On Thursday, my cat Tigger, crossed the Rainbow bridge at the age of 20 years and 6 months. I adopted him in Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada, on April 3, 1996 from the SPCA. The vet estimated he was about 5 months old at the time, so we always celebrated his birthday on November 3rd. This picture was taken of us on November 3rd last year, the day he turned 20 years old. So on Thursday I went out and got a special bottle of wine and toasted my best fur friend.
For my toast to Tigger, I picked a Bordeaux from the Right Bank. The Chateau Faizeau Montagne Saint Emilion is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and is a fantastic expression of a Bordeaux wine. It’s full-bodied and rich, the Merlot grapes provide for smoky plum flavors and the Cabernet Franc provides excellent structure. It was a great wine for the $35 price tag I paid for it. And this wine would go with so many foods, from delicious cheeses to your favourite dinner.
This picture was taken the year Tigger turned 13. He was adopted in Alberta, but we traveled lots for work we lived in 4 different Canadian provinces and 8 cities and towns. We lived on the Humber River in Steady Brook, Newfounfland, just outside of Corner Brook when this picture was taken. One of the things we loved to do was sit on the deck overlooking the river. He spent hours in my lap and I would be enjoying a good wine. Like this one…
The Glorioso Rioja Reserva from 2009 is one of my favorite Tempranillo wines and no one does Tempranillo like the Rioja region of Spain. A steal of a deal at just $25 a bottle. This smooth beauty has been awarded with 91 points from Wine Spectator, 92 points from other wine magazines, and won a Gold medal at a wine competition in 2014. It’s delicious with juicy plum flavors, hints of mocha and licorice and it has a very polished finish.
The picture on the left comes from an online program I found that incorporates your own pictures onto the covers of famous magazines, and for a joke I had Tigger put on the cover of Vogue. He was a very fashionable kitty after all. The picture on the right was taken by friends Jesper and Gitte, who were visiting from Denmark, and he would have been 16 at the time. We were living in St. John’s Newfounfland when this picture was taken.
Another favorite pass time of ours was me trying to read a book while Tigger sat in the book, trying to be the centre of the book. I love an evening of a good book and a great wine. Or watching a movie, Tigger was front and centre. I always enjoy a good glass of wine with a great movie . Like the Santa Ema Reserve Pinot Noir from Chile. This is an exceptional wine. No wimpy Pinot Noir here. This is a medium to full-bodied with lots of flavor. Some times Pinot gets a bad wrap, but I have been encouraging people who have never tried Pinot Noir to start with this one. It has some nice earthy cherry flavors and you don’t get a lot of that ‘cola’ taste sometimes associated with some Pinot wines.
Tigger never liked to be left out of anything, so when I did Yoga, so did he! It’s funny because most times I would wait till he was curled up asleep in his favourite chair. But as soon as he heard that mat go down he came awake and want to join in
And now my wine of the week
With BBQ season officially among us, I have to name the Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as the wine of the week. The absolute perfect steak wine. This beautifully vibrant Cabernet has beautifully sourced fruit, with notes of vanilla, cassis and smoke. Love love love this wine. If you haven’t had this yet, cook a steak and try the wine. You will adore me.
I had to take this opportunity to do a write up on my baby of 20 years, so thank you for allowing me to share. On the day he passed I heard from friends from Vancouver Island British Columbia all the way to St. John’s Newfoundland and everywhere in between. He was a spectacular personality, vocal when he needed to be, and the biggest sook who loved being in my arms.
Give your pets an extra hug today in memory of Tigger. I was so very blessed to have 20 great years
Till next week, Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 