Apr 9, 2009
It's always interesting to follow those folks who you worked with in your past to see where they ended up and what they pursued. But it's a pleasure to see them go on to do wonderful things. The problem is that it's not always easy to track old colleagues and old friends. This, of course, is why Facebook is such a wonderful tool and why you so often see written on the Walls of Facebook users something like, "I can't…
Apr 2, 2009
I've revealed on a least a couple occasions that my desert island wine would be Champagne. This is assuming it's a really nice desert island. If it's more along the lines of a modest desert island then I'd settle for Sparkling Wine. No matter what shape this island is in, however, I'm definitely going to need electricity. I'll need it to keep my lifetime supply of Champagne or Sparkling wine cooled. But I'm also going to need Internet access on…
Apr 1, 2009
It's important for me to note that I endorse THIS in no way. THIS only minimizes the serious nature of wine and wine drinking. In fact, THIS purports to be humor, but in reality THIS is just another blow to the industry when the industry needs nothing like THIS. Is THIS really what people want to read? Only a few years ago THIS sort of thing would never fly. THIS would have been condemned. THIS really is harmful to a…
Mar 23, 2009
The experiment known as "Prohibition" failed for one primary reason: The legal, law enforcement and regulatory means it used to promote its goals of curbing corruption and over consumption of alcohol so far exceeded what ordinary people thought reasonable that it actually promoted a disrespect for the law and with it even more corruption. The response to the failure of Prohibition, Repeal and the institution of a "three-tier system of alcohol distribution, has, ironically, failed for the same reasons. To…
Mar 10, 2009
It looks as though the French wine industry and common sense dodged a barrel, according to Decanter The French National Assembly passed a healthcare law that DID NOT include a ban on alcohol advertising on the Internet and DID NOT ban promotional wine tastings at Chateaux, wine festivals and promotional events. On the other hand, 16 and 17 year olds may no longer buy alcohol. France is in the midst of what we would call in the United States a…