Monthly Archives: September 2014

Warren Raftshol: Peripheral Persistence

Posted on September 29, 2014 by intoxreport

Whenever I stop in to see old Warren Raftshol in Leelanau’s answer to Area 51, I’m sort of overwhelmed; I feel both wildly lonely and strangely optimistic. He hangs on inside his wayward depot despite the odds, and Warren—whose sculpted … Continue reading →

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White Chicks Are Hotter Than Black Chicks

Posted on September 25, 2014 by intoxreport

Or is it the other way around?  I really don’t care; I am just trying to get your attention, fill column inches, make deadlines and stir up a little bad blood, because you know what?  I’m a bad blood stirrer-upper. … Continue reading →

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Primitivo: A Gentle Giant

Posted on September 21, 2014 by intoxreport

Having lived through the zinfandel vetting process, I can say unequivocally that I like some of the a.k.a.’s better than others, and maybe primitivo best of all. Back in primitive times—that is to say, prior to the advent of genetic … Continue reading →

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Gérard Depardieuchebag

Posted on September 19, 2014 by intoxreport

First off, I don’t buy it: The bizarre claim made by French luné-toon Gérard Depardieu about drinking fourteen bottles of wine a day has been greeted with a combination of awe, back-slapping, high-fiving, hero worship and a little bit of … Continue reading →

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Inside The Scatterbrain Of Sean O’Keefe

Posted on September 18, 2014 by intoxreport

(Part One of a two part interview with Chateau Grand Traverse VP Sean O’Keefe; both parts appear in Heart & Soil: Grand Traverse Wine Country, set for release Dec., 2014) ‘Scatterbrain’ is his word, not mine.  Actually, Sean O’Keefe is … Continue reading →

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To Be Or Tannat To Be: That’s The Question

Posted on September 11, 2014 by intoxreport

Tannat is a wine geek’s grape, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.  Like cult films or cult bands, tannat is often dug for its brooding obscurity or transgressive potency more than for any sense of down-home approachableness. Nonetheless, like … Continue reading →

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When Wine Writers Go Rogue…

Posted on September 9, 2014 by intoxreport

Among my roster of social media fīda Achates, I number a number of wine writers.  Most wine writers, in fact.  It’s not because I particularly like wine writers; on the contrary, I dislike the bulk of them with the sort … Continue reading →

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Why Swiss Cheese Is Holy: Raclette-Making in Sutton’s Bay

Posted on September 8, 2014 by intoxreport

The only thing more mid-America wholesome than church-going is cheese-making, so it’s fitting that John and Anne Hoyt—after years of bouncing around temporary Leelanau digs—landed inside the defunct Sutton’s Baby Bible Church.  Although it must be said, I can understand how you … Continue reading →

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Bryan Ulbrich: Putting His Left Foot Forward

Posted on September 4, 2014 by intoxreport

Sitting outdoors on one of those quintessential Traverse City summer afternoons that are chilly and hot simultaneously, Bryan Ulbrich pours a glass of something special. At least, he maintains that it will be special; the vines are young and this … Continue reading →

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Teague Fatigue: When Wine Writers Scrape The Bottom Of The Limousin Barrel To Make Deadline

Posted on September 1, 2014 by intoxreport

Unlike Lettie Teague, I don’t have to come up with wine column ideas.  I am beholden to no man, woman, trannie or Murdoch meat grinding daily like The Wall Street Journal; I can write when, how and about what I … Continue reading →

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