We'd have liked to have reported this news as soon as we learned it, but it was of course necessary to get the facts right, which meant waiting until sources in France were able to confirm.
Didier's obituary is now on our homepage. My condolences to all his family, friends and fans.
RT
Posts: 255 | Location: New York | Registered: Jun 13, 2006
Originally posted by Brad Coelho: I propose a wine-board wide toast to Didier tomorrow night to honor his accomplishments and eulogize his profound impact on the world of wine. We've lost a great visionary that will not be replaced.
I'd love to raise a toast with a bottle from the man himself. Does anyone know if his products are for sale in Ontario - LCBO?
One of the real personalities in the wine world. The kind of person who makes just reading about wine people interesting, even if you're not much interested in wine.
A genuinely tragic loss...
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Cheers!
Posts: 6489 | Location: Vancouver, BC | Registered: Oct 17, 2001
Originally posted by Brad Coelho: I propose a wine-board wide toast to Didier tomorrow night to honor his accomplishments and eulogize his profound impact on the world of wine. We've lost a great visionary that will not be replaced.
I second that.
I'm with you. What a terrible loss. RIP.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Posts: 1583 | Location: Denver, CO | Registered: Jan 02, 2003
He was a master of his art, but I'm not sure how drinking his wine honors him. If you really want to honor him, make a charitable donation in his honor.
Just one more sip.
Posts: 24961 | Location: NY | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
Originally posted by Board-O: He was a master of his art, but I'm not sure how drinking his wine honors him. If you really want to honor him, make a charitable donation in his honor.
Really? If you want to honor a composer, listen to his compositions. If you want to honor an author, read his works.
I believe that we all have souls, and I believe that our souls are expressed and manifested in our personalities and our actions. When our actions/personalities affect another person, changing them, we have through our personalities and actions invested a part of our souls in them. When we die, if that affect we've had on another continues, then we can say in objective terms that our souls have gained immortality. The best way IMHO to honor Dagueneau is to remember him - never to forget - to make sure that the part of his soul which has been invested in each of us never dies. There are many ways to do that, and I like Board-O's suggestion to make a charitable gift in his name, but I also think that collectively raising a glass in his name is more than appropriate.
I noticed that Wine+Art posted a brief note on the '02 Pur Sang last night, and I can't help but to think that he was remembering Dagueneau fondly as he did, keeping Dagueneau alive in him. I plan to do the same tonight with whomever wishes to join Mimik, Brad, and me. Peace to all.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: stickman,
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Posts: 1583 | Location: Denver, CO | Registered: Jan 02, 2003
I'll never forget the scene in Janice's video 'wine course', where she meets with him in his electricity free hut, they cook a 40 oz slab of red meat over a fireplace. He then proceeded to cut her a 16 oz slab and slap it on her plate - I thought she'd faint right there on the spot ! Janice's probably hasn't eaten that much red meat in her life, it was a brilliant scene. I loved him right away. I'd have to say he was one of the many outstanding pioneers, and characters that made wine so damn interesting to me. It was a thrill to be a recipient of his fine works, and although saddened by our loss, they were memorable experiences. Thanks Did
Posts: 2739 | Location: Kelowna, BC | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
Not to sound insensitive, but the guy was a winemaker/farmer who made less than 10K cases of wine that most people have never had. It's always sad when a person dies too soon, but some of these posts are a little creepy. It's like he cured cancer or something important.
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"Asking government to fix this crisis is like asking the arsonist to put out the fire." -Thomas Sowell
Posts: 4510 | Location: Dubai | Registered: Dec 20, 2002
Originally posted by cdr: Not to sound insensitive, but the guy was a winemaker/farmer who made less than 10K cases of wine that most people have never had. It's always sad when a person dies too soon, but some of these posts are a little creepy. It's like he cured cancer or something important.
Newsflash to McFly - you do sound insensitive. You do realize this is a wine board where people discuss wine and winemakers, right?
Posts: 149 | Location: New Orleans, LA | Registered: Nov 25, 2002
It doesn't necessarily take a zillion cases a year to change how a region is perceived and set a (positive) example of others. Would you rather honor Fred Franzia?
On another note, sounds like the guy lived very large and the end was foreseeable. Microlites and ultralites in general are accidents waiting to happen. I wonder if he had an actual pilot's license... not that it would have necessarily made a difference, but one reason for the high rate of accidents is that little formal training is required in the US and France (e.g. buy it and fly it).
Originally posted by spo: Does he have staff that will carry on his work, or was it a one man show?
His eldest son Benjamin who has worked with him for some years and his daughter Charlotte who had only just joined the enterprise will apparently handle the 2008 vintage.
There are reports of other local vignerons who will also help deal with the logistics in the immediate aftermath of the accident. After that who knows but in view of the interest in his winemaking and viticulture his family may well wish to try to 'take on the mantle'.
Posts: 331 | Location: London, England | Registered: Feb 09, 2007
If you want to honor a composer, listen to his compositions. If you want to honor an author, read his works.
