I had a very serious illness back in '95. It was what is commonly known as the Flesh-eating Bacteria, and was found only after a very dramatic series of circumstances with which I won't bore you...but it's quite a story. Long and short, I was about three hours from dead, so the docs said, and spent eight weeks in the hospital, had three surgeries, and was comatose for 17 days.

As I was processing out of the hospital, I spent a couple of days talking with the staff shrink, who was concerned that my brush with mortality would affect me emotionally. His final instructions to me were pretty simple: Work less, (I owned a catering business and bakery and worked an average of eighty hours a week), play more, and drink two small glasses of red wine every day. Being a chef, I had always been conscious of wine but, like many chefs, didn't take a lot of time with learning anything about it except what goes with what entrees. My wine of preference was Chard and I hadn't tried much of anything else for a good 20 years.

After recuperating at my brother's house in Virginia, I returned to Seattle and went back to work. I remembered what the doctor said but didn't act upon it immediately. I was home one Friday night and happened to read an article on wine tasting in a local magazine. It was a pretty good primer on analytical tasting and I was intrigued, so I went to the local market and asked the wine steward for a cheap recommendation. He sold me a bottle of Cline Cotes du Oakley, one of Blackstone Merlot, and a bottle of Laurel Glen Reds. I took them home, lined up three glasses, and did what the article said. Within twenty minutes, I was hooked. The Cline was wonderful and layered. the Blackstone was simple and flabby, and the Reds was revelatory; complex, mineraly, fruity, and nicely structured. I picked flavors out of it for an hour.

The next day, I went back and asked for other ideas. The first time he sold me a bottle I really disliked, I went to another store. I began tasting, by myself, at least twice a week. I developed a small backlog of wine, since I was only drinking two glasses a night, so I backed off and started reading about it, instead.

At the time, I lived alone and had been alone for several years. From September of '92 until the summer of '01, I was actually celibate, by choice, - no dating, no coochie-coochie, no nothing - so I had a lot of time, whenever I wasn't working, to dive into a hobby.

Having been a devoted beer snob for years, I had a sound basis for forming half-baked opinions that couldn't withstand scrutiny. I soon found some friends who actually did know wine and found out just how much I don't know. I still study it like that, only less often and and less casually. Now, Judye and I are working on opening our own wine shop and I study with serious intent. It's easy to say that it's sometimes not as much fun as back then when every day brought a new discovery, but it frequently IS that much fun. More and more, I'm gripped by the feeling that wine is what I'm supposed to do with the rest of my life and that thought is wonderfully comforting.

quote:

.....From September of '92 until the summer of '01, I was actually celibate, by choice,

Yeah, sure......

GA:

Well...my part was by choice. Probably all those women who didn't want to sleep with me made other choices.

Sooooo, you were celibate... by choice... for a decade.

OK, I believe you.

Right in the middle of this great run, you were struck by "what is commonly known, as a flesh eating bacteria".
I was just wondering, what if this bacteria attacked you because you were celibate. You know, nobody is interested, might as well jump on him.
And did you use "flesh eating bacteria" in pick up lines after your recovery?

Freddy! Damnit, why didn't you suggest that eight years ago!

It's been almost a year since the last Bump.

-bump-

anyone heard from corky/shane?

My friend jump:
You are wise to bump.

ok, so was this sean something 21 years of age for real?? Or just a Birbrair kind of guy??

During Pesach seder. You know, the nasty Kosher stuff that has since improved.

This looks like a classic, I am just stopping by, do not have time to read now, but will come back later.

*BUMP* for PurpleHaze.

Since I'm one of the newer members, I might as well throw my 0.02 in..

Turned 21 5 years ago, wasn't into beer, although there's nothing better than an ice-cold longneck and a pizza after lawnwork in the summer. Mixed drinks were ok, but after work with friends...wine.

We used to meet up at an upscale restaurant after hours with other like-minded folks, and I would order something vaguely trendy off the menu so long as it was under $8/glass or so. My French pathetic, I knew "noir' meant black, so that's what I ordered. Sounded good, so I made a habit out of it. During dinners on the weekends, I'd order something different, maybe a shiraz or cabernet.

Mind you, I couldn't tell the difference between Boones and Lafite, so largely I pissed my money away on good boose and couldn't even tell you what I drank.

My career is in mid-early-swing right now, so I decided to get serious with it. And..here I am. Modest collection of a case or two and trying to taste regularly.

Cheers....

Well....did the Boones Farm stuff in my senior year of high school. Does that count? My father, being 'right off the boat' from Yugoslavia (Slovenia), was raised with wine, his father having his own cellar on a 100-year-old farm the family owned in Slovenia. Used to make his own Slivovitsa (plum brandy). Grew up in a very European household, however, us kids were never allowed to drink the stuff at home. Then, in 1984, in the middle of the Carribbean, was offered a 1976 Chateau Margaux...amazing! The rest is history.

So are you saying it was the Margaux more so than the Boone's?

Ahhhhhh....even our sommelier went nuts over it. Thees wine has everything!

I thought i would bump this thread...Its just so classic and i think we can all use a laugh after the drama this week.

quote:

"Greatful Dead Community", now 21, with a kid, and all that income to spend on wine?

Ok I have two theories:
1) The "art store" is a front for illegal substance dealing. He learned the trade while following the dead (After Jerry died, why why??)
2) Shane is a anti free the grapes legislator trying to block internet wine shipping by posing as a 21 year old who use to illegally buy wine off the internet. Ups or fedex are supposed to card you kid. Don't act as though wineries sell wine online to minors because they don't.

PS: Buy a winery and let us all know how it goes; oh and make the wine yourself with no education or training(you'll just feel it man; the grapes will speak to you) oh and charge a lot and hand design the label yourself tee hehehehehehehehehehehehheeeee

Holy Crap,
I just read through that thread and if I sounded anything like that Shane guy, My APOLOGIES to eveyone. There are a lot of creepy people that seem to come to this forum. I seriously had no idea.

My first experience with wine was when I was at a corporate dinner and my boss, a red wine lover asked me if I wanted any red wine, I being totally ignorant said no that stuff is like swallowing 'witch hazel' or some other astringent. He let me know that I must have had crappy red wine to say something so foolish and poured me a nice glass of wine and it was great. From that point I slowly became interested over the next 16 years.

quote:

Originally posted by O1brunello_keeper:
Holy Crap,
I just read through that thread and if I sounded anything like that Shane guy, My APOLOGIES to eveyone. There are a lot of creepy people that seem to come to this forum. I seriously had no idea.

My first experience with wine was when I was at a corporate dinner and my boss, a red wine lover asked me if I wanted any red wine, I being totally ignorant said no that stuff is like swallowing 'witch hazel' or some other astringent. He let me know that I must have had crappy red wine to say something so foolish and poured me a nice glass of wine and it was great. From that point I slowly became interested over the next 16 years.

Serg...uh...Shan...uh...01bk, we hadn't noticed.

Thurston tell us about your wine skills in 1992?
Are you the next Gary V....

What do you mean by "next", 01BS?

What is you real name, has anyone heard of you, care about your opinion, doubt it. You are way to mean spirited and insecure.

I'm the insecure one.

I would say the lame one who can't seem to focus on subject.