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Just take everything down to Highway 61 ♫
Maybe it’s the little 60’s marathon I am running in my head, but lately it seems like we are doing everything we can to kill the wine business in the world. Actively. No, it’s not like we are sitting around doing nothing; we are marching full speed with this one. Or maybe it’s just an overactive imagination once again seared by the blinding triple digit heat of summer. Maybe it is time for a real vacation.
Where to start? Just a few random thoughts and then back to a really busy day.
1) Selling all your wine to one country at the highest price possible will come back to bite you in the ass. Yeah, I’m talking to you Bordeaux. You say it’s a luxury item? Yeah, so is Ferrari, and that’s an even bigger business than Bordeaux. But Ferrari has found a way to build their business in the world – in Russia, and yes in China and India, but also in America. As well as in their home market. And it ain't exactly like a Ferrari is cheap. In fact, Fiat has been kicking around the idea to sell Ferrari, because it is so valuable. Maybe if France ever gets in trouble like Greece (or Portugal, or Spain, or Italy?) they can seize the First Growths as a National Asset and sell the whole kit-and-caboodle to, I don’t know, General Foods? You think I’m kidding? Wait and watch. But one thing for sure, Bordeaux, you’re killing us softly with your song…
2) The
Italian DOC/G debacle. No one is more tired of this mishegas than I. The politicians have totally played this one. What’s the number now, 71? 59? WTF? Even as a diversion, kind of a mental crossword puzzle, the DOC/G mess is trite and meaningless. What’s even wackier is when someone studying to pass a test somewhere in the world argues with me over the number. Now, when someone like gp in Italy says,”hey dude, it’s Aglianico
Superiore” I’m cool with that. But when a waiter in Watsonville wants to tell me how the Italian government works, I just fall over on the floor laughing uncontrollably. Really? You know how the mind of an Italian bureaucrat works? Chapeau, mon ami. To the Italians who run the DOC/G disaster: It’s getting to the point where you’re no fun anymore...
3) Lost in Pace – damn the days seem long. Duh – we just passed over the summer equinox. Triple digit duh. But running in this weather (and I do – outside – daily – it’s when I take my Camus moment) and taking in the day – I don’t know where it’s going. But where we’ve been? How to say it best. Yesterday I was in an office with a colleague and I looked over to him and said, "Jeez, it feels like December." Meaning the work, the pace, the stress. His immediate reply,"It’s felt like December since December." Fuh real. I’d like to know where we got the notion that we can move forward in a boat that’s rocking so much...
That’s it…that’s all I’ve got. Not the end of the world. It’s freaking summer, we can’t get any wine out of Italy no how anyway – they are all packing to go to the beach. Yeah, that’s right you heard me. Nothing to see here, now move along...
