Latest news with #Humboldt
Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Everything you ever wanted to know about Chilean wines
Gift this article All wine drinkers in India are familiar with Chilean wines, for many it is our everyday glass. What's not to love? Great pricing, fruit-forward wines, and a whole lot of deliciousness. It's often served by the glass at hotels and restaurants for that very same reason. The challenge has been that only the lower end of the spectrum of wines from Chile were usually imported into India, thereby creating a reputation for non-fussy, easy going, value for money wines in our minds. However, Chilean wines cannot be relegated to purely commercial wine categories. If that's the impression of Chilean wine you have today, this is for you. All wine drinkers in India are familiar with Chilean wines, for many it is our everyday glass. What's not to love? Great pricing, fruit-forward wines, and a whole lot of deliciousness. It's often served by the glass at hotels and restaurants for that very same reason. The challenge has been that only the lower end of the spectrum of wines from Chile were usually imported into India, thereby creating a reputation for non-fussy, easy going, value for money wines in our minds. However, Chilean wines cannot be relegated to purely commercial wine categories. If that's the impression of Chilean wine you have today, this is for you. But first, some basics. Chile lies in the southern hemisphere, a sliver of a country facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Antarctic to the south and the mighty Andes to the east. It is for all practical purposes fairly isolated which has worked to its advantage, staving off the deadly phylloxera outbreak that ravaged the world's vineyards. This has allowed the vines to be planted on their own rootstock. Chile is not new to making wine, in fact it has been doing so for over 400 years. The Spanish conquistadors brought with them their vine cuttings followed by an introduction many years later of French grape varieties. For many years, Chilean wine was just well nothing to write home about, but in the late 1900s with serious investments, Chilean winemakers started using modern vine growing and winemaking practices, steel tanks, French oak and more to channel their wine qualities to the stratosphere. Also Read | Why wines are so expensive in bars and restaurants The melting water from the Andes gives vine growers sufficient water and the warm summers help the vines to ripen their fruit, aided by the cold Humboldt current that passes up Chile's coast line and influences of the Andes and Pacific Ocean, all come together to allow Chile to produce wines of very high caliber and with a signature purity of fruit. That signature is undeniable. In fact, at the Berlin Tasting of 2004 which took inspiration from the Judgement of Paris tasting, top class Chilean wines tasted blind against European counterparts, and they scored in some cases higher points than some of the world's most famous Chateaux. In this article, I do not want to focus on the everyday Chilean wines that you are familiar with, but wines that are premium, high-end and even fine. It amazes me how almost always, anyone with a choice between two wines at exactly the same price, between the old and new world wine producing regions, almost always decides upon wines from the old world. Nothing to do with wine-making skills et al, just decisions based on historical assumptions. That sort of decision always bugs me, because great wines often get missed. India's love for wine continues to grow, we experiment and our palates mature, creating a demand for well-crafted wines. Well, Chile makes them and they are here now for you to try. For the longest time higher end expressions of Chilean wines were not available in India. Great producers have been here for the last decade or more but their top shelf offerings have been kept out of the market. Now, we are beginning to see the formation of a different market space, because consumers are beginning to understand. In the last few years, a small number of world-class expressions of Chilean wines have entered the market. These could give highly regarded wines from any part of the world a run for their money. Oh, and before I forget, did I mention that even at this top end of the spectrum, Chilean wines still offer value. You're spoilt for choice too. Love Pinot Noir, they have it. Want a glass of hedonistic Cabernet that will blow your mind into vinous smithereens, oh boy do they have it. Carménère has found a home in Chile, so much so that people forget its French heritage, one my personal favourites. Bordeaux blends with a bit of tweaking here? Definitely. Juicy Merlot? Yes Sir. Zippy Sauvignon Blanc and complex Chardonnays? Yes, and yes, it's all here. Top Chilean wines available in India that you should get your hands on: Bodega Volcanes Tectonia Grenache, Petite Syrah, Mourvèdre Casa Lapostolle - Clos Apalta Montgras - Intriga (Cabernet Sauvignon) Viña Aquitania Cabernet Sauvignon led blend Also Read | The best wines to drink during the monsoon Nikhil Agarwal is a sommelier and founder of the beverage company All Things Nice in Mumbai. Topics You May Be Interested In
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Mumbai Byculla Zoo plans expansion to house 40 penguins, prevent territorial fights
Mumbai: The Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo (Byculla Zoo), known as Rani Baug, will be expanded to accommodate at least 40 penguins and avoid territorial fights among them, an official said. The zoo authorities have offered penguins in exchange programmes to multiple zoos, but had no takers as the cost of their upkeep is significant. (HT Photo/ Representative photo) Penguins have a tendency to nest in specific areas called breeding zones. 'The chicks have their specific breeding spots where they nest. If the space is not extended, there are chances that territorial fights will start among them. In order to avoid the fights, it is best to expand the area at least as much as the space is available,' the official said. In 2016, three male and three female chicks of Humboldt penguins were brought to the zoo. Since then, the population has gone up to 21 chicks, with Tom, Noddy, and Pingu adding to the family in March this year. Currently, the 21 chicks have 150 sq ft of accommodation space. As the older penguins grow in size, they will also need a larger space to live and move around, the official added. Also Read: Botanical walk sheds light on green treasures at Byculla Zoo The zoo authorities have offered penguins in exchange programmes to multiple zoos but had no takers, as the cost of their upkeep is significant. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which manages the zoo, has spent over ₹25 crore on the upkeep and maintenance of these birds alone. Also Read: Mumbai's zoo is a sad place The work for expansion of the penguin enclosure will be given to the contractor who is also building the tunnel aquarium next to the penguin enclosure. The tender for the tunnel aquarium was cleared in May this year and work is expected to begin soon.
CBC
17-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Volunteer crews from across Sask. flock to Beauval to fight fires
Volunteer firefighters from across Saskatchewan have been working in Beauval and other communities in the province's north to help save them from ongoing wildfires. Volunteer crews and equipment from Humboldt, Davidson and Warman, alongside a host of other communities, have been helping with controlled burns, patrolling for spot fires and setting up sprinkler systems in the village, which is about 350 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon and is under a full evacuation order. "You immediately just thought, 'they need help,'" said Corey Dean, the chief of the fire department in the south-central Saskatchewan town of Davidson. "We have the training and we have the resources, we have extra equipment. We have a large enough department. It was a decision that we made upon ourselves." Dean was in Beauval from July 2 to July 13 fighting fires. He and his crew helped save every house in the community as the fires edged up against the town, he said. "It's literally hell on earth when the fire comes into town. There's no other way to describe it," he said. "It quickly turned from daylight to nighttime as smoke covered the sun. It got really dark, really smoky, and really hot." It was "easily the most intense and humbling experience of my life as a firefighter," said Dean. His Beauval deployment was his second this season, having spent six days in Weyakwin — about 150 kilometres southeast of Beauval — setting up a controlled burn earlier in the summer to protect the Ramsey Bay Resort. His team, all of whom have other full-time careers, are now taking a breather, he said. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has been spearheading the effort to recruit local firefighters, putting out a call through the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs to help co-ordinate resources. Mike Kwasnica, the president of the fire chiefs' association, said local fire crews, who have more experience with structure fires, are being called in to let provincial fire crews focus on wildland firefighting. "This season has been extraordinarily busy like we've never seen before," said Kwasnica, who is also the chief of the Humboldt Fire Department. "To do a provincial call-out like this is very rare." 'That's what we do' Kwasnica sent two of his firefighters to Beauval to complement another department that could only send a fire truck. Earlier this summer, he also did a 12-day deployment fighting fires in Weyakwin and La Ronge, to the north. Like Dean's crews, Kwasnica's firefighters also have other full-time jobs, which he said makes co-ordination difficult. "I think a lot of the municipality fire departments are starting to get tired and worn out," he said. "It's just a matter of trying to co-ordinate peoples' holidays, their time off work, because … all these firefighters that we have that are going up all have other jobs." They face long, hot and uncomfortable days, he said. "But we're hoping that it makes a difference. And I know that in the past, and I'll speak for Humboldt, that when we needed help from the province, everybody came to our assistance," said Kwasnica. "For us, that's what we do." The Saskatchewan government has also had help from crews and the use of equipment from other provinces for weeks. Last week, two airplanes and 100 wildfire personnel came from Quebec, and 40 firefighters came from Australia. The public safety agency said another 40 firefighters from Mexico will be arriving in the next few days. Steve Roberts, the agency's vice-president of operations, said Wednesday he didn't have an exact number for how many fire departments currently have resources and crew members in Beauval, but that his agency is ready to co-ordinate more support. "Should they need more or need replacement, those will be addressed through our normal process for getting more resources to those scenes," he said. When asked about the growing numbers of international crews coming into the province, Roberts disputed the argument that the province isn't putting enough resources into local crews. "We have actually trained thousands of local community members to assist us," he said. Training and awareness programs are well underway, but "the training is not the barrier," he said. "It's getting individuals to come forward, identify themselves and be hired to assist in the efforts." The safety agency said as of Wednesday night, there were 48 active wildfires in the province, 10 of which are not contained. So far this year, there have been 372 fires in the province, well above the five-year average of 273 for this date.
CBS News
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
California State Fair exhibit gives out cannabis seeds for a penny
Getting freebies is a California State Fair tradition, but this year, there's a new type of sample sparking up interest. Adults entering the California Cannabis Experience exhibit can now get a packet of pot seeds to take home and start their own grow. "We've already given away thousands of seeds," said Embarc co-founder Dustin Moore. "Under California law, we have to sell them for a penny to be compliant." Organizers hope many people will turn this into a budding backyard hobby. "It's important, as we normalize cannabis in a responsible way, to encourage folks to grow at home," Moore said. "We would love nothing more than to have as many people as possible popping these seeds in their backyard and getting some experience with this beautiful plant," said Scott Vasterling, founder of Humboldt Family Farms. Experts say it doesn't take much effort to grow your own ganja. "It's a weed, literally. That's why they call it weed, so growing cannabis is about as simple as keeping a weed alive in your backyard. Sun, water, and fertilizer, and a little bit of love. That's all it takes," Moore said. Cannabis cultivation is still illegal under federal law, but in California, up to six plants are permitted for personal use, although some places don't allow them to be grown outdoors. The state fair already presents Golden Bear awards for California's best cannabis, and people picking up seeds this year could be next year's winners in a new category for home growers. "We'll have the same opportunity to grow their cannabis at home and compete alongside the best farmers in the state of California," Moore said. Organizers expect to hand out 15,000 seeds at the fair this year, which come from the Humboldt Seed Company in Northern California.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- CTV News
One dead, another seriously hurt, after two-vehicle crash in Humboldt
The intersection of 11th Avenue and Main Street in Humboldt, Sask. (Source: Google Streetview) A 35-year-old man is dead following a crash on Humboldt's Main Street Tuesday morning. RCMP responded to calls of a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Main Street. Officers, along with local firefighters and paramedics, responded to the scene. Police determined that a car and an SUV collided. Both of the drivers were taken to hospital. The driver of the car was later declared dead by hospital staff. He has been identified as a 35-year-old man from Humboldt. His family has been notified. The driver of the SUV was seriously injured. However, their injuries were not described as life-threatening. Neither of the vehicles were carrying passengers. Through an investigation, RCMP discovered that a conservation officer witnessed the car travel through an intersection at a high rate of speed. The conservation officer attempted a traffic stop but immediately lost sight of the vehicle. Saskatchewan's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) was notified of the death. According to RCMP, the watchdog agency advised police that the incident was outside of its mandate. Humboldt RCMP continue to investigate the crash with the help of a crash reconstructionist.
