At age 20, I somehow got interested in the concept of a cellar in my parents SF basement. It just had that musty smell, darkness and intimacy I liked in the odd way most of us know. I found Louis Martini Barbera, Mountain Cabernet and others at the corner market. I tried one and never looked back.
In my mid 20’s I had a group of friends that were interested in wine. We’d regularly drive to Ridge Vineyards, Sonoma, and Mendocino. It’s funny looking back as we were seeking out what were then lesser known wineries.
I took the hobby briefly to the next level and made three wines at home - A SoCal Cabernet, a Napa Fume Blanc and a Lytton Springs Zin from grapes that were left hanging that the winemaker Walt Walters let us have. This brought me to a “y” in the road which was to either go to UC Davis and study viticulture (because I prefer the growing side) or go the CPA route. Happily and with no regrets I chose finance.
My 30’s, 40’s and up to age 56 dealt a wine blow, migraine headaches. I virtually stopped drinking and buying any alcohol for about 25 years, this despite my enjoyment. The pain wasn’t worth it. Fastforward to age 56 where my migraines vanished.
Within six months of pain freedom, I constructed a small cellar and began my adventure again, entirely with domestic wines of CA and OR. One thing led to another and the WB and CT sites became my daily reading. Then came burgundy, some bordeaux, rioja, barolo, brunello, and my love, Chablis. Chablis just has that understated fruit, cut and acid that I like despite the risk of you-know-what. I do have a very broad palate though and a diversified cellar. I can equally enjoy a old funky chinon, a lychee gewurz, a punchy zin, a dry or somewhat sweet riesling, a cassis cab and I haven’t met a Ceritas Porter Bass Chard I haven’t liked.
Now I have moved to storage at Wine Bank and that along with good connections to sources developed here at WB, I have that cellar I wanted back in my teens, without the musty part. I enjoy wine by myself or with others. I am married to a wonderful gal that drinks such a tiny amount of wine. We have four children and three out of four enjoy my pursuits with me.
Thank you all for enriching my life. It’s such a joy to read through comments, reviews, and I especially enjoy the joking around that goes on here.