TEA
Is there a difference in taste or health between the loose tea and the one that comes in bags?
A. Yes there is. In essence, bagged tea and loose tea are, in fact, tea, but because they are processed differently, the finished products taste different. While loose teas use rolled whole leaves, often called whole leaf teas, many tea bags are filled with machine-sliced leaves. These smaller pieces of leaf have less surface area to release the tea’s natural oils and flavors, creating a smoother cup. Some tea makers fill their bags with the leftover pieces of cut tea, called dusting or fanning, and this makes for a lower quality cup. Cut leaves also age faster, in a matter of months, compared to the two-year shelf life of whole-leaf tea.
Even bagged whole-leaf teas can taste different than the same leaves that are allowed to infuse freely in a teapot, because the bags can restrict the leaves from unsealing and fully releasing their flavor. That’s not to say that bagged tea should be avoided: selecting a tea depends on the flavor you’re looking for, the level of artistry you’re interested in, and convenience. I use leaves and strainer for my teas.
BOOKING
Are the wines that have the word reserve or reserve of better quality, guaranteed?
A. For the most part, the term “reserve” has no real (or legal) meaning and is simply a marketing tool. Some wineries shelve some of their best vintages, perhaps treat it with more expensive oak, add some gold leaf to the label, and call it a reserve (and charge more). Other wineries put the word on every wine they produce. Wine drinkers, they believe, are fools.
There are exceptions, especially in Europe. The term “reserva” on a bottle from Spain or Portugal, or “riserva” from Italy, indicates a wine made under a particular set of regulatory parameters, referring primarily to the time it spent in barrels before release.
And the Washington (state) Wine Quality Alliance, a voluntary and autonomous group of a couple dozen producers, has declared that “reserve” has to mean something. For a member winery to call a wine a “reserve,” it means that only 3,000 cases or 10 percent (whichever is greater) of a winery’s production can be labeled as such.
BALANCE
More or less, how long is it that we would be expected to maintain our balance, according to our age?
A. Research on this issue of room for balance shows that it begins to decline once you reach middle age, around age 50. In one study, for example, adults in their 50s were able to balance on one foot for 45 seconds. Adults in their 70s were able to hold that balance for 28 seconds, and people in their 80s and older could only manage the balance test for less than 12 seconds.
These are very general measurements, but they can give you a point of comparison to see how you are doing, relative to your age.
