The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views
The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views |
| Egypt’s Mubarak to be moved to army hospital: Sources Posted: 27 Dec 2012 07:51 AM PST CAIRO, Dec 27 – Egypt's ousted strongman Hosni Mubarak will be moved to an army hospital from his prison clinic, security sources and state media said today, suggesting the already fragile health of the man who ruled Egypt for 30 years was deteriorating. It was not yet clear when Mubarak would be moved nor exactly why, security sources said. "Mubarak will head to Maadi military hospital," an army source said. Maadi is a suburb of Cairo. Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades, was forced out in February 2011 after a popular uprising. In June, he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in killing protesters during the uprising. He was admitted to a prison hospital that month following what security officials called a "health crisis". Egypt's new public prosecutor, Talaat Abdallah, ordered his transfer based on recommendations from a medical report, state news agency MENA reported. MENA said Mubarak's condition would be monitored at the army hospital before he could be moved back to his prison clinic but gave no specifics on his medical condition. – Reuters |
| Sparkling wines, easier on the budget than Champagne Posted: 27 Dec 2012 07:38 AM PST  An employee of Rotkaeppchen-Mumm Sektkellerei GmbH poses in cellar in Freyburg. — Reuters file pic Sparkling wines, from France, Spain, Germany and the United States, are a good substitute for Champagne and won't break the budget. "Prosecco is definitely an alternative, but it must be the real thing," said Ed McCarthy, author of "Champagne for Dummies." McCarthy suggested buying Prosecco made in the original Italian region of Valdobbiadene-Conegliano, about a 90-minute drive northwest of Venice, where the grape is grown. A bottle from the area sells for US$10-US$20. Most non-vintage Champagnes cost about US$40 a bottle or more in shops in New York and London. The prestige "tete de cuvee" Champagnes, range from US$120 to US$300 or more a bottle, depending on the producer and vintage. Krug's top of the line Clos du Mesnil Champagne, made from the Chardonnay grapes of a single vineyard, is priced at US$850 to US$900 a bottle, even at the Chateau's cellar door, according to McCarthy. Sotheby's sold a case of 12 bottles of the 1990 vintage for US$58,188 on December 1. For wines from France's Loire region, he suggested bottles from Gratien & Meyer, who have been producing sparkling wines for more than a century. Their Brut Saumur Anjou averages about US$17 a bottle. He also praised Bouvet-Ladubay, another Loire producer, whose wines average about US$13 a bottle. Spanish Cavas are another alternative to sparkling wine. "They are also in the same price range as Prosecco and maybe even US$2 or US$3 less," McCarthy said, adding that Codorniu or Juve y Camps would be good choices. California sparkling wines, made by some of France's top Champagne houses, can also be a good substitute for Champagne. "My favorite is Roederer Estate," said McCarthy. "It's totally reliable." It sells for US$18-US$22 a bottle in the US and at about US$30 in the Britain and Germany. British wine critic and author Stuart Pigott casts his vote for Sekt, the German sparkling wine. His favorite is Van Volxem 1900 Riesling Brut Sekt, made in Mosel. "It is a rich and complex sparkling wine that is less creamy and less acidic than Champagne," he said about the wine that is available in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland for about US$34 a bottle. But a man who buys millions of dollars of sparkling wine each year thinks most people really would prefer something sweeter to drink. Guido Battipaglia, the sparkling wine buyer for New York's Gotham Wines & Liquors, said that instead of Champagnes most people would prefer Cantine Riondo Pink Prosecco, which costs less than $10 a bottle in the United States and Germany. "There's a lot of fruit in it," said Battipaglia, who also likes the French rose from Marquis de la Tour, which can be found for less than US$10. If Champagne is a must, McCarthy recommended Nicolas Feuillatte, which costs about US$25 a bottle. For slightly more money, US$40 a bottle, Charles Heidsieck would be his choice. "The price is not high for the quality," he said. — Reuters |
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