Musings from the Bench

High and dry in Zabriskie Point - Recently some commentors

have said to me, "Hey Mac, how about being a little more PC?"

At yesterday’s Brunello and Super Tuscan wine tasting (very casual, at a local store, for shoppers) I had the chance to talk to several folks shopping around for wine. The topic of the Wine Spectator #1 wine of the Year came up. Seems the 2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello Tenuta Nuova (the WS #1 pick) sold out rather quickly. (Online it is selling for up to $185.00 a bottle). But there was still some of the 2000 in the store, both the regular Tenuta Nuova (under $50.00) and the single vineyard Cerretalto (over $100.00) were still available. So a couple of folks started talking about their scores. Scores, scores, scores…

The WS #2 wine, 2003 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (retail $85.00 but now up to $285.00) really punctuated the relative value of a wine. Or the outer limits of the value of a wine.

Reuben Swartz had a posting about this recently on his Dollars & Sense: The Pricing Blog entitled, The Price of Wine—Not About the Wine . One of his quotes, “Wine valuation is a great example of people not really knowing what something is worth, or even why. In many cases, we do not buy a product, we buy an experience.”

He links a recent piece in The Economist, Fruity Little Numbers, regarding a way wine is valued.

An interesting piece here from CNBC about Wine Economics, if you have a QuickTime player (free download here)

Probably the driest thing about the wine industry can be found here, but if you like numbers, you might find it illuminating. Fasten your seatbelts, the American Association of Wine Economists can be an interesting perspective on the wine business (but hey, I like the TV program Numb3rs).

While I might be boring to the point of death on this dry subject ( reminding you my bench at the top overlooks Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, although it is in the preferred southwest direction), Sébastien Lecocqa and Michael Visserb have written a rather dry but interesting article about the subject, What Determines Wine Prices: Objective vs. Sensory Characteristics, published in the Journal of Wine Economics, Volume 1, Number 1, Spring 2006. Premise being, an controlled evaluation where “The hedonic technique is applied to wines. In the price equation we include objective characteristics appearing on the label, as well as sensory characteristics and a grade assigned by expert tasters.”

The Hypothesis

Within those pages, Jancis Robinson weighs in. “Another puzzle is the lack of correlation between price and pleasure. Perhaps it is not so surprising that a first-rate example of a little known wine can seem much more memorable than something more famous selling at ten times the price; part of the thrill is the excitement of discovery and the feeling of having beaten the system.” — Confessions of a Wine Lover, Penguin Books,1997.

Another and interesting anecdote, "Ernest Gallo, the patriarch of the family-owned E&J Gallo Winery in California (the largest winemaker in the world), recalls how, in the early stages of his career, he once sold wine in New York. He offered a buyer two glasses of the same red wine, the buyer drank the two glasses and asked for the prices of the ‘two’ wines. Upon hearing that the first wine cost 5 cents per bottle, and the second 10 cents, the buyer declared he wanted the 10 cents bottle."

The Solution - Simple, wasn't it?

In their concluding remarks (and I urge the interested one to read the whole abstract, it’s

not that boring) , “Our results indicate that characteristics that are directly revealed to the consumer upon inspection of the bottle and its label (ranking, vintage and appellation) explain the major part of price differences. Sensory variables do not appear to play an important role. Out of some fifteen sensory characteristics, only two or three have a significant impact in the hedonic price equation.”

Still there? Need an espresso? A break to pull the clothes out of the drier? Return a call from Ben Bernanke?

So what does it mean to us?

I was showing a young lad around the store, one who has some discretionary income, and is a lover of wine. And not just a number chaser. While I was talking to him, my internal “now I’ve got something to write about on the blog” monologue was really wondering why folks think there is so much difference between a Gaja 2000 Sori San Lorenzo for $300.00 and a Produttori del Barbaresco 2000 Paje’ for $50.00?

Orley Aschenfelter says, if the property brings in grapes that are worth $5,000.00 a ton, the value of the wine is 1/100th of that cost. That would mean $50.00. I dont believe Gaja's grapes are coming in at a cost of $66,000.00 per hectare. So there must another factor there, call it mystique, call it rarity, call it years of hard work in the vineyards and on the streets. It doesn't diminish the quality of the Paje' by any means. It could strengthen the appeal of it. A vineyard of barely 6 acres with wine that sells for $50.00. 1,600 bottles to the acre. You do the math, it's looking like a find. 6 bottles of Paje' for 1 of San Lorenzo?

Look sometimes, we think we’ve got a big bad machine and then a little school bus stops us dead in our tracks. It seems mainly to be a guy thing, this quest for testosterone in a bottle, like a Trophy Wife. Used to be Petrus, now it’s Screaming Eagle. Used to be a Cadillac, now it’s a Hummer. Now it’s a Trophy Wine. Above the $50.00 dollar price level, how many of us can really tell? I asked a Master Sommelier friend of mine this question. If anyone would know, wouldn’t he? Guess again. He said, "I'm a Master Sommelier, not a Super Sommelier."

I feel for the wine lover, especially the folks who want to put a few cases away for the future. And not just for their kid's college education. It could feel like trudging that heavy old boat up the river, towards some heart of darkness point of no return.

Not as much as the poor blokes who spend $20-30,000.00 a month on their obsession with cornering the market for all the Big Red Wines out there. I could give them the name of an orthopedic surgeon who went through that phase, dug a hole in his home, and proceeded to bury hundreds of thousands of dollars in it, only to find he had a cellar full of trophy wines that weren’t drinkable or, if they were to someone, not to him. Not anymore.

My long-drawn-out-point is, if as Reuben Swartz says, "you are really not buying a product but an experience", do you want a one night stand or do you want wine on your rack that you can live with?

Seth Godin said it best, today - “We sell feelings. We don't sell stuff.”

Saturday's Lagniappe ~ When in Rome ~ Olive Oil Sommelier Course & Tachis Seminar

Over at the Well Fed Network I have a few postings...might want to check them out. This is a well organized site with a collective pool of writers. Saturday's lagniappe before heading out to a Brunello and Super Tuscan tasting. Shopping? Nahhhh...

Master Class ~ Wine as Medicine

Olive Oil Sommelier Course ~ It’s the Real Thing

And if you are vegging out this weekend, here's 8 minutes that you'll never get back....next page

Go to Movie here

Vinolin Tags sommelier course collective pool olive oil lagniappe when in rome well fed brunello tuscan wine medicine shopping

Wine Marketing & Sex Appeal in Sicily ~ No Small Potatoes

What is happening in Sicily?

Every year for the last 6 or so years at Vinitaly, Sicily has been front-and-center in the advance of Italian wine. Wineries such as Planeta and Donnafugata have raised the bar of expectations, while other lesser known wineries, such as Arancio and Colosi have increased interest in easier to access styles of wine. More established wineries such as Tasca D’Almerita and Rapitala are re-inventing themselves. Sicily is like Mt. Etna, always in a state of change, often explosive in some of those changes.

At this moment, Etna is tossing and turning within. Sicily wants on the world wine stage, capable of production in quantities rivaling Australia, but wanting to be seen as serious.

Now we are seeing non-islanders coming with their ideas. And this is just a facet of the revolution that is going on in Sicilian wine production. But if 2 is a pattern and 3 is a trend, we’re on our way to the next trend in wine from Sicily. How about 4 ?

The two wines are Fourplay from Tuscan winery Dievole and Quattro from Veneto winery Voga. Both play on a sexy concept, with clever packaging to boot. Both capitalize on blended red wine, in each case 4 varietals. Fourplay uses traditional Sicilian grapes, Frappato Nero, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Nero d'Avola in equal parts, while Quattro utilizes Merlot, Cabernet, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. The two wines couldn’t be more different in their makeup but both are aiming for a similar audience. A youthful market? Can they do it? Who will succeed?

Smoke rings from Mt. Etna

It will be an interesting experiment to watch. Right now, it’s a fairly minor battle as the Sicilian market isn’t a dominating one, at least in the United States. But it is illustrating the willingness to experiment with both traditional and modern styles. In the next week or so we will try them together, but today I’m not really interested in the taste.

Sicily is a captivating developmental laboratory for the European wine community, not just for Italy. For historical reasons the Sicilians have had good relations and trade with the French wine industry. One of Emile Peynaud’s protégé’s, Raymond Chandou, once told me of his many friends in Palermo and the Sicilian wine community. And that is going back 20 or more years, at this writing. And while there is word of a wine glut in Europe, there is always hope that this cycle will swing back up. It has before, and when it does, will the Europeans, and the Italians, and Sicily, be poised to supply export markets with their fighting varietals?

I’m not saying Fourplay or Quattro will be the next Yellow Tail or 2 buck Chuck. That more likely will be for other companies, say Settesoli or Arancio. As for the idea of selling sexy bottles of wine, most often to women, the marketing folks might want to ask those women what they really want, instead of treating them like sex objects. Young women, speak up.

One last wish. Go to many of the wineries linked in this post and find yourself confronted with the frustrating confinement of the Flash player. Some time ago I commented on this and could only hope someday the web designers come back to a simpler way of presenting their ideas on the web. For God’s sake you can’t get a decent connection in much of Tuscany, let alone in Piazza Armerina.

I’m not really going any farther with this, just sensing something happening in Sicily below the surface. My own impression, Sicily has been my California in Italy. If only they could capture that energy, that Etna of the spirit that flows through the hearts and minds of the Sicilians. Then Australia would have something to worry about.

Satellite View of Etna ~ for more click here

The Tender Melancholy of Remembrance

Tulips and forget-me-nots, ancient bottles of Petite Sirah, soup made by Mom, broken hearts that may someday mend.

Ahhh, Wednesday in the garden of the mind, in the dark, with a cold front bearing down upon us. Winter is coming.

A few nights ago I had a dream about the "first love". For the duration of the dream I was innocent, the world was farther away from me, it didnt touch me so much. The heart was stronger, but lighter, and less supple than it is now. It was such a sweet, sweet moment. Did it ever exist?

What was your first-love from the world of wine? Was it Boones Farm or Bordeaux, Thunderbird or Muller-Thurgau? Blue Nun or Pio Cesare?

If I could find a wine as sweet as that first kiss, with the aroma of that perfume she wore. A little cherry, a warm sunflower blossom, delicate powder and the young skin whose chemistry made all of that into an indelible memory that I have yet to find in all these years, tasting and breathing in the bouquet of thousands of wines. Never yet.

To the young kids, sommeliers and career builders, master sommelier and master of wine hopefuls, those of you who might think getting that certificate will lead you, solely, to a life of fame and fortune.

Take a moment. Put away the PDA's and the Ipods. Go outside and take a walk around your block, wherever you are. Every 10 feet, close your eyes and open up your olfactories. Your ancient sense, the one only you have with only your unique set of memories.

Breathe deep, and hold.


And breathe out.

And open your eyes, and walk into your new world.

Every day.

Master that....

Dining As If Dreaming

Thursday night is a bit of a blur, seems more like a vague memory than something that recently happened. It feels like something has been dropped on my foot. Slight headache, but a few aspirin took care of that. I encountered some rare wines in the past few hours and days.

1959 Chateau Mouton Rothschild – The first time I had this wine, in 1985, with Michael Broadbent in Chicago, it was a memorable experience. This one was from a bottle with slightly lower than optimal fill level. The whole gang was there; tea, leather, tobacco, dust, old, distinguished, tired, and finally silence. The glass was empty.

1985 La Chapelle Hermitage – this wine seems like an old friend now. We met when we were both younger, more youthful, red faced and full of rage. Now we both are mellower. There’s some of this at home as well as on the island.

1928 D’Yquem. – What a difference 20 years makes. Much more for us mere humans than the wine. This first time I had this wine it was as old as I am now. I hope I fare as well.

There are more….but tasting notes are not what this dream is about

On to the Italian coast. An early departure, thank God the coffee was Italian in style. While cooler than on Corsica, a private landing strip between Pisa and the Maremma was a welcome sight. A month earlier, in waking moments, I had been in the southern Maremma near Grossetto. It reminded me of Santa Barbara in California. The area north was a little more scrub-like, fewer trees, more rangeland. Our last stop would be a hilltop estate.

The owner rarely lives in Italy, preferring to stay with his family in New York or Spain, away from the potential kidnappers and ransom masters. Security was tighter than La Guardia Airport on Sept 19, 2001. But you wouldn’t know it. You couldn’t see it if your eyes were open. But all was in place. I asked my friend why we didn’t just deliver this to their offices in New York. His comment, “These folks pay to have it where they want it, when they want it. It might not make sense to little folks like you and me, but they live in a different world.”

Money is no object, when it comes to getting sensitive material in a private manner. A fax doesn’t transmit in this world, this diary of a somnambulist. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and it will be all bright and painful and it will have gone away.

Friday 1:00 pm – The headache is returning. My right foot as if it is asleep. Maybe sitting in the back of the limo for this long, bumpy ride has caused it to flair up. Maybe not sleeping in the past few days. In any event, no one needs to envy me on this trip a cross between a Twilight Zone episode and an Ionesco play.

Finally, at the top of the hill, beyond a row of cypress and behind a cover of trees, we are led to the villa. We meet the final client, a man in his mid 40’s, with a few young men on the outside acting as cover and watchdogs, along with the watchdog. A lawyer, an elderly man, was also present. We have been eagerly awaited, the water was boiling and they were ready to have lunch. And they were waiting for us.
Over a plate of antipasti, little seagoing creatures, fresh and marinated, we sipped a glass of Vermentino from the region. A friend of the client, Marco Bacci, has an estate down the coast, Terre di Talamo. The Vermentino “Vento” was fresh and crisp. Not biodynamic, but nonetheless organic, it was as unsullied as the land we were on. Modernity was natural in this territory as there were no over layers of ritual demanded of the inhabitants, only a deference to position and place.

A pappardelle alla lepre (see recipe below) was then served with a young light red from the area, A Sangiovese and Cabernet blend. Almost resembling a rose’ wine or a Beaujolais, it was perfect with the pasta.

The main course (and this would be our only meal of the day, but one that would last for 5 hours) was a wonderful Bocconcini di Manzo Stufati al Morellino di Scansano. Fittingly we had it with Morellino di Scansano. Six of them. A 2004, 2000, 1990, 1985, 1982, 1976. They had a saying,” Old Morellino doesn’t die, it gets turned into sauce.”

The whole idea of dining as long as one sleeps is interesting, because it becomes a kind of sleep. The different courses are like different dreams, in fact they are. The moments between the courses, the conversation, the stories all weave into the dreamlike nature of these past few days. Very disembodying, but very wonderful.

Finally, one of the old guards was also a great pastry chef in his early days. A Sicilian, and trained with a knife in more ways than most of us could imagine. He was famous for his “capi duzzi di ricotta” , little fried pies filled with fresh ricotta. It went well with a Marsala Riserva Speciale 10 year from de Bartoli, the only exception to the drink local code. But Marsala, is a wine for honorable men with honorable intentions. Another code, this one unbreakable.

With that we disembarked back to the States, arriving Saturday, a little earlier than planned. But an elderly friend was in need of having his life’s belongings, a life of wine, packed up and stored away. But that’s another story for another time.


*IWG's note- As it is not my intention to deceive you, I must confess. In reality I have really been laid up with a broken toe. And no pain medicine. So I thought it would be a good diversion (for me) to write about another place and time, to get my mind off the pain and the hassle. The wines mentioned the last two postings have all actually been drunk somewhere in time, in the past, by me. I thought it would be a good exercise (seeing as I cannot actually step outside and take a run, my usual exercise) to weave some wines tasted with an imaginary trip. I know a few of you wrote, thinking I was either nuts or out of my mind. Only with the temporary agony of a physical infirmity. The wines were all tasted but the places were not visited. This time. Most of the pictures I did take. I hope I did not offend anyone by taking them on my imaginary journey with me. Then again if any of you had called you would have known my predicament and possibly come to my aid. But not to worry. I am on the mend. Slowly, but eventually.

The recipeSALSA ALLA LEPRE
½ Lepre
1 cipolla
1 carota
1 costola di sedano
3 bacche di ginepro
2 chiodi di garofano
2 foglie di alloro
1 spicchio di aglio
1 bicchiere di vino rosso
400 gr di pomodori pelati
sale pepe nero olio extra vergine di oliva

Lavare la lepre, tagliarla a pezzi e metterla "a far l' acqua" in un tegame a fuoco vivace per 3 minuti. Scolare, sciacquare con acqua. In un tegame a parte far rosolare con l' olio d' oliva la cipolla, il sedano, e la carota finemente tritati. Quando il soffritto avrà raggiunto una colorazione marrone, aggiungere lo spicchio d' aglio tritato, le bacche di ginepro ed i chiodi di garofano schiacciati. Subito dopo unire la lepre e farla amalgamare al soffritto cuocendo e mescolando per un minuto. Bagnare con vino rosso, far evaporare, aggiungere i pomodori pelati passati, le foglie di alloro, salare, pepare e far cuocere per un’ora abbondante a fuoco lento a tegame coperto. A cottura ultimata togliere la lepre dal tegame, disossarla su un tagliere e tritarla finemente. Mettere nuovamente la lepre nel tegame con la salsa.

PAPPARDELLE
3 uova
200 gr di farina di grano tenero
100 gr di farina di grano duro
olio extra vergine di oliva e sale

In una ciotola mescolare le farine e poi disporle a fontana sul tavolo. Al centro mettere le uova, l’ olio ed il sale. Far incorporare la farina lentamente, dopodiché lavorare energicamente finchè la pasta non risulti liscia ed elastica. Far riposare per 10 minuti. Tirare la pasta fine e tagliarla a strisce di 4 cm di larghezza. Lessare le pappardelle in abbondante acqua salata e condire con la salsa alla lepre.

The Busiest Time of the Year

* Up, Up, & Away...

A friend, who has an interesting profession, called on Tuesday night. "I have to personally courier some papers, contracts and such, to Paris, then to Corsica and finally, to Pisa. I have a private jet and extra space for one person. I have the jet until Monday. Wanna come?"

I have known for some time that this friend was at the disposal of some interesting propositions. He works in the entertainment field, brokering deals between studios and some big stars.

Dallas to Paris was a snap, there in time to deliver the papers to the first of his clients, a well to do gentleman who loves seafood and biodynamic wines. We were to dine with him.To go with the freshly caught fish, he opened an Aligoté Domaine d'Heilly Huberdeau to start. Eventually we got around to the L'Etoile Domaine de Montbourgeau of Jean Gros. The client is a gentleman-farmer and a producer, and we talked the night out about all manner of things, wine and film mainly.

My latest interest in byodynamic was further piqued. There was just enough time for a morning stop by another friends wine shop, to pick up some wine that had been ordered months ago and was waiting for one of us to pick it up. With a private plane, how could one resist?

We were going to Corsica, to Bonifacio, where his other client, an eclectic American actor, would meet us.

While Paris was chilling down, Corsica was experiencing one last brief moment of sun. Sun worshipers were gathering the last of the rays while his client crouched, characteristically, nearby.

Thanks to the satellite wireless connection of the client and his generosity in letting me post this. Bonifacio has an interesting history. Not unlike many of the places in southern Italy and France. I felt right at home here, in fact the French was mixed in with a little of the local dialect which reminds me of my Sardinian friends patois. Near the Semaphore of Pertusato we were invited to a dinner. Once again the Biodynamic world intersected our paths, this time with an array of wine from the island starting with the Patrimonio AOC of Sylvain Paoli of Farinole. It reminds me of a dry muscat I have had in Pantelleria, south of Sicily. Fresh, unctuous fruit, an almond and honey marmalade. Bone dry.

Thursday night was spent near Farinole in St-Florent, where his client has a villa. And a wonderful wine cellar. An interesting time so far. There'll be little or no sleeping on this journey. Already, in this short time, the *spirit* has been active.

* For all we know, this may only be a dream. (To be continued...)

Tags: wine shop, corsica, gentleman farmer, sun worshipers, paris, biodynamic, bonifacio, private jet, southern italy

An Essential Ingredient for the Holidays

Yes, Virginia, it's very important to pick out the perfect wine to go with the perfect turkey, or lobster, or hot dogs, whatever meal you will have with your family or your friends or yourself. There are plenty of places online, newspapers, TV, all telling you what to eat, what to drink, what to drink with what you eat, who to drink it with and how to find the time to do it all. Fine. When you have figured all of that out, consider the attached video and what it might mean to you when you gather.
Advisory: the following video is uncharacteristically schmaltzy of me. My long-time friend, Patty , would approve.
What to bring to the gathering


Gotta go catch a *plane* - will post as soon as I'm able

What to Drink With What You Eat & Who Needs to Know

I was reading some entries from another site and pondering the whole idea of someone needing to know how to eat, how to drink, how to match it and why someone should tell anyone what they should do in that regard.

Before you get to thinking that I'm set to disregard guidebooks, that's not where I'm going. What I am reaching for is another direction.

Last night in a new restaurant in Austin, Texas with friends and clients, we were pondering the wine list. All Italian. The first wine I ordered was cooked. The next wine was fine. The following wine gave me such a terrible headache that I spent most of the night awake with a real pounder. It wasn’t from excess. Something was wrong in the winemaking. And something was more wrong in the wine buying.

I'm attuned, after some time, to look at wine from an enjoyment perspective. But deeper down there is an appreciation for a well-made wine. It can come from anywhere. But a thread of quality runs through those examples that reflect sound winemaking principles, healthy and sound wines. When wines age in warehouses or when distributors go out of business, wines that have languished in storage, especially if they aren’t of the highest quality or if they have been aged beyond their potential, can produce results that are less than optimal.

When a wine buyer offers to take these products into their restaurants or retail stores and represent them as sound examples of wine, it makes me wonder about the other products in the business. Are they buying eggs on close-out or mushrooms? How about pancetta or olive oil that have passed their expiration points? Maybe the bread isn’t as fresh on Sunday as it was on Friday? Or the shrimp smells a little too clean, like it has been passed over by a chlorine wash?

Maybe it's been a few too many days in contact with wine consultants who have gotten good press and believed it a little more than was good for them. And for their customers.

All this is written as a preface to a recent experience I had in Tuscany. There was no wine consultant who wrote the wine list, in fact the list was written in pencil, very simple and innocent. We were in the heart of meat country and the place specialized in sea food. And they did it very well. The restaurant in Castlenuovo Berardenga is Da Antonio. And it was a wonderful example of 1) What to eat with what you drink and 2) what to put on a wine list that works with the food.

Da Antonio - Castelnuovo Berardenga

8 courses
1st- crudo of shrimp and small lobster
2nd – salad of fresh mushrooms, gamberetti and arugula
3rd - puree of eggplant and filet of sole
4th – salad of artichoke julienne and octopus and gamberetti
5th - fried small fish ( like sardine) and tempura style white octopus
6th - pasta with garlic and parsley and julienne calamari ( flat pasta cut on diagonal, small)
7th – rombo (turbo) filet , fresh mushroom and grilled prawns
8th – crème brulee’ or tortino cioccolato
- café and grappa
Wine- white blend of Zibbibo, Ansonica and Cataratto from Sicily - Donnafugata Anthilia

A Sicilian wine in Tuscany? That's what I thought. The lady of the house recommended it over Vernaccia, Galestro, Vermentino. We were not disappointed.

Too bad the last few outings back in the New World haven't been as fortuitous.

Perhaps the book, What To Drink With What You Eat, needs to be read by the young consultants who are writing today's wine lists. Or perhaps they need to get back in touch with their client base, folks who dine and have disposable income. Smart folks who travel, people who know quality. That they might have disposable income doesn’t mean that they want to drink wines that should have been disposed of months, or years, ago.

Many of us already know what to drink with what we eat. We want honest wines, healthy wines, and sound wines. At fair prices. If you want us to come back, take heed. There are too many possibilities, too many choices, to waste time on "consultants" with worse taste than their already bad attitudes. We are not stupid. We will not come back. You don’t have us at "hello."

And our "disposable income" is not at your disposal.

Don't disappoint us.

Tags: Italy, wine, Travel, Tuscany, italian wine, , italian-wine, italian wine guy, wine guy, On the Wine Trail in Italy,What to drink with what you eat

Note to Restaurateurs: This is Still the Hospitality Business.

Special commentary by guest reviewer Antonino Caracciolo

Italian Wine Guy has asked me to write about the hospitality business, especially from the aspect of running a restaurant. I'll start with a hypothetical review:

"The basic problem underlying our evening here can be summed up as, "Angry chef". We had made a booking for four at 8:15 on Thursday evening some five days earlier, arrived a little early with our guests and were told, "Fifteen minutes before the table is free". Cutting a very long story short, we were eventually seated almost an hour and a bottle of wine later having been bypassed by quite a few later arrivals. No apologies from the young hostess, her much junior assistant or the somewhat self-important maitre d'. In fact we weren't actually seated; we saw a table for four being cleared and seated ourselves, not wishing to stand and drink for another hour."

"The wait staff were OK although when my wife requested the halibut, it was almost refused. For the main courses, my rabbit was somewhat overdone, the osso buco were apparently good, the halibut was somewhat dry and overcooked but it was the liver that made this meal memorable for all the wrong reasons. Our guest asked for it to be lightly cooked and pink - what arrived was very dark, overcooked and tough as boot leather. Our guest returned the dish and asked for it again, lightly cooked. Ten minutes later a waiter came and asked her to choose something else: she declined and insisted on the liver but was told that it was only cooked "one way" (our friend is a superb cook). She eventually declined to order another main course and went to the kitchen, quietly, to speak to the chef. He eventually came out of the kitchen and, when asked to cook the liver lightly, refused and fairly abusively told our friend that he refused to cook it any other way. If she didnt like it she could leave right now, and asked the waiter to prepare the check."

"Following this, once the main course was finished, we decided to leave. We did not leave a tip ( a first for us) and, quite simply, will never return to Da Asinello. We had eaten there several times over the past four to five years and enjoyed the food but this last evening is unfortunately the one that we will remember."

This could be a review from a very popular restaurant. These things happen. A place gets a great review, someone from Vanity Fair writes about it, Saveur lists it as one of the best restaurants in America, and faster than you can say "Bam", the place changes into an emotional obstacle course. And we're just talking dinner for four!

Some places just take it as it comes. Recently, Italian Wine Guy told me, when he was in Tuscany, and went into Da Antonio in Castelnuovo Berardenga, as he entered, the hostess asked him if he knew this was a strictly seafood restaurant. Quite an unlikely occurrence in meat heavy Tuscany. IWG said,"yes, that's why I came here." Ok, qualifying the client.

At which time they had an 8 course, all-from-the-sea, meal. At the end the chef came out and sat nearby with some friends. They laughed, enjoyed each others company, and celebrated friends, food and life. Imagine, a chef sitting down with old friends and enjoying their time at work with their diners!

In Italy this seems to be a natural occurrence, it happens often and daily. Why is it in the USA the restaurateur sometimes acts like a high priest, a Pharisee, handing down verdicts and edicts as if from some divinely designated place?

The kitchen isn't an altar, and if it is, why must we treat this new religion of dining with the age old habit of fear? Is this the purpose of the restaurateur, to turn their establishment into a palace of panic?

Sure, there is plenty of pressure in the kitchen. But diners don't come for that, they come to escape the outside world.

Restaurateurs, remember your profession is one of hospitality and conviviality. Today's diners have the option of many choices. Screw up and they'll drop you like a hot potato. No matter how popular you are today. It's a stove, not a shrine. The only miracle diners want is to be treated with civility and respect.

Like we learned from Momma.