Now that I have your attention

Of course I’m still buying wine.  But with a difference.

I found myself falling into the habit of constantly purchasing “okay” wines because I want to save my “good” wines for “special occasions.”  Those special occasions usually involve the Wineaux Guy, of course.  Well, because we have a long-distance relationship, we can’t get together and enjoy the wines the way we’d like to.  Of course he had no idea that I was thinking this way. But then, do men ever figure out how women think?  But I digress.

I found myself complaining about having these wines and not allowing myself to drink them, and he asked me why.

“Well,” I said, “I feel guilty when I’m enjoying a beautiful wine and you’re not here.”

“Silly girl. Drink away!  Isn’t that why you bought them? To enjoy?”

So pragmatic.  

… Continue Reading

I love old Las Vegas, which is more meaningful now since most of it is gone, imploded in the heady days of the late 80s, 90s, and early in this decade.  We’ve seen the likes of the Aladdin, the Stardust, the Sands, and the Hacienda disappear into Vegas’ past.  We’ve seen the beautiful Desert Inn yield to the twin bronze glass monoliths of the Wynn and Encore.  In the rush to constantly reinvent itself, it seems as if Vegas lost a little of its soul.

And then there’s the Tropicana.  When I first went into the Tropicana some 25 (!!!!!) years ago, it was a dark and smoky place with the usual casino carpeting, table games, and omnipresent slots.  But what really got my attention were the guys in suits – the pit bosses – unobtrusively supervising behind the tables. Each one looked as if he could have been an extra in The Godfather.  It was great.  Vegas’ storied history at its finest.  Today, the pit boss is just as likely to be a small woman in heels as he is a burly guy in a suit, and the table games area is now bright and airy.  It’s not until you walk back into the old section of the hotel that you really feel that you’ve gone back in time to the glory days.  Let me explain.

… Continue Reading

One of the things I’m happy about when doing a wine review is the fact that I usually have some familiarity with the varietal/blend, or I know someone who does.  That way I come across as someone who’s schooled, knowledgeable, wine-savvy, and has a clue. Not the case here!

The review actually began with an early evening phone call from Rod, the Wineaux Guy.  Instead of the usual sweet nothings, he started off with a “What do you know about Mourvèdre?”

“Uhh…   Not much.”

As it turned out, he had opened up a bottle of 2007 Hug Cellars Santa Barbara Highlands  Vineyard Mourvèdre – Santa Barbara County, and it had thrown him just a bit.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to be smelling or tasting,” he explained.  ”It’s so different.”

OF COURSE I had to open up my bottle of Mourvèdre – a few days later, that is – and try it for myself.  This wasn’t a one-time, in-one-sitting tasting.  This turned out to be a three-day adventure for him and a nearly identical adventure for me.  And most of it’s ’cause we don’t know everything we should know about Mourvèdre.  But we do know just enough to be dangerous.

… Continue Reading