As fun as it ever was. In addition to the usual suspects it was so great to get to chat with Nola face to face. I feel like I chatted for many hours and only talked to half the people I wanted to. Thanks to everyone for making it special.
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Done!
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Screw that, let’s label the cuts of meat!
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What an event!!! It was truly an honor and privilege to be able to be in the same spot with all these amazing people!! @Frank_Murray_III thank you and Jill for hosting and welcoming me into your home and to the fold of Falltacular and Laura’s House!! @Brian_Tuite thank you for picking @Carrie_Morgan and me up at the airport and manning that very HOT Grill for hours!! He and Carrie worked in tandem like pros!! Carrie, thank you for letting me share your room!!!
So many Berserkers and people I have either met in person or have known “Online” thru the years!! To mention just a few… @AstridKG @brigcampbell @Alan_Rath, @Cris_Whetstone, @larry_schaffer, @T_Melloni, Leslie Goldsmith (Fisher), Diane & Marshall Gelb, Francine Haight, Steve and Misuk, Jenn French, her father and his girlfriend @Nancy_Dolce and Sal, meeting you all was so cool 
Then there were many from the fun group from the 2025 Morgan Ranch Deck Party @Mike_Stoneking, Dana, @Brian_Bohr, Jen Hyer, and their sweet Cookies, @Arnold_Caplan, @Ron_F_r_e_e_d and Andrea Goyan! Along with many more new friends I met and failed to mention here…Mea Clupa!!
The plethora of wine and food everyone brought was just spectacular!! The steaks, sliders, marrow, Iberico and prawns on the grill was just amazing!! Watching people grab the canoe-cut grilled marrow bones with the fat from the morrow still boiling was a wow moment!
On Thursday I flew from Cincinnati to Dallas and was trying to get oriented to the bee hive of the Dallas Airport, and saw there was an Admirals Lounge at the next gate. I checked in and got on the elevator to go up to the lounge…just then a man thrust his arm into the elevator to catch the door before it closed…I looked up as I heard someone call my name and it was @ToddFrench along with his friend John… As Todd correctly stated how Serendipitous was it for us to cross paths in a huge airport each of us going in opposite directions!! How cool!!
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In a fun “small world” moment, @ToddFrench and I literally ran into @Nola_Palomar in the Admiral’s Lounge at DFW airport waiting for our respective flights! Todd and I heading east, and Nola heading west! Glad the event was a wild success. Looks incredible, and what a good cause. Cheers, Frank!
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Annnnnnnnnd I’m a few seconds late. Sheesh.
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Interesting you point out this observation, Brig. It can be a thankless task with that many wines, and certainly a trade-off with the social aspect of the event. But I do remember enjoying the writeups here from the dedicated few who are able to run the gauntlet.
Always a thank you to those who give their time to make the event happen. Shipping some samples is like falling off a log in comparison. It’s on my wishlist to get to one of these in the next few years. Maybe I’ll bring my notebook and give my best attempt at scribe for the day.
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It doesn’t take much to get me going! Let’s do it next year. The key for me getting with a couple that are focused on note taking otherwise you’re totally distracted.
Mike Grammer, Cris Whetstone, and a couple others will get after it. The other bonus is tasting with people that have a good palate. Even though they may not write notes they get you thinking. Larry, and other winemakers, are great at this.
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Is it my imagination or is Whetstone trying to impersonate Stewart Copeland?
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Doppelgänger for sure!
I would never air drum where anyone could see me.
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We dare you.
Double Dog Dare you
My heart is filled with warmth seeing the notes and pictures of what looks to have been another joy-filled day. And look at all that meat!!
$50K, very happy to hear so much money was raised. All of you were on my mind last Saturday and I am thrilled that so many were able to take part.
Nola–fantastic that you got down to this one-of-a-kind event. And amazing that you hooked up with Todd and K-John in Dallas airport.
Will look forward to seeing any further notes or thoughts. I do, devoutly, hope to return in the future.
Hugs to all
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Another fantastic Falltacular.
So fun to meet in person my many imaginary internet wine friends.
My sixth year of attending in person, although I have been a supporter from afar for many years.
Laura’s House is a worthy cause and Frank and Jill are incredible stewards of the event.
Thank you to all who contribute to the event - winemakers, silent auction donors, volunteers, attendees and those who write checks to support the cause.
Greateful to be part of the event.
I did not take notes this year - all my scribbled notes from years past were never published anyway.
Just focused on enjoying tasting so many excellent wines and sharing friendship this year.
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even in note-taking mode, Anne, it’s an embarrasssment of riches. There is no real way to get through every wine available for me…which is OK. Larry’s has well-documented my general loathing of almost all things grenache, so they usually remain untasted 
Great seeing you and Raven again this year Thomas!
You and your sweater and your note taking and your ‘deep conversations’ and your hugs were definitely missed this year, my friend . . .
Cheers
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Hey my friend! So great seeing you and Raven once again this year! Sorry we didn’t get to spend much time together - so many people and wines - and so great to see your smiling face!
Cheers
It is a longstanding custom of Falltacular to thank those who help us make this event possible. We honor the people who attend and the wineries who participate, at the 10 and 15 year mark, and starting this year, we crossed our 20th anniversary of the event, so we had bottles to hand out to some committed people for this distinguished commitment.
@Ed_Kurtzman was not able to attend this year so we asked @Alan_Rath to hand-deliver the bottle to Ed, which took place today. Ed, and the same with @Brian_Loring , have supported Falltacular every year–they have never missed even once. That support has allowed us to carry on for this long, raising so much money for Laura’s House and the work they do.
To Ed, THANK YOU! We will always owe you and Brian a great debt of thanks and gratitude for what you have done for our event and the clients of Laura’s House.
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