Love in a Clear Bottle Heads the List...

Liquid love in a clear bottle was consumed a few days ago in the form of 2007 Aveleda Vinho Verde Grinalda Reserva, a seriously delicious wine for the heat that just recently broke. At a non-mind boggling 11.5% alc, I damn near killed this one off on my own. Just really refreshing Louiero, Trajadura and Alvarinho from a winery with a long history that is cheap and lovely, one of my favorite combinations. Perfection with tilapia simply prepared with a squeeze of lemon...

Ahh, now that the reds from Joseph Roty have hit, what more can I say about the 2006 Joseph Roty Bourgogne Cuvee de Pressonier, it has exceeded my expectations from tasting it at the cellars of Roty in January. The vines are located in Gevrey Chambertin; part of them village level and part Bourgogne. But this is about as tasty a bottle of value Gevrey (it really drinks like village) you'll see and its a perfect indicator of just how good the 2006 reds are. If you don't buy some 2006 Red Burgs, you may be kicking yourself down the road...same as those who poo-poo'd the 2001 vintage. I won't discuss the other reds from Roty, as I don't want anyone buying them. There ain't much left and I sleep better at night knowing that they are still here!

JCB the 4th

A Digression..

Just a quick post to say that I made my debut on guitar this past weekend. Despite performing on stage as a vocalist for 20 (that's right, I said 20 for those not familiar with "Rock-n-Roll Joe") years, I haven't felt nerves like this since I first became a man at the not so tender age of 16. Talk about performance anxiety!

The show went off without a hitch, or at least that is the report that I have been given. And while my performance at 16 was way, way shorter, this one was pretty gratifying. I took guitar lessons as a 12 year old for about a year. But when my teacher insisted on showing me scales rather than how to play "Strutter" from Kiss, my enthusiasm waned. Fast forward to this past January and I made myself three tiny resolutions for the new year: learn French, drink more Italian reds this year (check) and pick up the guitar. Since my 11 year old son, Isaiah, has been playing for a year and a half now, I have been inspired to do the same. Every time he'd came over, I'd pick up his guitar and noodle around. In February, I bought a Fender Telecaster (Burgundy colored of course) and started hacking away. And now "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" will always have a special place in my heart. Just like that first time...

JCB the 4th

Viva Italia! - The "Grown Folks Zone"

Without question, the one place in the world of wine that use to mean nothing to me was the wines of Italy. I'll chalk it up to one part ignorance, and two parts immaturity. While I'm still pretty immature in some ways, (like my love for peanut butter & jelly sandwiches on wheat bread) when it comes to Italian wines, I have come into the "grown folks zone". By that, I mean the period when you wise up, and learn that its not all about T & A. And that a little age isn't necessarily a bad thing. Kinda like the difference between Justin Timberlake "Sexy Back" and Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On". Need I say more?

Italian wines always struck me as hard and fruit-less when I was a littler in the wine world. These days, I drink them more than wines from any other country and that includes my beloved France or more specifically, Burgundy. The value can be staggering. I'm in love with little Dolcetto's with pizza, Barbera's with pork and Chianti Classico with Bolognese. And let's not forget the whites, like Verdicchio and Pigato, San Zuan and Vermentino, perfect for quaffing and superb with seafood. In the land of a thousand grapes, the list is endless.

Sometimes patience is required for the more noble wines like Barolo and Brunello to come into their own. But isn't that what being a "grown folk" is all about? Wisdom, patience, knowledge, understanding...

Dim the lights, and let's put on some Marvin, cook up some pasta and open a bottle of Bonarda from Oltrepo Pavese. Who says getting older isn't fun?

JCB the 4th

Sweatin' the Small Stuff

Happy Easter! My apologies for the long delay between posts. Life intervenes times a slight malaise equals no output. Which brings us to this holiday thought...

I try to make it a point of never forgetting about the inexpensive wine. If you are a 56 devotee,(which I hope you are if you're reading this) you know we call these Cellar Defenders. It describes the wine equivelent of a "defense" against constantly raiding ones cellar and consuming all the collectibles at breakneck speed. I am often guilty of not having Cellar Defenders handy, but sometimes it's a joy to be "forced" into opening something special at a not-so-special moment. It can make a night.

So as I enjoyed my Easter dinner at my fathers house, without wine, I returned to my Montclair lair and opened a bottle of 2005 Chateau Lauriol Cotes de Francs made by the Stephane Derononcourt and the Thienpont family of Vieux Chateau Certan and Le Pin fame. This wine is so delicious, that it re-affirms my faith in inexpensive wine. Not that my faith has ever waivered but everyone needs afirmation. God bless drinkable, juicy Bordeaux that is less than $20. So drinkable that it doesn't even require food right now. It's that lovable.

I went to dinner at Culinariane in Montclair on Thursday Night with one of our clients. I brought a 1996 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Les Taillepieds 1er cru that was about as pure a wine as you'll ever encounter. I was in ecstasy. I'm getting NEARLY as much joy from this little Cotes de Francs tonight. The former wine is about $100 and the latter is $19.50. Value is alive and well people! Ya gotta just know where to look.

JCB the 4th

Need Further Proof? Please Meet Bert...

In the very first post of my blog, I documented the psychic abilities of my Ipod. For lack of a better name, let's call him Bert. I dunno why, it just seems to fit. Like a laser beam from a starship, his intuition to selecting musical accompaniment to wines is uncanny. Bert knows when to show restraint, when to pounce and when to surf the middle ground like a champion. So it was with great anticipation that I put Bert through the paces at an industry tasting this week. The excitement was fevered!


I entered Cru, a bastion of colossal wines with equally colossal prices as it was the site of the Liz Willette tasting. Liz is a wonderful lady and I'm told her company began when one of her best friends married Jean Louis Chave. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Regardless, her palate and stable of producers are very fine indeed. I walked up to my sales rep and personal wine god, Doug, to sample a bit of White Burgundy. While the wines didn't "wow" me at first, I did notice Bert shift into overdrive as I sipped the Vincent Mothe Chablis Bougros Grand Cru, diving into Queen's "Barcelona". Of course, it would be an obvious choice for something from Catalan... a Priorat perhaps, but the majesty of Freddie Mercury and the layers the musical tapestry create are perfection with Grand Cru Chablis. Yes, I sense this will be a good day.

Sliding over to Kellen Lignier, the now winemaker/proprietor of Lucie et Auguste Lignier, I delved into a few offerings of the domaine, and some with a bit of bottle age. Like clockwork, Bert changed the game with Jay-Z's "30 Something". Let's face it...thirty's the new 20 and 40 is definitely the new 30. This 40 yr old still feels vibrant, just like Kellen's 2002 Gevrey Chambertin. Smokin'!

One more pitstop at the Champagne table brought new jams. The NV Le Brun Servenay Brut Selection was mesmerizing and sassy, so I felt Bert's selection of Kelis' "Milkshake" an intriguing choice. An enticing bubbly for an enticing song...just makes you wanna go nuts. And I think that was his intention all along, that rascal!

JCB the 4th

I'm Jazzed About...

These have all been tasted in the last few days and are wicked good, hella-tasty and stupid-fresh!

2004 Kientzler Riesling Gaisberg Grand Cru - We haven't seen hide nor hare of this wine in over a year and I'm yearning for the measly 3 cases to arrive next week. Riddiculously wonderful Alsatian Riesling that is textured, fine and precise.

2006 Yves Cuilleron Condrieu "Vertige" - Someone told me that Cuilleron's Condrieu Vertige is oaky. I beg to differ. This wine is lithe and mineral and really doesn't display a trace of oak. It's so long on the palate, it could block Kobe Bryant driving through the lane. A dynamic, soaring Viognier that is a great wine, period! I adored it.

2007 Vaona Valpolicella Classico - You pour this into a glass and think its light color is going to lead to a thin, flavorless wine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Opened and consumed over 3 days (I know, shameful...I'm sorry) this is Pinot Noir-ish in its ethereal-ness. Just gets better with more air. This can't be beat for just $17.

2004 Ada Nada Barbaresco "Elisa" - Can someone please not buy all of this so fast? I didn't even get a bottle of the 2001! Superb Nebbiolo in the most classic sense with all the rusticity I love and just enough ripe, forward fruit to satisfy those with a more New World palate. An absolute steal for $42! 56 followers, this offering is coming on Monday.

1998 Joseph Roty Gevrey Chambertin La Brunelle - If there is something more beautiful than ready to drink, perfectly aged Burgundy, I suppose I have not really lived up until this point. Soft fragrant, strawberry, spice, saddle leather, incense and love. Sorry, we sold out of this eons ago but the good news is the 2006's are coming in April (I tasted them all at Roty's cellars) and with a little patience, they'll be as divine as this 1998. Lovely wine and thanks for opening it, Nita!

Drink something good this weekend, people...

JCB the 4th

Pha-Pha-Phooey! The Problem with Wine Ratings...

Shout out to Howard, one of my heroes...

Ah, wine ratings, they make the whole wine world go round. Or do they?

There is no denying the power and influence of the wine press on the drinking habits of the populus. The Honorable Chris Cree tells us that there was once a time when wine merchants tasted and bought what they liked, and didn't have to purchase a palate of shlock to get a case of something highly regarded. Must have been before I was born. I recall a distributor telling me that unfortunately, in order to have the "privilige" of purchasing some fairly well regarded Burgundies, I would need to order 10 cases of a $100 per bottle California Cabernet that is quite honestly, pedestrian at best. I wonder if that hard working Burgundian farmer knows that is the way the game is played in NJ?

But back to the numbers. No doubt that if one lived in a non-cosmopolitan area where pickins are slim, a guide to what is good in wine can be helpful. I also can appreciate Robert Parker's palate. While very different from my own, his is consistently accurate in the sense that the wines he loves have a common thread and if you like the style, he's an excellent barometer. My problem lies with wine merchants who are either inexperienced, under-educated or just flat out too damn lazy to get out there and decide for themselves. When did wine shops just decide to hang a WS 94 on the shelf and sell based solely on that, having never tasted the wine at all? When and in what other business can you know nothing at all about the product you sell? How about that same wine that got 94 points in the previous example the following year gets 89? Let's see how easy it is to sell it now! Unless we're talking about Bordeaux en primeur, the price ain't going down. Why would the customer buy it for the same price or more when it's obviously an inferior product to the previous vintage? Or maybe it's not inferior but just different. Another rant on that subject at a later date...

Folks, wine is not a sport. It never has been and it never should be. We just don't keep score. Can you imagine an art conversation like, "Well, Sherman, the Mona Lisa is clearly a 99 pointer while Whistler's Mother is merely just a 93!" Crazy, right? Wine is truly an agricultural product that is an art form with no equal on earth. It is a beverage that rightfully so, is the compliment to a meal that offers the person enjoying it to fine tune and elevate the food and the wine through the symbiotic pairing. Wine can lift your spirits and it can transcend your mood. My favorite nights to open a great bottle are never holidays, birthdays or special occasions. I much prefer to decide to prepare something simple but flavorful on a Tuesday, open one singular great bottle, and let that and the food be the "Starlet Johanssen" of the evening. Sexy, right?

Please leave the point scoring to LeBron and leave the artistry to the artisans. Thanks.

JCB the 4th

Gettin' High on Your Own Supply...

No, I ain't talkin' about a Cheech & Chong moment. Quite honestly, that practice has never done a thing for me. Like my man Slick Willie Clinton, I only did it once and I didn't inhale. And yes, it was because of a girl when I was a youngin'. Sadly, like Slick Willie, "Ah did not have sexual relations with that woman!" The best laid plans...

What this is about is "What I'm drinking Lately", a frequent topic of discussion on my favorite wine chat board VinoCellar.com, started many years ago by a good friend of mine. Essentially, folks list all the great, awful and so-so wines they have tasted of late. Many like to rate them with scores (my harsh views on that topic upcoming) but most list what they drank and if it was ready or not. I drink many wines that we sell at 56 Degree Wine and you can always tell my favorite wines, by what I list at VinoCellar. Actually, the wines that I choose to cellar myself in my modest (by-wineguy-terms) 300 bottle collection are most often my absolute favorites from tastings. A recent raid of my wine fridge the last few weeks yielded these great results...

2007 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett

2005 Jean Garaudet Monthelie

2006 Joseph Voillot Volnay Champans 1er cru

Each one was fantastic!

I try to do my best to squirrel away a few bottles of stuff here and there when my budget will allow it. But it is hard to watch all these great bottles of wine come into your "house" and then watch them go to other happy homes. A good wine buddy of mine once remarked, "You're so lucky! You get to touch all bottles that come in the store." But the first rule is "Don't get high on your own supply". Or else you will be broke with a kickin' collection of wine.

I can think of worse things.

JCB the 4th

Sinskey Is My Homeboy...

This photo is about more than a goofy tag line. It is a mock-up of a t-shirt I was going to have made to give to my girl, who is a #1 fan of the Vin Gris, a gorgeous rose of Pinot Noir made by Sinskey. It's flat out sexy wine, from its flute-shaped bottle to its pale, pink-tangerine hue. It just makes any summer night one to remember. Rob Sinskey is an icon to me; a man who blazes the path of organic wine grape growing and is now engrossed in bio-dynamics. His emphasis is deliciousness and balance, in that order. How can one not look up to a guy who ripped out all his Chardonnay to plant Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer?

I happened to be fortunate enough to score an invite by Rob and Maria Sinskey to Hearth, the ultimate homey, comfort food mecca in New York City, this past Tuesday evening. The name of the event was Rob Sinskey's Electric P No Acid Test, a comparative tasting of Pinot Noir with great food in three flights containing four wines per flight, all wines from the 2005 vintage. In each quad grouping, there would be two Burgundies, one "cult" (this notion of cult wines makes me throw up a bit in my mouth) domestic Pinot and one made by Sinskey. As Rob explained, he didn't want anyone to necessarily score or rank the wines, but rather get the input of this talented group on terroir and acidity. We were left to the task of figuring out where each one was from. Over-generalizing, the end result was the "culty" wines stuck out like the steroid-sized behemoths they are, the Sinskey wines were ripe, balanced and juicy and the Burgundies were comme ci, comme ca, a hard statement to make for a hard-core Burg-nut. Some (Gouges Nuits St. Georges Clos Porrets St. Georges and Vincent Girardin Volnay les Caillerets) being sultry and wide open while others were shut down and locked up.

With a little bit of self-congratulation, I must admit that I went 12 for 12 in identifying the place of origin, even recognizing the Sinskey wines apart from the big-boy New World Pinots. In years past, a tasting like this with a roomful of gifted sommeliers and winemakers would have made me nervous to give my opinion out loud, lest I screw up. I knew they would go back to their respective restaurants and wineries saying, "Man, I just went to this event with a guy from 56 Degree Wine and jeez, was he clueless!" But maybe I've garnered enough experience (or I just don't give a damn!) to be more comfortable in these situations. So much so, that I began to get a bit cocky, leaning toward Rob at one point saying, "Congratulations, on Wine #1 in the second flight. It's delicious!" Luckily, it was his Vandal Vineyard Pinot and it was magnificent. Just so I don't leave you with the impression that I can identify any wine with a sniff and a swirl, my Burgundy trip blind tastings in January probably left me batting about .200 in terms of guessing the place. And I had the benefit of knowing they were all Burgundies. Straddling the Mendoza line is as bad in baseball as it is in wine.

Back to the drawing board...

JCB the 4th

Dark Faces in Wine Places...

Why aren't there more black folks in wine?

We'll I'm here, although my whole life I have rarely been pegged as an African American, except by African-Americans. There's nothing more disturbing than having someone say something extremely racist in your presence since they don't think there are any of "those" people around. Used to happen to me fairly regularly as a kid, not so much as an adult. Skeeves me out just thinking back to the time, but I digress...

Set aside the socio-economic arguments, one would think that in 2009 the wine world would have at least a representative number of black wine professionals, but it's still a rarity from my viewpoint. Growing up, my parents didn't drink wine in any way, shape or form, so there was no precedence for my wine rearing. That may be a major reason why we don't see many people of color in the wine world, but there are, for instance, professional black hockey players. Don't know it for a fact but I'd bet their parents didn't grow up on skates. Here are a few wine professionals I know of...

Ruben Morancy - This gentleman is single-handedly responsible for my career. A Haitian man who speaks at least 5 languages fluently, he forced me to drink my first red wine against my will when I only would consume oaky Chardonnay. He then gave me an expensive, rare bottle of wine (1991 Dominus) to make sure I was completely drawn in to the passion of the grape. He's currently starting his own distribution company in California. Ruben, I owe you everything. Best of luck with the new company!

David Brown - I met David Brown of Brown Estate many years ago when I was just a wine fan at their home. I was just thrilled to see that an African American family owned vineyards in Napa. Then I tasted the wines and was equally thrilled by what was in the glass. I haven't tasted them in a while, so I should request some samples.

I met Andre Mac, the former sommelier at Per Se in New York City, once at an industry tasting at the restaurant. Seemed like a nice guy. I understand he's looking to make wine on his own. I wish him success. I also met quite a character, Mac MacDonald, of Vision Cellars recently as he visited us at 56 Degree Wine. He's a larger-than-life individual and his wines are a mirror image of his personality.

That's about it. Bummer.

JCB the 4th

Best of the Week - Feb 20th, 2009

A quick run down on the most notable wines I tasted this week...

2007 Georges Vernay Cotes du Rhone Sainte Agathe - This is gorgeous Syrah from vines around Condrieu. Really fragrant and a good barometer of how fantastic the 2007 vintage is in the Northern Rhone.

2006 Porter Creek Pinot Noir Fiona Hill Vineyard - Alex Davis really coaxes the true varietal character of Pinot Noir from this organic and biodynamically farmed site. Really impressive...

These are a couple that are arriving shortly...

2004 Ada Nada Barbaresco Elisa - Good lord, as good as the 2001 was (which we sold out of in a blink) this 2004 is so luscious, with the fruit more primary and prominent. We wanted more 2001 but I'm tickled that we're getting some 2004.

2006 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonomoa Coast - A deeply concentrated Pinot Noir that really has all the bells and whistles. Jasmine Hirsch came to visit and her family home vineyard site has superb terroir that any Pinot fan would enjoy.

The following were tasted via the generosity of one of my suppliers and good friend (Thanks DS)..

1988 Krug Brut
1990 Comtes Lafon Meursault Charmes 1er cru
1990 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru
1990 Domaine de Montille Pommard Pezerolles 1er cru
1990 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs 1er cru
1990 Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
1990 Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru
1990 Quinterelli Recioto della Valpolicella

Life...is...beautiful

JCB the 4th

So You Wanna Be International like Jay Beezee, eh?

Believe me, (and no one does) it's not easy being a professional pig. Everyone says, "Ohh, tough job you have there, jetting around the world, drinking wine everyday, eating in great restaurants constantly. Where do I sign up for that?" Well, all I can say is, "Be careful what you wish for."

Do I love my job? Absolutely!

Would I trade it for any other profession? No way, Jose! Unless I can be a professional golfer or poker-pro, but they've got drawbacks too.

So what is so difficult about what you do? Well, ya got a minute...

No one wants to hear me whine and I swore this blog would be a no whining zone, but here goes nothing. If one wants to be a true connoisseur of gluttony, you better have the constitution for a day like this....

7am - Wake up

7:45 - Breakfast in lobby of hotel. Usually the local goodies, croissant, cafe noir, yogurt and pain. If in Spain, maybe a little cortado and tortilla. If in Italy, stick to a great coffee and a less stellar croissant. They suck at breakfast.

8:15 - Drive to vineyard

8:45 - Arrive at vineyard. Oh and I forgot to mention that we always travel in January/February. The producers have time, the importers have $ and we are slower during those months making it easier to block the time. So suffice it to say that it's freezin' ass cold out.

9am - Walk the vineyards.
10am - View the winery (yes, that was one hour in the cold)

10:15 - See the cellar and taste barrel samples. Sometimes up to 40 samples, many times the same wine from differing tanks and casks. Often they are in the middle of malolactic fermentation, so it's like having a little bacterial science project going on in your stomach, even though you're spitting every drop.

11:30 - Lunch -- oh, not just a little sandwich, but a spread of 4-6 courses over a 3 1/2 hour span so you can test drive the producers wines with food, quite honestly, the way they should be. It's the way the end user (you) will enjoy them so you want to see how these puppies perform.

3:30 - Drive to next vineyard

4:30pm - Arrive at vineyard and stand outside for another hour among the vines, see the winery, taste another 40 or so samples and arrive at...

7:30pm - Dinner. Where you will indulge at somewhere between a great local haunt to a gorgeous Michelin starred restaurant. The food is always outstanding. So much so that it is often difficult to stop eating until all 6 plates presented are clean. Don't forget the cheese course and dessert. The best meals are those at producers homes when you get a great classic home cooked meal of an indigenous nature. Often there will be back vintages of the producers best to enjoy as almost all of them are a generous lot. One caveat, if this is Spain you must shift two hours ahead. The Spanish refuse to eat before 10pm, but they do take a siesta, those cheaters!

11:30pm - Head to hotel
12:30am - Back in hotel room.

Sounds fun, right! Ok, now go back to the 7am part and repeat this schedule for six to nine days in a row and then roll (and I do mean roll) yourself to the airport, fly back home and make the adjustment to eating like a normal human being. This sound like vacation, but if I'm a bit tired on day 3, I can't say, "I'm gonna skip Domaine Du-du today and catch up with you guys tomorrow." I owe it to my boss, the importers and the producers to be "on" at all times and give the attention to them and their wines that they deserve for providing me with these experiences that I can in turn share with clients and paint a picture that's as vivid and vivacious as the people who make these great wines.

Don't forget that there are three tasting appointments on the day of your return to the shop.

Yeah, booyyee!

JCB the 4th

The Super-Intelligence of My Ipod in Puligny Montrachet

I made my third journey to Burgundy this January and just as last year, I traveled with the most engaging, Juan Prieto and one of my wine idols, Olivier Daubresse. The generosity of these two men and their excellent stable of producers is unparalleled. Msr. Daubresse is one of the most articulate palates I have come across in all my wine years. It's always a learning experience.

On the morning of January 15th, after 4 days of complete culinary and oenological debauchery, I decided to not let myself turn completely into a veal and ventured out for an early morning walk amongst the vines. We were staying in the Hotel Montrachet, located in the center of the thriving, metropolis that is Puligny with its population of 400. I set my Ipod on shuffle, bundled up as best I could and got to steppin'. The first song my genius of a machine chose was Deacon Blues by Steely Dan. It was a wise selection: stark, pensive and smoky. Just as the burning of the vine shoots filled the air with the sweetest smells. I walked up the Routes des Grand Cru, swiftly passing by Bienvenue and Batard Montrachet on my left. As if by magic, as soon as I entered the site, the song changed to Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come". The song is so emotional, and Sam's voice (my favorite vocalist of all-time) is so laced with soul, the music so majestic. It captures the essence of why Grand Cru is Grand Cru and 1er cru wines, as great as they are, don't have the emotion, soul and majesty of the Grand Cru's.

I made a right turn and breezed past Les Pucelles, shimmying up the hillside to Les Folatieres. The vineyard is steep as hell, you really don't get the feel until you stand at the bottom and look up. My ipod was on it! Shifting gears to the the raucous jam, "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Bahgdad)" by Outkast. The lyrics come at you in a rapid-fire succession of layers, just as the resulting wines from Folatieres slap you with layers of fruit, then minerals, then (differing) fruit and minerals until they fade off into the distance. Sampling Sylvan Bzikot's gorgeous 2006 Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres just two days prior left me with that dancing across the palate sensation. It's stupendous!

Finally descending down, I walked past La Garenne toward Les Combettes, a 1er cru site that to me always brings fatness tempered by excellent cut. What would be next? Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back"? Too obvious, as my ipod is nothing if not clever beyond imagination. Much more imagination and intelligence than I, as evidenced by this lovely photo I had to take myself at arm's length, too ignorant to figure out how to make it shoot with a timer. Yes, my ipod went for the jugular with Nirvana's fuzz-infused "In Bloom". The guitar work by the late Kurt Cobain creates a wall of sound that still has definition and precision, just like Combettes. Absolutely frightening!

At this point I don't know if I should just drop this freakin' thing and run back to Puligny screaming for the villagers to gather and burn my ipod at the stake, like the witch it is. I decide against it lest they look at me like the maniac that would think of such a thing and do what I suggested to me instead. Oh how the mind wanders when left on its own devices.

This final photo is of the gate of Les Combettes, notable because of the bottle of the french equivalent of "Two Buck Chuck" strewn at the base of this hallowed site. While I would consider this tantamount to drawing a mustache on Whistler's Mother, obviously some local was just looking for a good spot to catch a buzz? Or maybe it's like "Lover's Lane" for the Pulignese? Sheesh!

JCB the 4th

"Feels Like The First Time..."

And it is. I'm not much for reading blogs as I had always fancied it a waste of what is precious. Lord knows there is enough blathering on at Facebook and the other devices of predators. But I'm here to set the whole world ablaze with my views on wine first, and life, second. I can feel your excitement as I finish typing this sentence. I'm pumped myself!

That being said, I have no idea what makes an interesting blog so this will be a work-in-progress. My intention is to update regularly, not daily. I'd like to think that I have a little bit of a life going on here. Yet like the Foriegner song...

"I have waited a lifetime,
Spent my time so foolishly,
But now that Ive found you
Together well make history"

Music will play a major role here as I'm a bit of a pseudo-singer myself. So let's begin with the tale of how my ipod is smarter than yours.

Truly,

JCB the 4th