The Bookless Club: Champagne vs. … Perry?

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I don’t like champagne.

There. I’ve said it. Force a glass of champagne into my hand and there’s a good chance I’m tipping that glass into a potted palm. I’m probably responsible for the mysterious die-off of dozens of indoor tropicals. The authorities, however, would have a hard time assigning these misdemeanours to me — lots of people secretly don’t care for champagne.

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Custom has it, nevertheless, that we celebrate weddings with a champagne toast. And not just weddings, but graduations, sports victories, coronations, elections, the christening of ships, successful bank heists — accomplishment of any description will prompt the appearance of an expensive bottle of the bubbly.

And, oh my, but we pay through the nose for that sparkling grape juice. Generally speaking, a bottle of real champagne starts at around $100. Given that you get about five glasses out of a standard 750 ml bottle, that works out to about $20 a glass. Many’s the father of the bride who has grieved the sight of cigarette butts floating in half-full abandoned flutes.

The history of champagne is a colourful one that dates back to the 9th-century coronations of French kings at Reims. Back then, champagne was still a wine, and slightly pink in colour. Since the 18th century, champagne has become defined as an effervescent white wine made from a small array of red grapes to which yeast and sugar have been added during the fermentation. This process of adding “liqueur de tirage” is what’s known as the “méthode champenoise”. To qualify as genuine champagne, the whole operation has to take place in the Champagne district of France.

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Luckily for me — and potted plants everywhere — I’ve stumbled upon a delightful alternative to champagne. Although it costs a fraction of what champagne does. Have you ever heard of Perry? No? Until very recently, nor had I.

It was a rare, spring day. The sun was shining, there was fresh snow on the coastal mountains. The day was ours to squander. Bowen Island seemed the perfect destination. Heading off from Snug Cove, a relatively new operation called Bowen Cider House caught our eye. The sign indicated that it was a family run cidery and working farm. For a small price, you could sample an array of ciders and have a charcuterie board on their patio.

Alistair Johnstone, Bowen Cider House’s orchardist and cider maker, guided us through the samplings. There were about a half dozen ciders to try, as well as a rarity, called a scrumpy, which is an unfiltered, unsweetened, traditional cider that I’m going to say — shudder — is an acquired taste. Snug Cove Strubarb cider, however, glowed with delicious red fruit, and no one had to tell us that the vibrant Granny Cowan cider featured 70 per cent Granny Smith apples.

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The one cider that snagged my palate, however, was the Pebbly Beach Pear. Alistair explained that this was Bowen Cider House’s version of a historic Perry. A Perry, it turns out, is a specific cider made, not from apples, but exclusively from pears. His wasn’t, however, a true Perry as that can only be made from Perry pears, whereas Bowen Cider House’s version is made from Bartlett pears.

Centuries ago, Perry was champagne’s rival. It, too, has numerous strictures as to what qualifies as a genuine Perry. It has many of the features of champagne, but the pricetag is equivalent to about the cost of a single flute of French bubbles.

Sipping Perry on the Bowen Cider House’s patio under a blue sky made for an ideal day. And no potted palms were killed in the process.

Jane Macdougall is a freelance writer and former National Post columnist who lives in Vancouver. She writes The Bookless Club every Saturday online and in The Vancouver Sun. For more of what Jane’s up to, check out her website, janemacdougall.com

This week’s question for readers:

Question: Champagne? Love it or toss it?

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Send your answers by email text, not an attachment, in 100 words or less, along with your full name to Jane at thebooklessclub@gmail.com. We will print some next week in this space.

Last week’s question for readers:

Question: Is night driving made worse by the new headlights?

• I am delighted to hear that they are investigating the effects of the overly bright headlights on today’s vehicles. Although I try to avoid night-driving, especially in the rain, I have been blinded more than once by other drivers’ lights. Perhaps the best solution would be to have an “in city” setting as the street lights would supplement visibility adequately.

Krista Bedard

• Yes, yes, yes and yes again!

I am astounded that these blinding headlights were approved for use. While they provide greater visibility to the driver of the car using them, it has been my experience that they literally blind oncoming drivers. Maybe if the oncoming driver is sitting higher than the height of the headlights it may not be a problem. Otherwise, pray you will regain your sight instantly once the vehicle has passed. My feeling is they should be forbidden.

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Elizabeth Straforelli

• You didn’t mention the use of yellow-tinted eyeglasses. These are invaluable in reducing the effect of all bright lights. They’re cheap and very effective. I’ve been using a pair for years and have recommended them to many satisfied friends.

Jeff Laurie

• What dim person thought up this bright idea? Before your story of the bright lights, I was flashing my high beams at drivers who I thought had their high beams on. Then they flashed their high beams to further blind me. I am of an age when I am trying to avoid going toward the light. Maybe this is a way to see into the future? Two song lyrics come to mind, “Blinded by the light” and “I wear my sunglasses at night”. At least when these lights are behind me, I can adjust my rear-view mirror to dim their lights.

Rob Egan

• When I took my driver’s test, there was a rule on maximum candlepower for automobile headlights. Now, when facing the newer cars with their brightly glowing headlights on a dark rainy night, or any other night, the glare is temporarily blinding and potentially dangerous. It is even worse when inattentive drivers fail to dim their lights. If there is still a legal limit on candlepower, it should be enforced, or if not, appropriate legislation needs to be reinstated.

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Eric

• As an elderly woman, I have worn yellow glasses at night when driving for some years. These are now not sufficient. Yes, I look to the right, but now I cannot look ahead at traffic, shortening the time I have to react. The bright lights rob me of going out at night. The Burrard Street Bridge is dangerous at night, especially in the rain. At one time, I noticed everyone going into the middle lane, everyone seemed to be afraid of the barrier and less so of oncoming traffic although traffic was slow.

Margaretha Smits

• Night driving is totally dangerous and made worse by the new headlights. On roads that are not divided by a centre median, and with oncoming cars having bright blinding lights, it is inviting disaster on the road. Particularly, elderly people are worse off. There should be some government restriction imposed on automakers. There is absolutely no sense to have bright lights on autos.

Nanu Dastur

• My wife and I are so concerned about these new headlights that totally blind me especially when you’re driving on a two-way street. It’s like a torture light that is directed toward you while you’re in the driver’s seat. It gets worse when a huge 4×4 truck swallows your car with bright sharp headlights that I have to almost make a full stop to ensure I don’t end up in a ditch. These lights are definitely a hazard on the road. They should be banned.

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Tito Ocampo

• My cousin recommended yellow-tinted glasses for nighttime driving. Both my eye doctor and optometrist were mixed. I bought a pair, however, and I do believe they make a difference. They aren’t expensive, so worth a try.

Shirley Cohn

• Yes, headlights are too bright — way too bright, especially if you have had cataract surgery. Purchasing night-vision glasses from any drug store helps. As well, places like Canadian Tire have visors for both night vision and bright sunlight that will clip onto your visor. Not perfect, but necessary. Automakers should rethink headlights. Accidents can happen when headlights are too bright.

Val Barrett

• Everyone I talk to, ride with or drive with are blinded by these LED headlights. I have never known who to complain to: Motor Vehicle Department? Car manufacturers? ICBC? Who will listen? I can’t thank you enough for bringing this important issue to light. I have voiced my opinion before to our local newspaper, but wish we could really get a movement going to ban these. Night driving has become something we dread.

Caroline Duncan

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• I have seldom written to newspapers, but this one is a long-term bugbear for me. You nailed it. I have avoided night driving due to the blinding of oncoming headlights, made worse by being in a low-seated vehicle versus huge SUVs and jacked-up trucks. Headlights are frequently focused directly into my eyes on corners or curvy roads. Sometimes I flash my high-beams when this happens, thinking that driver had theirs on, only to be angrily flashed by them, doubling the pain. This is very dangerous and has to be acknowledged and addressed.

Richard Day

• HID and LED headlights are very bright, and I suspect the height that they are mounted on new vehicles, especially SUVs, is a problem. I have found that using a yellow filter clip-on to my eyeglasses diminishes the problem considerably without affecting my night vision. It seems the yellow filter takes out the blue light at the far end of the spectrum.

William Schmidt

• I think the government should take measures to limit the amount of light being put out and make stricter adherence to the proper use and adjustment of the lights. The other day, I rode my bike down a road toward a vehicle parked with its lights on that were so blinding I could hardly see where I was going. I went up to the driver and asked why he would not use his parking lights when he is stopped on the side of the road and he told me that the newer vehicles have no “city” or “parking“ lights, only full lights. This was a large pickup truck, which have high lights, much higher than most other vehicles.

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Besides the assumption that these brighter lights are some benefit to the drivers who have them, my smaller economical car has the conventional lights, and between high beam and low beam I usually have plenty of light for driving at night in all weather conditions. A lot of people don’t seem to care about others and are driving with high beams (or incorrectly adjusted lights) and it is getting worse all the time. It does not help for me to get bigger lights or turn on my high beams to disable the other drivers as that only doubles the problem.

John Williamson

• When I take my dog for our bedtime walk and we are confronted by a vehicle with high-intensity headlights, my eyeballs actually feel pain from the glare. Another factor is the number of headlights on a vehicle. Many large pickup trucks have a pair each of low- and high-beam lights, and fog lights. Six lights in total. Invariably all six lights are “on”. Motorists need to find the switches on their dashboard to turn off inappropriate lights. Finally, too many motorists drive with the high-beam headlights turned “on” while driving on urban streets illuminated with streetlights. I hate to think of the impact on my dog’s eyes (which are more in the beam of the light). So motorists, for my dog’s comfort, please turn down your lights at all times of the day.

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Derek Wilson

• There once was a time when driving with high beams near others was considered both rude and dangerous. Today, however, it has become a part of automotive design (and marketing — note the dazzling headlights in many car ads). You and I aren’t the only ones who object to this trend. If you browse the selection of replacement headlamps at an automotive supplier, you will find that many of them are marked “Legal only in Canada and Mexico.” Yes, even the U.S. government thinks things are getting out of hand.

When I drive at night, I flip my sun visor down to where it blocks oncoming headlights, but still lets me see the bottom part of the car I’m following. If the car behind me has overly bright lights, I adjust my side mirrors to give the driver a taste of his own medicine by reflecting his own lights back into his eyes. As a bonus, this also discourages tailgating.

Charlie Gibbs

• Besides the negative aspects of the new brighter headlights mentioned in your article, there is another. I’m probably not the only one who has reacted to meeting these lights by flashing or turning on my own high beams. Suddenly, we’ve got two vehicles approaching each other with both drivers blinded. The results can be everything from mild irritation to dangerous close calls to serious road rage. Night driving made worse? Absolutely.

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Jonathan Myers

• It was wonderful to see that someone has initiated an inquiry into the issue of safety while driving at night with the intensity of the blinding headlights coming toward you. The only thing that has helped me is purchasing “yellow lens glasses” which I wear when driving at night.

Josie Miachika

• An unequivocal yes. Driving at night has gone from a relatively benign experience to a harrowing nightmare as a result of these “improved“ headlights. This is especially true in the rain when the glare is so blinding that there have been times when I have had to come to a complete standstill. As a result, I drive as little as possible at night, and when I do, I search out boulevards to avoid the oncoming traffic.

Avrum Miller

• I’m so happy someone finally brought this up. The government should regulate car manufacturers’ standards on how bright the regular setting should be, and the high beams. The lights are so blinding, especially when driving in winter. All new cars these days are so bright it feels like they are driving with high beams on all the time.

Gina Botelho

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• After cataract surgery, I thought there would be an improvement in night driving. But not so. The glare from oncoming cars is horrendous, especially from new SUVs and popular electric cars. I read that in England a lot of seniors are giving up driving because of these new dazzling headlights. Unfortunately, car manufacturers don’t seem to care about this problem. My ophthalmologist suggested night-glare eyeglasses and they do help a little.

Sally Day

• Every time I see blinding LED headlights approaching, I start the self-talk to focus my eyes directly down on the road in front. As a safe driver, I should always be scanning the full roadway for whatever else is approaching on either side or up ahead. Not possible against oncoming glaring flares. Drivers using these awful headlights are road bullies, enhancing their own driving vision while blinding everyone else.

Janet McIntosh

• I’m 82 and have also complained that the bright lights make me want to close my eyes. So all of you out there who have these new lights, know that your fellow drivers are driving toward you with their eyes partially closed. This is a serious problem that federal and provincial regulators need to address. My other suggestion is the new EV cars that are being manufactured in Ontario should be required to consider softer headlights.

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Gerda Pyper

• The problem is less about beam intensity than beam projection distance and beam cut off. Current headlight laws are outdated and don’t allow for the fact that high-intensity lights can also be sharply cut off at a selected distance. Current legal distances are based on no-cut-off lights so too short for safe driving with modern lights. If you do the math on distance illuminated and stopping distance, most cars on the road are going way too fast for their headlights — so our increased driving speed also contributes to the issue. Secondly, auto-levelling, self-adjusting headlights are part of the problem and not the solution. Ideally, the right-hand beam should project further than the left-hand beam. This allows longer distance for the side of the road and reduces glare to oncoming drivers. Many modern cars do not allow headlight adjustments. A well-set-up car with headlights properly adjusted overcomes most of the issues you raised — I suggest testing a Porsche with their best headlight option at night.

Ron Foreman

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