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On the tasting bench today is the Scorpiiion Shiraz 2005 which unlike their Cabernet is made from 100% Barossa fruit.
Dark inky red in colour with sweet dark fruit and chocolate aromas. Easy drinking and full flavoured with juicy shiraz fruit really coming to the fore, it’s full bodied with a little spice and fine tannin on the finish. Although there was some alcoholic heat present, it would make a crowd pleasing bbq wine.
Overall a well made Shiraz in a typically Barossan style. If big, ballsy, fruit driven reds are your poison, you should get some mileage from the Scorpiiion.
Score: 87/100 Price: $21 Closure: Screwcap Alcohol: 14.8% Other Opinions: Can’t find any online Would I buy this wine? Probably not, although I would be happy enough if a glass was placed in my hand
The Saleschick of the Year Award has been awarded to me.
And here's why: At a tasting in a southern suburb of Buffalo yesterday, I sold over a case of a 2005 Altesse.
You read right: Altesse.
I began each pour with the caveat of "I have to warn you, this is a weird one.." I went on to describe the odd almond/cheese/metallic notes that make it a partner for fondue and therefore gravy. I know, the two have NOTHING in common, but it worked, and I honestly do think it would pair well. One woman even bought four bottles, putting back the Chardonnay she was going to serve at Thanksgiving.
In a search for a photo of Altesse to go with this blurb, I re-found one of my favorite sites: The Wine Info Site. In addition to having photos of some supremely esoteric varietals (y'all can find those Hungarian grapes there, if you guys are reading this!), The Wine Info Site is apparently out of The Netherlands and the English translations are sometimes hilarious. Case in point: Altesse is a full-bodied grape variety with plenty of taste, for white wine. It is grown in the Savoie, France. This grape is also called Roussette and produces strong wines with a pleasant dosis of acidity and a herbal taste with a touch of mineral.
I do totally agree about the herbal taste with minerality, but what the schmeck is a 'dosis'? Is that the Latin plural of 'dose'? And I adore that Altesse has plenty of taste "for white wine."
The always erudite Eric Felten bemoans the Mimosa, “the official semi-alcoholic drink of brunch” as “an ordeal.” True enough because of OJ from a carton and cheap, off-dry bubbly. Then he spells out his recipe for success with the drink: freshly squeezed orange juice and good dry champagne.
In my limited cocktail making, I have come to learn that the fresher and better the ingredients, the better the cocktail. But I’ve also learned that there really aren’t that many great wine cocktails. While I agree in principal with Eric’s suggestion for the Mimosa makeover (though his suggestion of Veuve Clicquot is hardly the driest champagne around in these days of brut zero), I can’t bring myself to put OJ in my Bollinger (his second, and much better, champagne suggestion). If I have a fresh OJ and a glass of fine champange I’d rather enjoy them separately and never the twain shall meet. For me, it’s a nice dry cava or prosecco that is the best way to go with the fresh OJ in a Mimosa.
What do you say? Is the Mimosa where you’d put your Bollinger?
99 points Parker: "There are just over 300 cases of the 2003 Ermitage Le Meal, which tips the scales at 16% natural alcohol. Its dense purple color is accompanied by aromas of pen ink, graphite, scorched earth, creme de cassis, and beef blood. Full-bodied with great intensity, amazing freshness as well as length, this monumental Hermitage should hit its prime in 5-7 years, and last for 3-4 decades."
While often referred to as a single "place" when it comes to wine, Napa is hardly a single monolithic growing region. Each of its 14 established AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) lays claim to a separate identity, characterized by geology, microclimate, and different histories of production.
The Oakville AVA has one of the most storied of such histories. It is home to the famed To Kalon Vineyard, purchased by H.W. Crabb in 1868, shortly after the installation of a railroad stop made the tiny village of Oakville spring to life. In 1876 Crabb's neighbor John Benson bottled his inaugural vintage of Far Niente wine just down the road.
By the year 1880 the Oakville area had 430 acres under production, and these would nearly triple to more than 1000 acres in the next 10 years and continue to grow until Prohibition turned off the spigot in the 1920's.
In 1965 Heitz Vineyards made the first vintage of Martha's Vineyard Cabernet, a wine that Robert Mondavi probably tasted around about the time he established his own winery a year later. Over the next thirty years, Oakville would gradually become home to some of the best wines on the planet. Acre for acre, the Oakville appellation may be the heaviest hitting single wine region in the western hemisphere. It is home to many of the highest scoring and highest priced wines in America, including Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle, to name just a few.
Oakville is ground zero for Napa Cabernet, and with good reason. Year over year it produces some of the most tremendous wines in the valley. It's hard to say that one particular area of Napa truly produces the best Cabernet, but it's also hard to find someplace that has more claim to that title than the Oakville AVA.
Last week the Oakville Winegrowers Association put on its annual Taste of Oakville event, which gives members of the wine trade and the press an opportunity to sample wines from its members. This meant an opportunity to taste through a lot of excellent 2004 and 2005 Cabernets (as well as a few other reds and a few random whites), most of which I enjoyed greatly. There were a few wines at the tasting which I didn't get a chance to taste, as they had run out of wine by the time I got there, but the list below represents all but a few of the wines poured. The tasting took place on the upper level catwalks of the Robert Mondavi Winery surrounding their large oak fermentation tanks, which you can see in the photo.
WHITE WINES 2006 Flora Springs Winery & Vineyards Soliloquy White Blend. Score: 9. Cost: $25 2006 Cosentino Signature Winery Oakville Chardonnay. Score: 9. Cost: $30 2005 Kelham Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. Score: 9. Cost: $30 2006 Oakville Ranch Chardonnay. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $48 2007 Swanson Rosato. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $18 2004 Teaderman Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $28 2007 Saddleback Cellars Pinot Blanc. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $24 2006 Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc Reserve, "To Kalon Vineyard." Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost:$20
Now that we've gotten those out of the way, let's move on to the main event, shall we?
RED WINES WITH A SCORE BETWEEN 9.5 and 10 2005 FUTO Red Blend. $250 2004 Harlan Estate Red Wine. $450?
RED WINES SCORING AROUND 9.5 2004 BOND "Vecina". $400? 2004 BOND "St. Eden". $400? 2004 Dalla Valle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. $150 2004 Sophie's Rows Bordeaux Blend. $75 2005 Rudd Winery Oakville Estate Proprietary Red. $105
RED WINES WITH A SCORE BETWEEN 9 and 9.5 2004 Enzo Wines "Saunders Vineyard" Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon . $75 2002 Atalon "Beckstoffer Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon. $80 2006 Casa Nuestra Winery & Vineyards Tinto Classico - Old Vines Red Blend. $40 2005 Detert Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. $75 2004 Emilio's Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon. $50 2005 Flora Springs Winery & Vineyards "Holy Smoke" Cabernet Sauvignon. $85 2005 Gargiulo Vineyards 575 OVX Cabernet Sauvignon . $?? 2005 Gargiulo Vineyards 575 OVX G Major 7 Cabernet Sauvignon. $?? 2005 Nickel & Nickel "Martin Stelling Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon. $135 2004 Opus One Red Blend. $165 2005 Showket Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. $85 2005 Swanson Merlot. $38 2005 Tierra Roja Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. $110
As the summer turns up the heat and the sounds of BBQs, street festivals and music, sweet music waft through the air, the chiming of Mojito glasses can be heard. To celebrate this classic drink, Tidings has commissioned two recipes...
Note to self: Never, under any circumstances, fly cross country in the winter time using Chicago's O'Hare aerostop as your connecting hub. As good as the flight times look on paper, keep in mind, they are pure fantasy. That sweet...
Note to self: Never, under any circumstances, fly cross country in the winter time using Chicago's O'Hare aerostop as your connecting hub. As good as the flight times look on paper, keep in mind, they are pure fantasy. That sweet 45 minute layover from SLC? How's about 4.5 12 hours!? And that snappy 1 hour layover from Ottawa back to SLC? Try 3 hours. Oy veh. I need a drink. And speaking of drinks, can I interest you in a Chiroubles?
G. DuBoeuf Chiroubles 2005 ($10) - Had this wine originated from a more 'serious' French wine region, chances are it would be selling at 3-4 times the asking price. However, seeing as it comes from the immensely under-appreciated region of Beaujolais, you can grab it for ten damn dollars. Chiroubles is one of 10 Beaujolais Crus (i.e. premier growing sites). I might not describe this wine as, "exploding from the glass like a massive bouquet of violets," as Parker-proxy Pierre Rovani does. I would however describe it as an ultrasexy rendition of the Gamay grape - with scents of fresh blueberry and violet-blossom. In the mouth, DuB.'s Chiroubles does it nice and smooth with silky tannins and simple cherry-blueberry flavors. Snatch this wine up forthwith and sip it with a plate of bistro frites.
2005 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils, Gevrey-Chambertin Medium-plus colour with plenty of purple at the rim. High tones of violets over blackberry fruit and faint earth. In the mouth it’s got reasonable concentration but lovely flavours of black cherry jam edged with faint oak toast. Fine balance and a subtly penetrating length. [...]
The somewhat recent revelation that it is technically illegal for home winemakers in California to hold public tastings and even competitions of their wines is one of those instances where a truly out-dated law of little or no value, previously unnoticed, comes to light and makes folks chuckle, shake their heads and get on with getting rid of it for the sake bringing laws and rules into line with reality and good sense.
The move to change the law licketty split is under way. Family Winemakers of California and State Senator Pat Wiggins have joined forces to introduce SB 607, a law that would allow winemaking competition among amateur winemakers.
It's an easy fix to a pretty stupid law and both FWC and Senator Wiggins should be commended for moving it forward.
Changing stupid laws like this is not always so easy, however, Take for example the CA law that makes it a crime for a an out-of-state retailer to ship wine to a CA resident. This one went into effect in 2005 and was supported by Family Winemakers of California, The California Wine Institute, The California Association of Wine Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Vintners and a number of wineries. The bill was opposed by a number of CA retailers who realized that not only was the law unconstitutional as it discriminated against out-of-state retailers, but that it would encourage other states to lock out CA retailers from shipping to their state residents.
There has been no enthusiasm by California's winery organizations, Free the Grapes, or any politicians to change this other example of a stupid law, though they all are well aware of the law. One wonders if it will be "discovered" in a few decades and quickly reversed by legislation because it no longer has any value, rhyme or reason.
It turns out this law is actually on hold because retailers sued the state of CA and were able to get an agreement from the state not to enforce it until the end of 2008. However, that time is quickly approaching. One hopes that consumers, wine organizations and politicians will feel an equal urgency to fix one more stupid law when it comes to light.
Cycling the Tour de France has been likened to running 20 marathons in 20 days. I?m pretty sure I couldn?t run one marathon in 20 days.
Yet there I was, under the blistering sun of Provence, slowly pedaling my way up one of the most dreaded, soul-crushing climbs of last year?s Tour: Mont Ventoux. What lured me to that beast of a hill was a longing to do more than just watch the Tour de France. I wanted to experience the Tour de France. I yearned to ride the very roads that, just hours later, would be chewed up by Lance Armstrong, Laurent Jalabert and Joseba Beloki. I wanted to white-knuckle it down the same hairpin turns, and be cheered on by the giddy spectators who?d camped out for days, waiting for that colorful tsunami of Spandex to speed by. Basically, I hungered for a taste of what the world?s most grueling sporting event really felt like.
That?s what landed me, my husband and 13 others on a Tour de France cycling trip with Backroads, an adventure travel company. The plan was to follow the last third of the three-week race as the riders whizzed their way past the lavender fields of Provence, up the mythical Alps and down the cobblestoned Champs-Elysées in Paris. Along the way, we?d stay in four-star hotels, consume obscene amounts of French fare and work off those calories by cycling 40 to 60 miles a day (except during the trip?s three rest days). We?d get to bike some of the most memorable segments of Tour de France routes. We?d also tackle short sections of last year?s course, a torturous 2,032-mile journey.
?How hard can this be?? I naively wondered as I sat on my couch, lazily thumbing through a Backroads catalog. ?It?s not like we?re doing the whole Tour. Just part of it.?
But that ?part? happened to be the part with the mountains. Big, colossal, mammoth mountains.
Even so, I saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If the prognosticators were right, I?d be witnessing Lance Armstrong pedal his way into the history books, becoming the first American ever to win six Tours. I?d be right there, literally, on Armstrong?s road to victory. Mountains, shmountains, I reassured myself. I?m 34 years old; I take spinning classes. I?ll be just as good as anyone else on the Backroads trip.
I knew I miscalculated that last part as soon as I got a glimpse of the other Backroads travelers. Most of the men?s legs were shaved closer than mine. This meant there was either a disproportionate number of transvestites on the trip, or these were some serious cyclists. It turned out to be the latter, which meant my husband and I were destined to play the role of lanterne rouge, the red lantern that hangs from the back of a train. It?s Tour-speak for ?the slowpokes.?
But unlike the Tour, this was a vacation, not a competition. At least that?s what I kept telling myself as I crawled up Mont Ventoux, which I think is French for ?makes you curl up in a ball and cry for Mommy.? The 6,273-foot mountain juts out of the Provençal landscape like a giant tumor; and this tumor is anything but benign. Comedian and cycling aficionado Robin Williams summed it up this way: ?Even the mountain goats don?t like it.?
Ventoux is a relentlessly steep 13-mile climb to the barren, lunar-like summit, where exhausted British cyclist Tom Simpson keeled over and died during the 1967 Tour. As I started to wonder if the same fate might await me, a burly Frenchman with a moustache as big as my handlebars decided I needed a little pep talk.
?Allez! Allez!? he repeatedly shouted in my ear as I crept up the mountain in granny gear. My French friend was telling me to ?Go! Go!? which was what I wished he would do, since sweat was stinging my eyes, my legs felt like the beleaguered stage during ?Riverdance? and the last thing I wanted was a hairy cheerleader.
But his words pushed me on, if only to put a little more distance between me and his Burgundy-infused breath.
I?d hear the ?Allez! Allez!? refrain countless more times from the throngs of onlookers who?d staked out their spot on the mountain, waiting for the Tour to wheel by in a few hours. Folks like me were merely the warm-up act.
We all know the French are very good at some things (food) and not so good at others (war). But they?re extremely adept at the high art of tailgating. When they weren?t rooting on amateur cyclists like me, they killed time by sipping wine, nibbling on brie and baguettes, playing cards and painting riders? names on the street.
At my heady speed of 4 mph, I had ample time to witness all of these pre-race festivities. It became clear that, to the French, the Tour is much more than a sporting event. It, like Jerry Lewis, is a cultural phenomenon. Unlike Jerry, it?s easy to understand the Tour?s appeal. This is a race packed with more drama than a Jerry Springer show, and with at least as much potential for bloodshed. Catastrophic crashes. Drug raids. Cheating. Smack talking. Not to mention jaw-dropping displays of athleticism. It?s hard to imagine just how much pain these guys put themselves through until you?ve sampled some of it firsthand.
Mont Ventoux is a kick-in-the-teeth climb, even when you?re cycling it with fresh legs like we were. But the Tour racers had logged 120 miles that day before broaching the base of Ventoux. And they still managed to go up it faster than I went down it. How?s that for an ego-deflater?
It truly is a humbling experience to watch more than 150 Tour riders sail up the very road you just cycled. They make it look so easy. But your burning quads and aching back remind you that it?s not.
I thought cycling Ventoux would leave me too exhausted to cheer on the racers. But one glimpse of that Texan wearing the coveted yellow leader?s jersey had the effect of a dozen espressos. There he was. Lance Armstrong ? cancer survivor, cyclist extraordinaire ? about an arm?s length away from me, plowing up the very mountain that made my legs feel like overcooked fettuccine. Despite being chased by a pack of cyclists who wanted nothing more than to strip that golden jersey off his back and feed it to him in tiny pieces, he looked more serene than I do in a bubble bath.
Other racers gulped oxygen like frat boys chug beer. But Armstrong seemed to be barely breathing while he pumped his pedals like pistons. I knew I was watching an über-athlete in action. I had a front row seat at the Tour de Lance, and I?d earned it. At the top of my overworked lungs, I shouted the words I?d once heard from a wise, mustachioed Frenchman: ?Allez! Allez!?
This wine is characterized by a yellow-green colour, a fresh citrusy aroma with hints of honey and a complex flowery aftertaste. It’s a semi-dry riesling, dryer than the Slovenian rieslings (such as Laški Riesling for example), but sweeter than those found in Serbia. It is a nice wine to accompany a lighter meal.
This is one of the wines available in Belgrade restaurants in 0.2l bottles, so if you’re a driver among non-wine drinkers (meaning you can’t order a whole bottle of some fine wine) it’s a good chance you’ll be in a position to try it. Do so.
It was time for the main event, and there must have been four or five hundred giddy people gathered in downtown Manhattan. One or two of dozens of Burgundy’s elite winemakers sat at each table in anticipation of this Bacchanalian orgy. The long, army-style lunch room seating had to have about forty people per table, [...]
Of course, it would be no surprise to assert that Argentina has come a considerably long way over the last decade in terms of the depth that its wine producers are capable of achieving.The manner in which this process has and continues to take place, however, has less to do with the factors that used to be paramount (foreign buyouts) and more with the industry exporting a different image of itself altogether.This phenomenon alongside other compelling developments in recent times have precipitated what I believe to be a pivotal changing of the guard when it comes to the style of Argentine wines that American consumers are welcoming more and more.
Artisan-made Argentine wine producers are no longer lost in the wilderness, playing second fiddle in terms of international exports, to say, the larger, industrial-style producers or Mendoza wine operations funded with foreign money.Argentina?s bout with hyperinflation in the early 1980?s, the kind that made my family sell their business and book it towards the United States, as well as the government?s mismanagement of the World Bank and IMF-instigated crises of the 1990?s were devastating for the export aspirations of Argentine families with a winemaking tradition.Like many American fruit farmers getting undercut and essentially obliterated by Dole, Sunkist and the like, the nature of wine production during times of turbulence in Argentina has made it difficult for these producers to stay afloat; and so, like vultures, the 1980?s and 1990?s saw foreign capital descend upon Mendoza in the form of large multinational drinks corporations and others who scooped up the winemaking patrimony of many financially pressed families.
For quite some time now, these types of wine operations have made drinking the wine of my native country while abroad in the US a sadly confusing affair to say the least.Here I was, drinking these wines which had labels reading ?Mendoza? or ?Cuyo,? so they were certifiably real, but made in styles which weren?t even in the ballpark as far as what I knew I liked to drink.Did Argentine wines change, and thus, Argentine tastes, or was something being kept from those of us who live in North America?Some very successful investors and qualified winemakers from highly prestigious European wineries became involved with their pet projects in Mendoza, but to me, something just did not sit right.I felt a bit heartbroken that as a wine lover, the wines of my native country available for export reflected something I didn?t like?far from it in fact, something I couldn?t even relate to in any meaningful way.
Those darker days, however, seem to be coming to an end as the tide of taste gradually begins to favor Argentine winemakers that provide innovation, quality, exceptional value, and at last, the types of wines that bring a little piece of home back to my dinner table.I feel that a newly found sense of openness and curiosity in the American wine consumer is taking hold.From the wider availability of all sorts of Argentine wines I?ve noticed to the stimulating conversations I?ve had with people here about Argentina?s winemaking heritage and how it is increasingly reflected?things are moving in a direction I am liking more and more.Someone, however, from the point of view of imports to the US, has to be at the forefront of this revolution.For my next post, I?ll be presenting my interview with a major player in building long-term relationships with artisan Mendoza producers and in turn, striving to make authentically Argentine wines more of a staple than an oddity in the US market.
Just in time for Christmas, Sainsburys and Secret Sommelier have teamed up to produce a case of 12 Bordeaux with an accompanying podcast by Christopher Burr MW and Ewan Lacey.
Bordeaux, I think, can be the region most in need of explanation to the uninitiated, as its charms occasionally need to be coaxed out. In this world of immediacy, these wines lag behind in the crowd-pleasing stakes, especially when you venture down from the top drawer. But given a lead from someone knowledgeable, I think - unlike some wines which initially please but become repetitive and dull - they can become friends for life.
It would make a great present for someone and is a useful tool for a group of friends who don't go to a wine club but want to have fun with it at home.
Good for Sainsburys to seize the initiative and find quite an innovative approach to wine tasting. But why is the podcast an audio recording not a dvd? I haven't heard it yet but I would have thought there was quite a lot of opportunity for visuals here.
To make it even more appealing, they have included a prize draw to win a trip for two to the Bordeaux Wine School. That would be quite a fun trip, I imagine.
The case can be bought at www.sainsburys.co.uk/wine or buy the wines individually in-store. Many of these wines I have not tasted myself but I do know the "Taste the Difference" ones are very decent examples.
A bright? ruby red with an intense? nose? of red berries and spices. Full-bodied and well rounded, with soft? tannins this is a fine accompaniment to rich pasta dishes, red meats, game and mature cheeses.
Do any of you folks have any advice for finding a specific type of wine that my local wine shop no longer carries? I've googled, I've ordered two bottles from an importer/reseller in Chicago, and I've not really had any luck finding any others (said store in Chicago has sold all of their other bottles of the stuff). Apparently my Google-Fu isn't strong enough to find anything else, much to my chagrin.
What I'm looking for is a rioja that I had last year. Muga produces an occasional Seleccion Especial. The 2001 vintage is what I'm looking for (though I suspect that I may invest in the 2004 as well, which I can actually find online), and like I said, short of the two bottles that I ordered from the folks in Chicago (I ordered it in October, and it's supposed to sail from Spain this weekend, finally), I haven't been able to find it anywhere else.
I don't know that I'm ever going to be able to find it again, to be perfectly honest, but I figured that I'd mention it here in the hopes that someone might have some sort of hints or information about hunting down somewhat rare wines. Thanks in advance!
Chateau Petrogasm, I LOVE you. I want to pop several corks with you, and find myself in a compromising position in the morning. Yes, I’d even do the walk of shame for you, Chateau Petrogasm. My butt is firmly planted on the bandwagon. I’ll be your largest sycophantic follower. What in the heck is Chateau [...]
A bit more than 1/2 year ago, we were in Chateauneuf du Pape. Anyway long story short. The sommelier at Beaucastel came up with a short video clip to explain the varietals and the philosophy going into CdP and Beaucastel in particular. Enjoy
What a great idea! Although it's been open for more than a year, I just learned of California's first chocolate tasting bar, Wine Country Chocolates. As befits a chocolatier in wine country, Wine Country Chocolates makes their own chocolates, many with wine as an ingredient. Offerings include such items as Cab-infused ganache truffles and wine bottle-shaped molded treats, all made without preservatives or additives. Patrons can also dip fresh fruit into a chocolate fountain. It just might be a reason to make a trip to California wine country (like I need a reason).
Wine Country Chocolates is located in Jack London Village shopping center, 14301 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen, CA.
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Kahlua, the number one coffee liqueur in the world, today announced the addition of Kahlua Mocha to its family of premium coffee liqueurs. Available June 2008, Kahlua Mocha will join original Kahlua, Kahlua Especial, Kahlua French Vanilla and Kahlua Hazelnut in retail and on-premise locations in the United States.
Made with a rich blend of 100% Arabica coffee, natural vanilla and real dark chocolate, Kahlua Mocha offers consumers a new way to enjoy their favorite coffee liqueur and retailers the opportunity to enhance category profitability. Kahlua Mocha can be enjoyed over ice, in contemporary cocktails or as a twist on classic Kahlua drinks.
by Martin Field Cascade Green ? up to $18 the six-pack of 330ml bottles * According to the label, this full-strength (4.5%) lager is 100 per cent carbon neutral, preservative free and low carbohydrate. It has pleasant hoppy spicy aromatics. The palate is medium-weighted and very smooth in texture. Flavours are malty sweet and the finish without bitterness. Banrock Station Ecomate Colombard Chardonnay 2007 - 1 Litre Tetra Pak ? up to $10 * * Light lemony nose. Fresh easy drinking style with faint oak, off-dry finish and mild acidity.