Monthly Archives: June 2012

The World’s Most Macho Wine

Posted on June 30, 2012 by

Who’d get your vote? Big-shouldered Barolo, meat-packer to the wine world?  Maybe a gamy Côte-Rôtie loaded with tobacco smells and a palate of bacon fat and leather?  How about a cabernet sauvignon from Ray’s Station, that silly Sonoma winery that … Continue reading →

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The Tim Atkin Diet: A Glass Of Burgundy, A Deep Breath, And A Handful Of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Posted on June 13, 2012 by

When I was in college, they didn’t have today’s wide array of shopliftable psychopharmaceuticals—a.k.a. memory-improving ‘smart’ drugs.  If they had, I might have remembered in which pocket I’d stashed my cheat notes. These drugs, under such brand names as Phenserine, … Continue reading →

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Really, Mr. Goode? MY Faith Suggests That Blogliness Is Next To Godliness

Posted on June 12, 2012 by

In 1966—the same year that the first acid test was held at San Francisco’s Fillmore, the same year that a B-52 accidentally dropped three 70-kiloton hydrogen bombs near the town of Palomares, Spain, and the same year that Bob Dylan … Continue reading →

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Man The Lifeboats: Women, Children And Premium Champagne First

Posted on June 11, 2012 by

Martin Mull, back me up on this one: For some reason, there are a lot of homoerotic terms associated with being a seaman.  Poop deck, sperm whale, cockswain, hanging around the buoys, ‘All hands on dick deck’. Going down on … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, FRANCE | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Drew Barrymore Wants To Have My Children

Posted on June 10, 2012 by

Today, God is good and the world is as sweet as the balm from a callow jasmine flower. Today, I shall count no more my wasted tears nor fret time’s relentless plough.  Today, I am young as the vernal violets … Continue reading →

Posted in ITALY, Pinot Gris | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Give Me Liberty, Or In A Pinch—Give Me Another Round

Posted on June 9, 2012 by

‘Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy.’ – Benjamin Franklin ‘And I love you, too, God.  No, I really do, buddy; I love you.  And this isn’t the beer talking either; I mean … Continue reading →

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Monbazillac: Wine That Even Sugarplum Fairies Can Afford

Posted on June 8, 2012 by

All the gnarling and kvetching over the California foie gras ban has an upside: It has been driving generic and often nostalgic stories about this iconic pâté; foie fans are, apparently, legion, loyal and pissed-off vocal. It seems that John … Continue reading →

Posted in FRANCE | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Brown (Nosing)-Forman: Diversified God-Like Purveyor of Quality Consumer Products

Posted on June 7, 2012 by

You may already know this, but wine writing is a man’s life—right up there with firefighting, bank heisting and gay pornography acting.  No offense to my twin-X chromosomal breast-blooming, goatee-challenged life partners, but I really doubt that Alice Feiring and Jancis Robinson … Continue reading →

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What The Heck Does Champagne Have To Do With Golf, Anyway?

Posted on June 6, 2012 by

Plenty, dahling.  Crank the Wayback Machine to 1962 when Tony Lema promised reporters at the Orange County Open that he’d force-feed them Champagne if he won—then beat Jack Nicklaus by five strokes and did, becoming known as ‘Champagne’ Tony Lema … Continue reading →

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‘The Gruet Who Blew It’ By Dr. Seuss

Posted on June 5, 2012 by

In the far-away city of Brethon in France, A fellow named Gilbert began a romance, With chard and noir and some pinot meunier, Creating (in French, please) the U.V.C.B.     Grapes were Gil’s love and with grapes Gil would … Continue reading →

Posted in TEXAS | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment