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• Region:or regions : Piemonte / Oregon / Horse Heaven Hills / Hunter Valley
• Dream wine:~~~1971 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino Riserva Speciale~~~

About Me

He got this right:
“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”
… Ernest Hemingway, circa 1932

My lifelong infatuation with wine began in student days in 1970 when I (just shy of the legal drinking age) was indulged by the benevolent proprietors of a sweet little Fairhaven, Washington wine shop, who gave me a wink-n-nod as I nervously placed the fish-net wrapped Riojas on the counter and bathed in their largesse.

This passion was cemented in 1972 when climbing ( ok.. “ hard walking”) to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
I produced a 375 ml. bottle of Hugel Riesling from my backpack to celebrate with my fellow hikers.
It was holding nicely at sunrise in just above freezing temperatures.
Finally figured out that Alsace meant absolutely nothing to my fellow travelers and did the right thing…. dispatching it solo & savoring the view and the brisk quenched thirst all as one.

As for dream wines
I opened that ‘71 Monfortino back in 1987 when it was still so young. If I only knew~
ahh but it still
“blew my nose & then it blew my mind”
even though a crime of infanticide.

My tastes are far flung when it comes to wine.
Nice when a given bottle matches the moment,
Be it humble or profound.