveries. During the 20th century each new finding increased the level of uncertainty, but the final blow to the dream of absolute scientific determinism came in 1926, when a young German physicist proved that it was impossible to know the position and momentum of a particle at the same time. At the age of 25, Werner Heisenberg formulated the Uncertainty Principle, laying the foundation of what became known as the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum mechanics. The implication of this discovery was that unpredictability ruled at the fundamental level of subatomic particles. The principle imposed a very real physical limitation on human knowledge, one that could not be overcome by technology. At an elementary level, scientists were doomed to predict only probabilities, never actual outcomes. Einstein strongly disliked this conclusion and died trying to disprove it, but years of experimental consistency confirmed his worst fears: God does play dice.

In 1932 Heisenberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Since then, the description of reality has only gotten stranger and more uncertain. Some of the latest scientific breakthroughs, like the discovery of Quantum Entanglement, seem to imply that not only is time an illusion, but locality as well. Recent discoveries by Leonard Susskind, Juan Maldacena and Ed Witten support the idea that we live in a holographic universe and that, despite its apparent solidity, objective reality does not exist. According to the Holographic Principle, objective reality is just a mirage created in our brains based on sensorial input; its our way of interpreting an otherwise undifferentiated, infinitely interconnected and splendidly detailed hologram. In this universe, all aspects of reality are merely interpretations relative to the observer, making it impossible to reach any kind of universal certainty.

It took 2,500 years, but Socrates was finally vindicated: The only absolute certainty is uncertainty itself!

So now we return back to this troubling question… “So, tell me Karl, what are you going to be when you grow up?” As I grew older I would get the same uncomfortable feeling when, at a job interview, I was asked “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I even found it utterly uncomfortable when a priest prompted a young couple to promise eternal love to each other.

At some point I started to realize that, in most cases, the people asking me these questions were just trying to satisfy their own expectations with my answers, and that very often I would provide the expected response just to keep them at ease. Many of the people striving for certainty just want the confirmation that their particular belief system is legitimized; confirmation that a son will be a doctor and not an ballet dancer, confirmation that a partner will never behave in a way that may threaten the marriage, confirmation that a couple’s public commitment will continue to validate the church’s authority.

Today I know that the uncomfortable feelings those questions arouse in me had little to do with any particular answer, and a lot to do with the questions themselves; that I do not want my future to be seen as a means to validate someone else’s expectations, that by answering I am turning myself into a potential liar, and that the only honest answer to such questions is, and should have always been, I DON’T KNOW. Any other answer would represent a self-imposed compromised fate, a voluntary limitation of my own freedom, an imposition of countless personal and communal hopes and fears over the limitless possibilities of reality.

I DONT KNOW may not be the most romantic or reassuring answer, but it is often the most honest. Unfortunately more people today want to be right rather than honest. Through schools, temples and popular culture we are taught to perceive certainty as a virtue. The preacher narrates Biblical events as if he had experienced them himself, and talks about the afterlife as if he had already been there and back; the science teacher talks about subatomic particles as if he had actually seen them; and all over the world celebrities are admired for their apparent confidence and self assurance (heck, if Bono gets behind this cause it must be important). Recently we have experienced a string of international leaders that are far more concerned with appearing to be right than with actually doing the right thing.

Religion manufactures certainty from the past and imposes it over the present, while present science places its faith in future technologies to increase its own certainty. Everyone holding a position of authority refuses to display signs of ignorance for fear of appearing weak or conceding.

I am not afraid of doubt, but I am terrified by the recent resurgence of certainty and fundamentalism. Doubt can bring about humbleness, while certainty can lead to arrogance. Some of the most horrific episodes in history are those involving arrogant madmen.

Instead of allowing perception to be informed by experiential reality, a madman will try to force reality to conform to his prejudice. He will try to impose an order on reality and will attempt to destroy any element that challenges such order. But chaos is the reality of nature, while order is just the dream of men. Inevitably, one man’s dream will become another man’s nightmare, and our attempts to impose an artificial order on reality will often end up in despair and destruction.

Expectations are futile, control is a painful illusion, we are made of uncertainty. Let chaos be and order will naturally emerge; strive for order and you will live in chaos. How do I know this?

I DON’T KNOW…

If you would like to find out more about Toporek and his work, please click here.

Boys

Ambrose, Leander, Lemuel, Washington, Barnaby, Raphael, Linden, Theodore, Tennyson, Leopold, Lazarus, Luther, Elias, Zeus, Rutherford, Linus, Benedict, October, Rowan, Solomon, Julius, Everett, Ira, Ignatius, Rupert, Cassian, Phineas, Rex, Tensing, Cosmo & Jude.

Girls

Prunella, Magnolia, Marigold, Magdalene, Beatrix, Aurelia, Jillian, Katherine, Linnea, Francesca, Araminta, Lucretia, Io, Lillian, Cecilia, Rosemary, Hazel, Guinevere, Isolde, Romilly, Philippa, Jemima, Lucinda, Raven, Allegra, Keturah, Clementine, Rosa, Indira, Ziva, Imogen, Aster, Leonora, Isadora, Myrtle, Evanthe, Seraphine & Cecily.

Today was the day I celebrated my 35th birthday with a day trip to Napa with my husband and my brother and his lovely girlfriend.

I knew this would be a high calorie day and that I’d be drinking. This was the most nutritious breakfast I had in the house: shredded wheat cereal with oat milk, sprinkled with ground flax seeds.

Lunch was had at Viansa, following a wonderful tour and tasting. They have a great picnic area too.

Water, a half sandwich, and a bit of Viansa gelato. Yum!

Throughout the day I had wine, so this one picture will have to help you through imagining it.

For dinner, we went to Rutherford Grill. I had a grilled artichoke, a glass of champagne and an ahi tuna salad. The finale was the most delicious oreo ice cream sandwich, perhaps one of the top 2 desserts I have *ever* had. This was one of my all time favorite meals in my life. Perfection.

Total Calories were estimated at 2640.

St Supery Winery

Follow on Twitter:  @stsupery (Keep up to date with special offerings and great information)

St Supery’s Chardonney was our first experience with St Supery wines and that taste brought us back to drinking Chardonney.  Figuring if St. Supery could do such an outstanding job with Chardonney, we would enjoy their other wines so we joined the wine club based upon that experience.  Members of the wine club are offered a free private tour and barrel tasting so we included a visit to St. Supery on our trip and it turned out to be a great decision indeed!

St Supery: Doorway to a fun experience

Atkinson House

Just walking towards the entrance of the visitor’s center, your senses will be overwhelmed with art, beauty and a sense that St Supery’s goal is to present you with great wines and a sensory education.  The demonstration vineyard along with the smell-a-vision hands-on display allows you to see and touch grapes and then experience the smells typically associated with Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Upon our arrival, (2:30 PM appointment on Tuesday, July 29, 2008) we were welcomed with our names displayed on the visitor’s board and Denise Leuschner welcomed us as if we were old friends.  A very nice personal touch carried out throughout the entire experience.

We toured the winery and the barrel tasting was especially enjoyable as wine was pulled from 3 barrels, each with 100% of the noted varietal, with separate tastings from each.  We then sampled the 3 wines blended together in unequal portions taken from each barrel.  It was very interesting how the blends completely changed the character and taste of the wine.  This simple demonstration illustrated what goes on behind the scenes in crafting a fine wine when blending is required and it furthered our appreciation of those who craft great wines.  Crafting a great wine truly is an art.

The demonstration vineyard allowed us to see various trellising systems and taste 6 grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, Merlot, Carbernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Anyone desiring to learn about wines and all the effort needed to craft fine wines, like the ones produced by St Supery, should visit.  This really was a great experience.

St. Supery Demonstration Vineyard

Tasting room

Next stop, the tasting room!  Joe took care of us and the tasting room was a-buzz!  We enjoyed many selections and ultimately settled on the 2006 Moscato, the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2000 Dollarhide Limited Cabernet Sauvignon (Joe pulled this library wine out special for us as Club members) and the 2005 Cabernet Franc.  Simply stated, St. Supery crafts some great wines.

We continue to enjoy wines produced by St. Supery and sometimes even pair them with some fantastic recipes posted by St. Supery on their website.  St. Supery has it right as they fully understand a great experience at the winery can and will likely translate into a long-term customer relationship — something especially important during these economic hard times.

Recommendation:  Great Winery to Visit! You will truly enjoy the experience.

Location:  St. Supery Winery; 8440 St. Helena Highway; Rutherford, CA 94573