Wine Thread - Sort'A Started by Hunt

John,

I'm a big fan of well-made Chenins. Now, I have not found that many domestic examples that did much for me. The exception is not really a pure Chenin, as it has a fair amount of Viognier - the Pine Ridge Chenin-Viognier. I find this to be a balanced wine and great for just sipping at an early hour, or with lighter foods. I am a big fan of Savennières, though there are many producers in Vouvray, that I also enjoy.

I've not had the Ch. Souverain Chard in some time, but recall that I enjoyed it. With this varietal, my tastes run across the board from big, buttery fruit-bombs, to light, stone dry Chablis. For me, this is a great varietal, because of its versitility in the right hands. The food, or the occasion, usually dictates where I'll head for my Chard. With general foods, FR is my go-to, though some producers, like Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat do some nice lighter Burgundian domestics, especially from the Bien Nacido vineyard. Just had one that was new to me, the Domaine Serene Côte Sud Vineyard Willamette Valley Chard. This was one of the most interesting domestic Chards that I've encountered recently. Though I know Domaine Serene from their PN's, I really have not had any of their, or even many Willamette Valley Chards. I'm ordering a case of this guy. It's not an everyday Chard, but interesting enough to get 12 btls. for the cellar.

For PN's (especially if you do not go for the ligher styles), give the Santa Rita Hills, Central Coast and Santa Barbara PN's from producers like Brewer-Clifton, Sea Smoke and Melville. These are some killer, albeit heavier PN's. Great concentration, but well-balanced. They are a tad higher in ABV, but still balanced. Again, I love PN's that range totally across the board, so long as they are well-made and keep true to their style. While I love my DRC's (when someone else is picking up the tab), I can enjoy a big, bold domestic PN too.

As for the Cinq Cepages, you might want to crack one bottle now. I still have two of the '96, but have been a tad disappointed in the longevity of some of the later vintages. They were still hanging in there, but were starting to fade. All of my '98s are gone, and I'm doing in my '99s and '00s now. Great wines, but I've just been a bit let down with how they have aged. I'd hate for you to hold onto the '96s for a half-decade, only to find them a shell of the WS Wine of the Year. Three years ago, I included the '96 in a "Meritage vs Bordeaux" tasting, and the Cinq Cepages ended up in about 5th place behind the '02 Insignia (WS Wine of the Year too), the '85 Ridge Montbello, the '92 Dominus Estate and the '90 Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou.

I'll do my best to look into the wines that you mention (obviously, the '97 Ch. Souverain is pretty much out of the question), and see what I think of them. I must add that when a sommelier, or a "fan" asks what I like in a wine, I answer, "anything from a well-made Alvarhino to a well-made Zinfandel and everything in between... "

Hunt

John,

Where are you located? Maybe I can get some recs. from other winos on your area. I have some contacts in the US distribution networks, and they know the various markets. Maybe we'll get lucky?

Here in AZ, where prices are not that good to begin with, the Pine Ridge is usually at the US$9.50 to $10.50 range.

Depending on which single vineyard Melville, or Brewer-Clifton you get, they run from about US$40 to $80. Sea Smoke Southing Vineyard is about US$50, but the Ten can run up there. Both are great, but not inexpensive. I also like the Whitcraft PN's. They are fairly priced, but tough to find. Many are locally allocated in the Central Coast area of CA, and most never get to AZ, even though we are just "down the road."

For a fun little CA PN, I like the Acacia. At Costco (Western US, but expanding), I normally pay ~ US$25.00. It's good young, and can age well for about 5 years. It is very food-friendly, though is less concentrated than the others mentioned. I have yet to find a really enjoyable PN for much less. It's a tough grape to grow and then to vinify.

For most of my online purchases, I use K&L Wines and deal with Ralph Sands in the Redwood City store.

Hunt

There can't be only two wine snobs here, can there? So I'll jump in, although I have to admit I am sort of a cheap snob in that anything over $20 is a very special event in our family.

Still, I do have some favorites, and Washington State wines are among them. Gewurz wines from Washington are quite good, almost as good as from Alsace, which I prefer to those from Germany. In Washington the gewurzes from Covey Run, Canoe Ridge and Chateau Ste. Michelle come to mind.

Also, whenever we go north of the border I've found Canadian wines can be surprisingly nice. The Mike Weir cab/merlot blend is quite good, as is the Sauvignon Blanc.

Finally, although I may be rejected from the snob list for what I am about to say, I've found the fruit wines of mid-Coast Maine to be astonishingly good. Blueberry and pear are my favorite of these for red and white. Contrary to what I first expected they are not at all sweet, actually quite dry. There is just a hint of the fruit taste, enough to get your attention without interfering with whatever you happen to be pairing the wine with. I really like red wine with dark chocolate, and the blueberry adds a interesting twist. There, i said it and I'm glad.

Plum wine -- sounds good. We do have wine grapes growing in the yard. My wife puts her sour dough starter under them to catch the natural yeast, but I've never tried making my own wine. I did make beer for a few years, and enjoyed that very much. Now, with a local mini-brewery making a dozen different beers, I've given that up.

Had one with dinner last night... at 13 years old this is NOT a happy teenager! I've had better Cab's for half the price.

I understand completely. The Cinq Cepages is a very, very nice wine in youth, and with a couple of years on it. I've had most vintages, since its introduction, prior to the WS Wine of the Year award, and have followed most fairly closely. I have mounted an effort to tap deeply into my collection, hoping to catch most as they peak - a bit early for such a prestigious wine.

Now, I like most well-made Cabs and Cab blends with some years. Even some bigger Merlots hold up well, both US and FR. Still, the Ch. St. Jean just does not age all that well. Did not want you to have a bad surprise.

If you have a Costco, you should have the Acacia. They do two, Central Coast and Beckstoffer Vineyard. The CC is the bargain in my book. The Beckstoffer is fairly priced, but does not really offer that much more, at twice the price.

Good luck, and I'll beat the bushes to see if any of my sources have recs. on good wine shops in your area.

Hunt

Jerry.K,

Welcome to the thread.

While I do admit to spending more of my budget on wine, than many, our "house white" is a US$19.98 blend.

We do not really have a "house red," but that Acacia PN that I mentioned is usually around US$25 at Costco. For the bucks, it is the best that I have found. Now, along the lines of WA and OR, there are some good PN's from both, and the price is good for many. The style is a bit lighter, in general, though these are still great wines and good for the $.

I've never had any Canadians, except for some late-harvest and icewines from the Eastern Provences. In all of those cases, I found them to be rather one-dimensional. Now, I only tasted the portfolios of a couple of importers, but did so at 3 different events over several years. I just probably missed some really good ones.

For the more common GR varietals, I am usually more a fan of the GR, or FR (Alsace) versions, but that's just me.

Thanks for the comments,

Hunt

Hi Hunt --

Whenever we visit a region or another country we try to taste the local wines produced there. Whether in Virginia, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Alsace, Canada or almost anywhere, we've found wines that are drinkable and often quite good. Plus, in a restaurant or a wine shop, the locals are more likely to know what they are talking about when discussing local wines.

I do prefer the Oregon PNs over California products, and even over what's available here at a reasonable price from Burgandy. But I've been tending more toward Cabs lately. There is not so much variation among the cab grapes from different regions, compared to the very wide differences among pinot grapes. So, whenver I see an unfamiliar red wine, which is quite often nowadays, I feel safer going for the cab than the PN.

Jerry.K,

We do the same thing. I've had wines from TN, NC, VA, AZ, TX, CO, NM, MS, LA, as well as most of the more "popular" locations. Yes, there has been lots of plonk, but some real gems in there too. Just had a CO Cab Franc with some good friends. It was one of the higher-end wineries on the Western Slope. I had the remainder of a case, that I cellared for almost 10 years, and finished it off recently with friends, who had toured that winery with us, back when we lived in CO.

One of the better sparklers, that I have had, is from NM. We buy quite a few really, really good AZ wines, as odd as that sounds. TX also surprised me, as the areas around the Big Bend do produce some really good wines in the right hands.

As for price vs quality, I do have a difficult time finding good wines below a certain price-point. Though the scale slides by varietal, a very good Chard under about US$10 is hard to find. Same for PN's under about US$20. Now, I have had a great Cab-blend at US$13, so that is my one super "find." BTW - Glen Carlou Grand Classique from South Africa. Sauvignon Blanc is about the only "value" wine that I have enjoyed much below that varietal's "median" price, though some of those are pretty bleak.

Heading off to Sonoma next week for a big wine event. We'll be doing a VIP tour of several producers there. One is a new, big PN producer (his 60th birthday), and many of his neighbors and friends do some nice PN's too, like Williams Selyem. One of the original principal's daughter did her wines from his vineyard for some years. I'll keep my eyes open for some big, bold PN's for this thread, especially if some are at a good price-point.

Cheers,

Hunt

Wow, the Acacia for less than US$20! That is a deal in my book. I've had the "A," but was less than impressed. I would not put that one into my stock.

I also hit when the Wine Steward was on duty, and she also likes a BOLD Pinot, so pointed me at a Beringer Central Coast 2006 for $11 which I have open now...

I have not had this one, but do like many of the Beringer-Blass wines. Yes, they produce thousands of gallons of plonk, but one of my favorite domestic Merlots, their Howell Mtn. Bancroft Ranch, is great. I rate it in the top 5 US Merlots, and up there with some of the best Merlot-based Bdx. wines. Even in "bad years," this is a wonderful wine and a great example of what Merlot can be, in the right hands. [Dan Duckhorn's Napa is another such example.]

Please let me know about this one. Though I try to keep an ear to the ground, I cannot keep up with them all. Every time I travel to the Central Coast/Montery/Santa Barbara, there are new guys and gals doing great PN's and Chards. Cannot keep up!

Back in the good-ole-days, I could do the WS Grand Tasting, plus a few ZAP events, and the requisite number of tastings and dinners and have a good idea of what was out there. Not so any more. Now, I feel like a wine newbie, as there seem to be new producers monthly.

Picking up my 3 cases of mixed Brewer-Cliftons on Friday. Gotta' order my Biale and Turley Zins this week. Heck, gotta' get my order in for Diamond Creek Cabs. Too many wines, and too little time.

Thanks for starting this thread,

Hunt

I am a fan of all of the Melvilles. The Santa Barbara is a nice PN. It is normally a tad less concentrated, than is the Santa Rita, but good none the less. I think that the Santa Barbara is better than the Acacia, with more black fruit and a tighter structure. That is a good price from K&L. I need to call "Uncle Ralph," and get some shipped in, when the heat abates here.

Thanks for the tip,

Hunt

I love ahi with a bigger PN. Salmon is nice too, but I tend to head to OR/WA, or FR, for PN's with it. Much probably depends on the exact prep. We do a lot of "plank" cooking, and my wife has some great rubs and coatings. If we choose one of the spicer rubs, then the fruit in a Melville will work well. I would omit her maple drizzle on that one though.

Good luck, and let us know what you go with,

Hunt

I'm headed off to a couple of events in/around Healdsburg. The host of one is a new PN producer. I've followed his wines, since he started and they are great. I'll give you a report, when I return. BTW - in many years he's done a killer Chard too.

We hope to sample a bunch of his neighbor's wines, while there too.

Back after the weekend,

Hunt

Regarding the LH Gewertz, with wines like this, vintage can make a world of difference. The same goes of icewine (Eiswein in GR). The temps, the hang time, and several other factors can play a very big role in the individual wines.

Regarding the Beringer, we're not going to get over to Napa, as all events are in Sonoma, just miles from our hotel. However, I will keep my eyes out for this one. I've done a lot of events with the Beringer folk (before Beringer-Blass), but have never been to the winery. Now, I do hang out next door at the St. Clement winery (now part of Beringer-Blass). Great wines, that are not often seen, and wonderful tasting room staff. I try to hit them on foggy, cold, rainy mornings, when I can spend a few hours actually talking. After a few moments, all sorts of "library" wines seem to find their way up from the cellar and onto the tasting room counter. That indicates to me that they really care.

Though most people decry the costs of tastings in Napa, I have never paid for a one, regardless of the wines poured. My AMEX card is on the counter, and I seldom buy from the wineries, unless I cannot get them in AZ (or I want a nice bottle for that night). Every tasting has been gratis. Maybe it's because I really care about their wines, and want to learn as much as I can, or maybe I have a "tell-tale scar" that I am not aware of. Actually, Sonoma is the only area that I have been charged for tastings, and also the only AVA that I have had issues with. Amador, Sierra Foothills, Napa, Santa Cruz, Livermore, Temecula, Central Coast/Santa Barbara - never any charge, regardless of what the sign over the counter says.

This time I am a guest of several wine makers, but the AMEX card will still be handy - just in case.

Thanks for the tip on the Beringer PN. Gotta' find it and try it.

Hunt

John,

Fifty-five F is ideal for personal, long-term consumption. If one is investing, and hope to sell at a high profit maybe 20 years down the line, then 45F might be better. That is for investment, and not for personal consumption.

I'll check out our Safeway here, and also look to a few other sources, just to try this one.

Hunt

John,

Just got back from Sonoma. Lot of fun and some great wines.

Along the PN front, I will strongly recommend the Benovia Cohn Pinot Noir. It is not a "budget" wine, but worth the $. I upped my allocation 2x (had to wheel and deal), just for this one.

Most of our tastings were other varietals, as we were up valley a bit for most of them. I ended up with about 16 cases, and I have no clue where I'll store these, as my 3700 btl. cellar is now up to about 5500 btls. Still, these were all great wines.

I also made several contacts with folk, who have some of the same philanthropic interests, that I do. Three offered their wines for some of my charities. One cannot ask for more than that. One even offered a trip to their vineyard, accommodations for two couples on site, plus a full dinner and VIP tasting of all of their wines, plus autographed magnums! I can see this one as an auction item. I'll try to dove-tail it with one of our hosts' jets to get the travel from PHX to Sonoma.

Did not get as many PN's, as I had anticipated, but then there were so many other great wines, and generous folk.

Great time, and now I have to "drink down" that cellar...

Hunt

Seems there is a "sea of unsold wine" in Europe, and some American companies are buying "raw" wine in bulk (I wonder how well they clean the oil tanker before filling it with raw wine? <grin>) and putting the finishing touches in oak barrels here.

This has happened many times in the past. It's the original basis for the negotiant system in FR, along with the "co-op" aspect.

Bronco Wines has been doing similar for some years with their $2 Chuck (and others).

In the US, there are several ATF laws, that would preclude directly putting FR wine, regardless of any domestic treatment, and still using any US AVA designations, such as California, Napa, etc. What usually happens is that a winery will come up with a new lable, name and designation for the wine. Some will list the country of origin, but some might skirt that with a proprietary name, with the country being in the "fine print."

Going to Safeway this PM, and will report.

Hunt

Well, my smaller, local Safeway did not have it, but we've got some larger stores near by.

We also have several stores like Total Wine and BevMor, but have been to neither. This is mainly based on their advertising, which features a lot of "plonk," IMHO. However, maybe it's time to get by and see just what they DO have. The "sale" price is not that big an issue. I just want to taste this wine, based on your recs. Now, I do not mind if it IS on sale, but that ain't the deal breaker. I'm always on the lookout for good PN's.

Just scored a case of '06 (mixed vineyards) Brewer-Clifton and will be picking it up on Sat. This was wine set aside for a tasting by the distributor, but it got cancled, so they had this wine in stock and well-stored. If my records are correct, I should now have a 3 year vertical on a few of these vineyards, so it'll be time for a tasting dinner!

BTW, did I mention Whitcraft PN's up thread? They are rare, but really fairly priced, compared to the Brewer-Clifton and Melville, and have great body. If you can find them, give them a try too.

Well, it's officially wine-thirty, so I'm off to the wine fridge upstairs to see what this evening holds for me.

Hunt

OK, wife found Beringer PN's at another Safeway, across town. Both were on sale, but I do not have the price that she paid.

The first was the Beringer Third Century Central Coast '06 Pinot Noir with a large gold "III" above the Beringer label. The other is the Beringer Napa Valley '06 Pinot Noir.

I'm tasting the Third Century CC PN '06 now, and will report on it first. Unfortunately, I just finished off a Brewer-Clifton Melville '07 from last night. I am trying to clear impressions of that, obviously "bigger" PN, to give a fair evaluation of this PN.

Will look to the other Beringer, the Napa, later.

Hunt

Beringer, Third Century, Central Coast [California] ‘06 Pinot Noir.

Interesting label, with a largish gold "III" above the Beringer name. There is a circular sticker, with "Ten Time Winery of the Year." This appears to have been added, as it does not look like it is integral to the actual label.

Medium garnet in color, and free of any cloudiness, the wine appears to be of a medium weight.. There is a small, clear meniscus around the rim.

The first impression is a tiny bit of "barnyard" on the nose. I’d guess that there was a hint of Bret in this wine, whether natural, or introduced for a more "Burgundian" flavor. Note was made of Burgundy on the back of the bottle. This barnyard blows off after a few moments, and is now absent. Now, I am getting light chocolate (milk), and maybe some raspberry, or a light cherry.

On the palate, the taste is light cherry, with a hint of spice. I cannot define the spices, but have found a hint of star anise. There are some other spice elements, but I cannot pull them out.

The wine is slightly on the lower end of "medium-bodied," and the finish is rather short. The mouthfeel is to the lighter side, but this is not bad, in any way. It’s just not as "chewy," as many more heavily extracted PN’s, especially some of the other Central Coast/Monterey/Santa Barbara wines. Though an ‘06, there were still some light tannins. These were felt, rather than tasted. This is akin to licking an oak spoon. You do not notice it at first, but then your tongue and upper palate, plus the inside of you lips, feel a bit like damp felt. I would guess that this wine spent some time in new French oak, but the "liner notes" do not talk about such. The oak aspect is feel only, as it does not seem present on either the nose, or the taste.

I see no reference to malolactic fermentation, but the sharper acid (malic) seem to be down a bit. I’d guess about 25% ML, but could be wrong. Some of the bigger PN’s from this area undergo

more heavily applied ML, and they display a creamy (lactic acid) mouthfeel and finish.

Rather than Burgundian, I’d have typified this as an example of OR PN’s of the normal style - not the newer heavily-extracted style.

This is a nice wine, and would probably go well with salmon, provided that one did not go too heavily on the smoke, or any sauces. With the cherry aspect and also the slight anise, I’d guess that a lighter dill sauce would work well too.

I could also see this as an evening "sipper."

Tasted in a Riedel Vinum Burgundy balloon, at about 65 F.

Hunt

Beringer, Napa Valley [California] ‘06 Pinot Noir.

There is the most minuscule amount of "barnyard" on the nose. I am getting slightly stewed prunes and darker cherry on the nose.

This wine is a more concentrated darker red, with only a hint of a clear meniscus at the rim. This is a darker wine, than the Third Generation. The nose, and the first taste belie that it is more heavily extracted, or from riper fruit.

The mouthfeel is medium weight, and the finish is longer, though my wife tells me that this is the more-expensive of the two.

I get more dark fruit, such as plum and darker cherry, plus maybe a hint of blackberry. There is no spice, and I am getting fewer tannins, than on the other Beringer PN. I’d give this one about 50% ML fermentation, but that is a guess.

In general terms, this is a "bigger" PN. It’s a tad single-dimensional wine, but still fun. I’d pair it with smokier salmon, and maybe even a maple glaze, which is a fav. around our house, especially done on a cedar plank.

For the price, about US$22 on sale, this is one of the best examples of the PN grape, that I have had. It does fall short of some Santa Rita Hills, and other close-by properties PN’s, but it’s quite good. I’d definitely drink this one in a heartbeat. It does not have the fruit-forward characteristic of the Acacia, but is more like that wine with about 5 years on it.

My wife tells me that this one would be about US $15, were one to buy 6 btls.

Again, this wine was tasted in a Riedel Burg balloon.

My wife actually says that given the price differential between this wine, and the Brewer-Clifton Melville, she’d likely go with this wine. Considering that I just got my allocation of Brewer-Clifton, I do not know how to take this input. I think that she'll be heading back to Safeway and getting a case, to get the best possible price. Hey, for me, it's a win-win situation.

Going back to the Brewer-Clifton Melville, just to qualify a US $40-50 PN vs this Beringer wine, as a bit less than half the price.

Thanks to John for the rec.

Hunt

Hunt:

Enjoyed reading about your wine recommendations. My wife and I enjoy a glass or two on most nights. My knowledge of wine quality is limited to buying what I personally like and avoiding anything with a screw top.

We have a vineyard here in Georgia about an hour from my home called Chateau Elan. Nice place and I think their wine is pretty good:

Chateau Elan

Charles,

Wine is for enjoyment, regardless of what some critics seem to think by their writings. It's only about what one enjoys. I love older Bdx, and Burgs, and my wife likes 'em better in their youth. No problem, so long as she doesn't drink them ALL, before they get some years on them...

Now, as to the screwcap - things are changing and pretty rapidly. There is a potential problem with wines under cork. A bacterial interaction can take place and ruin the wine. The terms used most often are "corked," and "TCA-tainted," referring to the chemicals produced by this interaction. In really general terms, TCA-taint strips out much of the fruit flavors in the wine, raises the acid levels and yields a "musty" smell and taste. I typify this as smelling like a damp, musty hymnal. The smell of mildew in New Orleans is not too far off, though this is a bit sharper. Some people cannot detect this, though they do usually find something objectionable in the wine. That is usually the loss of the fruit and the higher than normal acids. I can often smell TCA from a waiter carrying a glass of wine, behind my back. My wife is also very sensitive to it. Others, well not so much.

Now, vintners have been working for centuries on other forms of closure. Almost everything has been tried. Recently, a few companies, Stelvin being one, have come up with a screwcap that does some of the good things that corks do, but are impervious to TCA. More wineries are bottling under Stelvin, or similar, and many are replacing cork altogether. Don't be surprised to see more good wines under Stelvin.

Now, I'm an old traditinalist. I like the cork, and the ceremony involved in its extraction. However, I am finding many more good wines under a screwcap. It's not quite as much fun, but I have to admit that I have never had a TCA tainted bottle, when a screwcap was employed. With cork, the figure is between 4 and 10% of all bottles will have some level of TCA contamination.

Caymus produces a white blend, Conundrum. It is our "house white." Under cork, we were returning about 1 btl./case. That's ~8% and falls on the higer side of that earlier stated figure. They went to Stelvin in about 2000. I have not had one bad bottle, since they did.

Though I still love my corks, I worry about some of those wonderful bottles in my cellar. Most retailers will accept returns, as they will be covered by the distributor, who then gets credit from the winery. In my case, I just cannot image finding a receipt for a bottle of wine bought in 1985, and cellared properly, that is corked! Ain't gonna' happen. Fortunately, I've only found two rare older wines with TCA. Still, the odds are against me.

I've heard of Ch. Elan, but have never had their wines. We vacation up in the Smokies fairly often, so maybe we can make it down for a tasting.

Thanks,

Hunt

Bill

Sorry to jump threads, but you will understand, you mentioned Tattinger's Champers in another post. Well let me tell you that is a great Champagne, as you know. As well as Moet Chandon, Bollingers ...................etc. I must confess I am a great lover of fine wines, but your knowledge does intimidate me somewhat. Your cellar far exceeds mine; well my cellar is not so much a cellar, more of a cupboard, containing 5 or 6 bottles at a time.

The description of the good old "screw top" up post is brilliant, well written (of course), but also, so well informed. OK, I'm away to sample some Plymouth Gin, with lime and a lot of ice, topped up with as much tonic as will fit in the glass.   Well, it is that time of evening here.

John

you will understand, you mentioned Tattinger's Champers in another post. Well let me tell you that is a great Champagne, as you know. As well as Moet Chandon, Bollingers ...................etc.

While I do enjoy my Champagne, I have to admit that I like the yeasty offerings, such as Tattinger's, and also Veuve Clicquot Ponsardine Yellow Lable (it looks orange to me, but what do I know - I am from Mississippi), and a bit less so, for some highly vaunted offerings of a lighter style, like the Veuve Le Grand Dame, regardless of the price differential. I like the "toast," and the yeast, and appreciate a clean version of these aspects. Many years ago, we did a vertical of the Bollinger RD Champagnes. They were great, but I have to admit that many were lost on me. Luckily, my wife is a real bubbly freak, and she held my hand through this. While I enjoyed it, I have to admit that some was lost on my palate, but that is wine.

must confess I am a great lover of fine wines, but your knowledge does intimidate me somewhat.

Bite your tongue. Remember, I am from Mississippi, hardly a bastion of fine wines. However, immediately post-Katrina, my brother in Gulfport, had walked down to the beach, just 4 blocks south of his home, to see the damage. He encountered a man, who was digging in the ruined foundation of his home, right on the waterfront. The man was crying and loading a wheelbarrow with fine Bordeaux wines, from his ruined wine cellar. My brother stopped to help him, though he did not know him. They dug out many cases of wines, and carted them to the man's station wagon. He was trying to save these and was taking them to a friend's cellar up north. They worked, side-by-side for hours, and my brother made some mental notes. When all of the bottles, that they could find, were retrieved, my brother left for a walk home. He shared some of the labels and the dates, and he'd handled about US$10,000 in wine that day. The man left, still in tears, for his friend's cellar. What a shame! A good friend on the Coast lost over $200,000 in rare Bordeaux, though he had his family, and his life, so all was not lost.

My cellar, though overflowing, is minimal to most other's. Also, I have no children to leave it to, so my hope is to drink all but one bottle in my lifetime. I then hope that my wife and my wino friends will drink that last bottle as a tribute to me... Then she can sell the home to a nice Mormon family and claim that that room is a food storage facility, that has a temp control unit, plus a backup.

Now, if I could only stop finding great wines, that I must drink, and just empty that cellar!!!!

In the end, it's all about one's enjoyment and I happen to be a hedionist to the Nth degree.

Enjoy,

Hunt