RIP Max
Well shit. A big personality. Fuck cancer
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This is sad news. I know Max put up a courageous fight, even trying to keep the business going for a while.
Like Mark, I’ve been buying from him (on and off only) since he was at the original location. I recall very distinctly the first wine I bought from him. It was 500-ml bottles of the 1995 Huet Cuvee Constance in 1999, and he shipped to my apartment on W. 60th St. One of the half bottles must have refermented or had a faulty cork, which had blown right through the capsule. I reached out and he immediately replaced it (though some of the remaining liquid somehow survived the journey and was delicious). I still have that half bottle with the circular blown-out capsule top taped to it as a momento.
As another example, he sold me a bottle of 1970 Tondonia Gran Reserva in 2004 at the store in Pound Ridge ($96 at the time), where I stopped by on the way to Sasha Katsman’s 40th birthday party. It was the most stupendous kaleidoscopic bottle of that wine I’ve ever had, and it’s a fantastic Tondonia always, maybe the best wine at a party where there was no shortage of amazing wines.
RIP Max.
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Was afraid of this when I talked to him a year ago with his diagnosis. Knew him only from afar but appreciated his knowledge and world view as an expat East Coast’er. Certainly seemed to enjoy life. L’Chaim
May his memory be a blessing.
I’ll add my Max story. I used to frequent his store, which is not far from where I live as the crow flies, but you can’t get there from here. One day, I stopped by for a reason long forgotten and Jean Trimbach was there pouring his wines. I tasted wine he was pouring, one of which was 2000 Trimbach Pinot Gris Hommage a Jeanne, a wine he bottle in homage to his grandmother on what would have been her 100th birth year. I said it was sweet and asked what the RS was. Trimbach said zero. Max, standing behind him, chuckled, I refused to believe his, and so Trimbach proceeded to teach an impromptu course in the mental tricks you brain will play on you. Max threw in ripostes and occasional wisdom. He then opened a half bottle of what was a notoriously inconsistent bottling - I think 1989 Suduiraut - to show what real sugar tasted like. I bought a lot of Trimbach that day and a couple bottles of the Suduiraut because it was Mother’s Day. They were meh, but when I got to Mother’s Day dinner with the rest of the family that evening, the sweet tooths loved it.
RIP He knew a whole lot about wine, esp. Italian wine.
very sorry to hear this. I have many wines from Max in my cellar. RIP Max.
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I am so very sorry to hear of Max’s passing. He had such incredible knowledge and also a fierce loyalty to his customers. The website was most amusing- it told the tale of a small merchant with some nice things. But go in person, and Max had just about anything you could ever dream of, and in mint condition.
My Max story is the night of the fake magnum of 1950 VCC, and so if I may Mark, I will add my memories to your account of that glorious night.
It was spring 2009, and the third night of my first trip ever to NYC. After years on the wine boards, NYC gave me a welcome I will never forget. Within 3 hours of my plane landing at EWR, I was sitting at Craft with my business partner at the time and Suzanne Camhi, sipping on a glorious selection of Leroy, Roumier and Raveneau wines. Plotnicki was not able to join us, but he had generously arranged for an incredible meal. The following night was my first Acker auction dinner at the kind invitation of Ray and Brad. I was so nervous about making sure I pulled my weight that I brought bottles and magnums of several Dom vintages back to 1966, Krug Ambonnay, Rousseau Chambertin and just about anything else I had on hand that was mature and hopefully worthy. In the end, I think I came up a bit light- but noone said a thing. The generosity of everyone was inspirational and to this day on the rare occasion I have a grand old vintage of a Lala, i remember Brad’s tutorial walking me through those wines with which I was quite unfamiliar at the time. After nearly 15 years of working ITB in college and tasting all kinds of wines- it was like winning the lottery.
And then night 3 was at Max’s store in Pound Ridge. A few months earlier, I had lucked into a pristine bottle of 1959 VCC, and when I told John Gilman about it- who I knew well online but had not yet met- he suggested putting together a VCC dinner. And when he invited Max, Max went a step further and offered to host the entire dinner at his shop.
To this day, that evening remains one of the greatest wine tastings I have ever attended. I not only met John for the first time, but Mark that was also our first in-person meeting. And it was also my first chance to meet Max as well as a number of Westchester collectors who in the long run turned out to share my mad passion for things like Chateau Magdelaine and Mosel Riesling.
The VCC vertical started with the 1945 and ended with the 1990. I would also note that ever since that dinner I have almost always done verticals from old to new- where previously I would go new to old. The wines were exceptional- with 1949 and 1959 my personal favorites, though I think 1945 probably the greatest of them all. And once we got through with those, I opened a 1989 Lafite and 1999 Margaux which felt like drinking candy at first after all those nuanced old VCCs. And another lesson learned- the great power of proximity when you put very different great wines side by side and the need to see past that. A flurry of great wines followed- notably a magnificent 1985 La Mission just beginning to reveal itself. That was also the night that first raised alarm bells for Gilman and I over 2001 Yquem and its future prospects - a 750mL that was heavily doused with tarragon and oak and very different from the mind-blowing half bottle I had tried at release. And to top off the evening- a 1959 Egon Muller that was glorious, and still improving as we finished it some time later.
For all the great wines, the food was also absolutely splendid. An Italian dinner we were promised- and that is what we had. Brilliantly prepared in several courses that married quite beautifully with the wines. Of greatest note were the artichokes. One of my favorite foods, and not usually wine friendly- but they were cooked and seasoned that night to suit the wines perfectly. It was a huge tray with probably 30 FRESH long-stemmed artichoke hearts. It was one of the few times in my life I ate fresh artichokes anywhere other than my home.
All that magical evening, Max was just sitting there grinning and laughing- despite his years of experience, living in the same wonderland I was as a virtual newbie in such a setting. His passion and hospitality were contagious- I don’t recall anything negative about that evening- just a group of people coming together with a genuine and deep love for great wine.
The 1950 VCC magnum was a masterful fake. I agree it had to be a Rodenstock work. Rudy was really so very sloppy, but in the market of Rodenstock’s time the collectors were fewer in number and far more educated. I know because Texas had quite a share of such collectors, as a review of Broadbent’s Great Vintage Wine Book reveals when he refers to great tastings and their hosts. So curious as it would seem, Houston was a pretty good place for a future wine collector and appraiser to learn the ropes.
In any event, even today that Rodenstock bottle would be almost impossible to spot as fake. The capsule erosion, the placement and concentrations of cellar dust, the color of the glass, the label- all brilliantly done. Maureen Downey with all her technical knowledge and mastery probably would have been able to call it right- but I cannot think of anyone else who could have spotted it as a fake unopened. However, once it was opened and revealed as a California Syrah-dominated blend, it was obvious given being served side by side with so many legitimate vintages. Tucked into a massive tasting of a hodge-podge of wines- especially toward the end of the night- it might have passed muster in some circles.
And Max, with his endless generosity and intellectual curiosity, made a fact-finding mission out of it. He gave the bottle a good once over, and then Mark and I had a go- making notes and talking through some of Rodenstock’s more ingenious touches, and before we could finish- back came Max from the cellar with two mystery bottles to replace our errant VCC.
Blind tasted- I guessed the first as 1975 Haut-Brion. It turned out to be the 1955. Next up I guessed pre-war Mouton for what turned out to be a really beautiful bottle of 1926 Chateau Latour. It has largely faded but retained a core of cassis fruit that glowed as it gently cast out ribbons of walnut, forest floor and leather- with a hint of wild cherry on the long and remarkably persistent finish. With replacements like that, I’ll gladly have a fake 1950 VCC any day.
Sorry for the long story, but Max made it worth telling. Now everyone knows why things were rough the last year or two- and it was all the more important to tell the world what a great man and lover of wine he really was. Rest in Peace Max. Prayers and well wishes for the wonderful family who will carry on your legacy.
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So sorry to hear the news. Thanks for posting Sarah!
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Too bad. And too young. RIP Max.
I had the pleasure of living around the corner from Max’s store. He had a zeal for wine that was authentic and inspiring, and despite the rabbit hole of knowledge he possessed he was humble and unassuming. Max was also a gifted writer… his newsletters were the stuff of legends.
I’ll never forget meeting him for the first time. It was a Sunday afternoon and one of the first things he said to me when I walked into his store was, “are you a Piedmont fan? We have a Jeroboam of 1978 Cigliuti Barbaresco opened from our tasting yesterday, and there’s still some left. Want a glass?” It was a pivotal “see the light” experience for me… my first encounter with wine that old that was still fresh and singing beautifully. What a blessing to share that memory (and so many more to come) with Max.
I was searching online to see if an obituary had been published yet and came across this fundraiser hosted by Max’s daughter to help his family with expenses. Passing it along here for those who are interested…
Lastly, I am sharing one of the last newsletter emails Max sent to his distribution list… see below. There is great wisdom in it, and it shines a light on how special this man was. RIP Max. You will be missed by so many.
7/31/2021
Good morning old and new friends! It’s a glorious day in New York, almost fall like, with crisp, clean air and low temperature. It’s good to be alive!
A some may have noticed, email output has been low lately (it is summer after all). Well, it was my birthday on July 27th, so I took a few days off to ponder and enjoy time with family. Did not check emails once, and I don’t think that has happened in over 20 years 
But it is good to disconnect once in a while. Good for mind and body.
Next is a story that, aside from family of course, I have shared with very few, close customers/friends. Life has been a challenge for all of us, since March 2020 and Covid, and certainly did not feel good about piling on with my own afflictions.
My Story…Today…
On my birthday last year, July 27th 2020, while enduring the nightmare of shutdowns, lockdowns, and stress through the roof, I had a colonoscopy scheduled (Happy Birthday to me!), after a few months of strange symptoms. Well, lo and behold, on July 27th 2020 I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. I know I am not the first, and I won’t be the last, but I feel that the time to share this is now, one year later.
Since November 30th 2020, I have endured bi-weekly sessions of chemotherapy, along with a six day tour of radiation. Of all the local customers who have seen me throughout this ordeal, while I have kept business open and going, no one has noticed a thing. I have alway taken good physical care of myself, with proper diet and exercise. All I have done over the past 30 years or so, have paid off, as my body has remained strong and healthy. I have actually gained 20 pounds during treatment, and aside from some very annoying side effects from chemo (little nausea here and there, a metallic taste in my mouth that lasts for a week or so, nails that don’t grow, etc I feel quite well, if I must say.
Response to treatment was immediate and noticeable. One year later, it looks like I am approaching full remission and, the question that will be answered next month when I meet with my surgeons at Sloan Kettering, is if I will need any surgery. Hope not, of course.
Life constantly throws curveballs, and we are rarely prepared for them. From the second day of my diagnosis, instead of crawling under a rock and cry, I took this as a blessing, a sign. This was the kick in the ass (yes, literally), I needed to make important changes to my life, my attitude towards work, family, friends, and re-evaluate what truly matters. As we all know, without our health, we have NOTHING. Every day we strive to work harder, challenge ourselves to be better, more productive, richer. What we tend to forget, in the fervor of life, especially during our younger days, feeling invincible, is that there are always consequences and prices to pay. Nothing is free in life, except the sun and the air, which we tend to ignore sometimes, as we are busy being alive, and sometimes not truly “living”…until we get older, and hopefully wiser.
I know a few clients that are going through the same ordeal, of have gone through it. The journey may not always be fun, but we have to remain grateful, loving, charitable, and not sweat the small stuff.
When it comes to business, this is just wine after all. One of the many pleasures of life, but still trivial when looked at from a different perspective. The Wine Connection has been my baby for 30 years now, I am working hard, but not too hard right now. Not because I cannot work harder (I feel 100% fine and I certainly could), but because I simply do not want to. I make more time for myself now, my family, few friends, my meditations, and of course my music. As some of you know, I am a guitar player, and music, listening and playing A LOT, has been my saving grace, my mental cure throughout this journey.
So…NEVER forget to hug your children, kiss them, your parents (if they are still, around, mine are sadly not, but at least they don’t have to worry about me), friends, do the things you love, turn off your gadgets once in a while, go outside, hug a tree, barefoot, bask in the early morning sun. Life can be as simple and pleasurable as we make it…and it all could change in the blink of a an eye. Be grateful, every single day.
The Wine Connection is re-opening today, on this beautiful day, after three days off, and I am looking forward to go moving some boxes and see my friends.
Cheers, love to all, and as always, thank YOU for your support!
Max
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Thank you Mike.
Thanks for sharing, I like Max’s perspective on what’s important in life.
My sentiments exactly. Will miss Max.
So sad, I was lucky enough to visit the store when Bruno Borie was there, Max had arranged his visit and with a purchase of a bottle of Ducru, Bruno would sign it. Still have the bottle.
RIP Max.
RIP, and thanks everyone for all the stories about someone I now wish I had known or met. They are touching and even inspiring to read.
So sad to learn of Max passing, such a loss. I met around 20-25 years ago at the old store and was so amazed at the incredibly beautiful new store. I saw him a number of times over the past 2 years picking up wine at the store and had no idea he had cancer during this time. Reading the stories posted has been wonderful for me but also poignant and sad to read his own email written about a year ago at which time all seemed so hopeful only to have that dashed and have passed a year later. I was concerned something was not right in the past few months because I wasn’t receiving his terrific emails with his on point wine writing and amazing wine finds and offers. And more recently I had called the store multiple times and was only getting voice mail. Today I went on the Wine Conn web site where it is announced that he had passed.