Guest commentary by Beatrice Russo
It’s 10:30PM and I get a call from IWG. He’s still at the wine dinner and has a 6:30AM flight to New Orleans for a meeting. Can I write a post for his blog?
Seeing as the last time I did one was in October and the one before that was August, I thought I had weaned myself from that activity. But he did let me use his car when he was in Italy and he helped me get a job. So I guess one more time won’t hurt.
I’ve tasted a load of wine lately and my palate is scorched. Too much Chile, New Zealand and Spanish wines. I miss the Italians. Those are the wines my friends like.
Does that come as a surprise to you? IWG said that too, but he had heard twice today from salespeople and accounts the same song. Hey, some of us in this generation like wines that have flavor profiles. Some of us actually like the combination of coffee, pine and bacon fat.
IWG has been telling stories about his recent Italian harvest trip. Yeah, some of the stories he has been writing here, but man he has worn me out with the other ones, the ones not yet written. I guess he has to tell somebody.
I’ve just been so busy with the gig and all the new wines I’ve had to learn. It’s like Italian wine is a memory from childhood, at this point. But when I get together with my friends, they all ask me to bring some wine from IWG’s house. First, it is free and second, they like Italian wine.
Hey Italian wine producers – young people in their 20’s aren’t all whacked out on beer and Jager. We go to wine bars, we read, and we spend money on wine. So stop making it hard for us to afford your wine and tell your politicians to book their round trip to the sun in time for the holidays.
Coffee – went over to a friend’s house. He just got a coffee roaster. I smell that aroma in all kinds of wine from reds from Tuscany to whites from Burgundy. I like it. It’s cleansing.
Pine – sometime ago I was in Yosemite and in the upper part the pine trees on a hot summer day sent out this smell that was pure and beautiful. I sometimes smell that in California wines and also in some French wines from Bordeaux and the Rhone. Also in Barbera d’Alba.
Bacon fat – Aglianico, Nero d’Avola, Zinfandel, Lagrein and Hermitage. Very cool. Who wants a size 2 wine? Give me some meat on those ribs.Hey I didn’t tell IWG I’d do a great post, just that I’d fill in for him.
He’s busy, I’m busy, you don’t have to scan this one – it’s short.
Art, IWG and Bea - from the movie