Wine page 2

 Wine page 2 by ric gustafson

Other than water and sugar, acid is important in wine pulp. When a grape ripens, it's sugar increases. It's acid content decreases. The challenge is to have a balance of the two. Acidity gives wine vivacity. Without acidity, dry wine seems dull and flat. A sweet wine tastes flabby without acidity. Wine without acidity spoils and does not age well. Too much acidity in wine tastes biting. 

Tannin is important in red wine. Like acidity, tannin needs to be balanced properly. Sometimes cheese is used to temper the harshness of tannin. When done properly tannin can be wine's structure and backbone. 

Tannin is also a natural preservative. Wine with tannin live longer. Tannin can be good ripe and bad unripe. Ripe tannin makes wine richly colored. Unripe tannin results in dry wine. 

Wine can be fruity. Wine can be sweet or dry. As far as acidity, it is a balancing act.

Next we will look at where great wine comes from?.

research help: ' the Wine Bible' by Karen MacNeil

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

God Reflections: John 10

 God Reflections: John 10 by ric gustafson

John 10 talks about a Good Shepherd. We are lost sheep. We need a Shepherd. Jesus is that Shepherd. Jesus came to give us life. Jesus will lay down his life for his sheep.

There is a thief who wants to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus loves us his sheep. He is the Good Shepherd. He comes to give us life. He wants to give us life in abundance. 

Why?. Because Jesus loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' God Reflections' by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Wine page 1

 Wine page 1 by ric gustafson

To start a story about wine, we need a grape. We need a grape berry. A grape berry is 75 percent pulp, 20 percent skin and 5 percent seeds. The soft juicy center of the grape is pulp. That will become wine. Pulp contains water, sugar, acids, minerals and pectin. Sugar in the pulp is very important. Skin of the grape is responsible for wine's aroma, flavor, color and tannin.

When yeast comes in contact with sugar in grape pulp, you get alcohol. A critical constituent in wine is alcohol. Alcohol plays a complex role in wine's ultimate quality. Ripe grapes will contain natural sugar and higher alcohol. Alcohol affects the body and texture of wine. Alcohol affects aroma and flavor. Alcohol's flavor is sweet. Alcohol is balanced with acidity and alcohol. Good wine includes acidity and alcohol.

Next we will look at acid and tannin

research help: ' The Wine Bible' by Karen MacNeil

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Beatles Anthology page 9

 Beatles Anthology page 9 by ric gustafson

My name is George Harrison

I was born in Feb 1943 in Liverpool 12 Arnold Grove. My mother was from an Irish family. My father was a seaman. Eventually, he became a bus driver. My mother was Catholic. My father was not. I have two brothers and one sister. When I was born, my sister was twelve. Growing up, I did not see  her very much. She went to teacher training college.

My mother's mother lived in Albert Grove. It was next to Arnold Grove. While my parents were working, I would stay with my grandmother. My father's father I never knew.

Our  house was very small. We stayed mostly in the kitchen where the fire was. Our toilet was out back. We did not have a bathroom.

Arnold Grove was behind the Lamb Hotel in Wavertree. Nearby was an art deco cinema called the Abbey. There was also a clock tower named the Picton. Down the lane was a slaughterhouse.

research help: ' Beatles Anthology' by the Beatles

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

God Reflections: James 2

 God Reflections: James 2 by ric gustafson

The greatest gift is to be called a friend of God. If we have faith in God, we can be called a friend of God. In James 2, Abraham was called a friend of God. God will always stick close to a friend. We can go to God anytime for anything. God will never leave us or forsake us. We can pour out our heart to God. God always gives us his undivided attention.

God is our friend. Talk to him daily. He loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' God Reflections' by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

God Reflections: Psalm 73

 God Reflections: Psalm 73 by ric gustafson

Why do good people suffer?. Why do bad people prosper?. Psalm 73 was written by a man named Asaph. He was one of King David's musicians. Asaph realizes there is a lack of fairness in the world. Asaph becomes discouraged trying to live a righteous life. Asaph knows he has tried to keep his heart pure. 

So what did Asaph do to change his thinking?. He looked at the bigger picture. He goes to church. Asaph remembers that God is always with us. He knows God guides us and gives us strength. Asaph knows at the end of this life, he will be with God. God loves us more than anything else.

research help: ' God Reflections' by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the Nine page 11

 the Nine page 11 by ric gustafson

My name is Justice Clarence Thomas

In July of 2003, I was tired. My mother and childhood friends were coming to visit. Our Supreme Court yearly term just ended. It did not end on a good note. By a 5-4 vote, a University of Michigan Law School case was upheld. My legacy as the second black justice is to campaign to rewrite the nation's laws on race. For twelve years, I have voted to take race out of public schools, universities, the job market and voting districts. 

My family is descended from Georgia slaves. My grandfather was raised by a former slave. At age 16, I was the first black student to integrate a Catholic high school seminary. In college, I joined black power movement. I protested the war in Vietnam. I staged campus protests to demand equal treatment for black Americans. 

I entered Yale Law School as a beneficiaries of an affirmative action plan.

research help: ' Judging Thomas' by Ken Foskett

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric