You've Got To Be Kidding

So I woke this morning feeling a little blue about my baby having to fly back to Louisville today, (he works retail and has to be there for Black Friday) but it was still a treat to shuffle past his bedroom and see his giant, 6 foot frame snuggled under the covers of his bed, sweet bearded face and puffy as hell afro resting upon his pillow. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws last night so he would in fact be able to have a home cooked holiday meal, not MY holiday meal but still one that he grew up with…we always did two, one with the hubby’s family and then one at home with the sugar dusted rolls and our buttery stuffing.

So as a result of a nasty chest cold, (horrific coughing that is of course worsened by my smoking) I have pulled some muscles in my ribcage, so yeah the cold is gone but I’m still jacked up. The rib thing just blows, every move, every cough, even a deep breath sends mind bending pain along my side and around to my back…super fun I assure you. I’m sure a couple of days keeping still would right me but um…yeah, retail wine shops are like busy and junk around the holidays. Taking time off was not an option so I have just been nursing my wounds and making other people do all the heavy lifting and wheeling about of cases.

This morning as I walked past the kid’s room I noticed that my ribs felt better than they have in 3 days, I was thrilled and found myself almost giddy while reaching for a coffee cup and feeling no pain…Yay! Yeah well, fate was tempted by my excitement, he turned around a bitch slapped me. Bzzzzzz, scrape, scrape, bzzzzzzz, freaking gardeners where out with their blower dealies this morning and then it started. The eyes began watering, the nose running like someone turned on a faucet and then….the sneezing. Now sneezing and jacked ribs, not so much friends, bit of an oil and water thing actually. Within 40 minutes I looked liked one of those first day of school kids, eyes dripping, clear snot streaming out of my now red nose and I was doing that huffing thing because of the ice pick in the ribs pain, yeah super hot. There was however some good news, I didn’t have to take the kid to the airport….because I was working, dag-nab-it.



Sailed into work 15 minutes early, traffic was insanely light and I was waiting for a very important email so I was doing a bit of the pedal to the metal thing, that and sitting in the car is not the best position on the ole ribcage. Lugged my purse and computer bag out of the car and that’s when the, “Ahhh ahhh ahhh” started, the fucking almost sneeze, all the side splitting pain of a sneeze without the gratification, sweet. I swear I looked so pathetic, bright red, drippy nose, watering eyes smearing my makeup and clutching my side like someone having a heart attack. Got the lights on, the music on, read my email and went to turn on the registers…. “Your system has encountered an error” well of course it has. Shut down and restart did nothing, our machines were out, on Thanksgiving and the one person that might be able to fix it, (my hubby) was on his way to LAX to drop off the kid, awesome.

So how does a store control inventory and ring up sales when they have no registers, they hand write everything and use a calculator…oh and they must remember that wine is taxable food is not, sigh. I was working with Merritt who is highly capable but my other helper, new guy, just started last week and knows nothing about wine, and I am talking not knowing which name on the label is the important one kind of knows nothing. Sweet kid, hard worker and willing to learn but today, kind of useless. Phones ringing, (new kid can’t really answer much more than, “what time do you close today”) people needing wine help and lines at the counter while we wrote out each and every invoice…so yeah, when you have your head down and have a runny nose…first day at school kid.



“Sam there’s a person on the phone and I don’t really know what they want”…new kid, “This is Samantha, how can I help you?” my standard intro, “Yes I was wondering if you carry the raspberry Champagne?” I’m standing there watching the lines get longer, line two starts ringing and the new kid looks like he had been thrown in the deep end without his floaties… “No, no we don’t have any raspberry Champagne” I respond, “Oh why not? BevMo carries it and I would go there but they are closed today so I called you to see if you have it. I like the peach but I thought the raspberry would go better with turkey so I figured since BevMo was closed I would try you guys, can you get it?” Runny nose, watery eyes, the “ahh ahh” not “choo-ing” causing me to suck in my breath real hard and try not to yelp, and now I have this raspberry Champagne issue. We went round and round and once the caller heard that I would not be able to pull the requested, “raspberry Champagne” like out of my ass for them today, they said they would come in later and talk Champagne with me…wicked cool.

After two hours, some serious hand cramps, a couple, “excuse me” moments where I had to rush off to wipe my nose, a few, “OUCH oh my gawd oh my gawd” mind piercing side pains…oh and may I just throw in a couple panicky trips to the ladies room, because of course today was the day my uterus decides to behave like some demonic Pez dispenser….and the hubby was able to revive our system and things were back on track. I spent the remaining two hours in utter disbelief of the day started; it was like a cartoon with me playing the role as the gimp….but things were starting to look up.



Got home, got my bird in the oven, took a brief cat nap and had one of the most deliciously sweet dreams about a man I have never met…woke up with my heart pounding, my ribs feeling better and I was aching for a glass of wine. Walked into the kitchen, gingerly this time…not ready for another slap from fate, and opened the fridge to find….a bottle of H. Billiot Cuvee Julie, payment from Randy for the hubby’s saving our collective asses, shitty day? What shitty day?

Ending this day with an icy cold glass of Billiot Cuvee Julie, (was my pick for Champagne of the year by the way) the way the fruit exploded from the glass, the way the massive weight enveloped my palate, the way it left me tasting baked apples, toasted bread, Sherry and this sexy snap of apple skin…and it kept going, the flavors danced across my palate long after the wine had been washed down my eagerly awaiting, wanting…needing palate, unreal. The sheer power of that wine was unreal. Ended the night spinning in the hubby’s office chair with my adorable neighbor in my lap….giggling, we were both giggling.

Giving Thanks

Growing up in the house of a hard working, doing the best she can, but getting no financial help, single mother made holidays a bit…prickly. There were birthdays that were never brought up, not because she didn’t want us to celebrate, (we were poor not Jehovah) but because there was no extra money to spend on gifts, parties or cakes. Christmas was the most uncomfortable, I was born in love with the commercial idea of Christmas, (was not raised in a religious house) the lights, the gift wrap, the music, the specials on television and the idea of a jolly white bearded man flying all over the world to deliver gifts. It was never the getting of stuff, I never even really thought about getting stuff, but I found the whole thing so enchanting…my mother, well she did not. To her it was just one more reminder of the things she could not give us, it made her feel terrible and it showed. I did my best to contain my excitement around Christmas, even as I kid I understood her plight and how it pained her….never once wanted to make her feel worse.

There was however one holiday that she loved, a holiday we could celebrate as everyone else did, go all traditional and the one time of the year my mother didn’t feel like she was failing us in some way. That holiday was Thanksgiving and when I was little the one thing I would site that I was the most thankful for was, “Mom is happy today”. The last time I saw my mother we had all, gotten together to celebrate her 55th birthday at her favorite restaurant in Long Beach. She looked so happy, grandchildren around her, her favorite cut of prime rib in front of her, her now adult children, (my baby sister had just turned 18 a few days before) taking her out to dinner, she was beaming.




Three days later after returning home from a dinner with her cousin she suffered some shortness of breath while changing into her nightgown, she called 911 and an hour later I got a phone call….she was gone. A blood clot ended her life, a blood clot to her heart, always found some irony in that, her heart was the one thing she always had, it was full of love, pride and hope for her children, the hope that their lives would turn out better than hers. She gave us her heart, it was all she had to give really, and for that I am eternally grateful….to her and to how her rich heart made me strong, made me a fighter and taught me to appreciate the thought in even the tiniest of gestures. No gift wrap, no parties and no amount of birthday cake can compare to the gifts she bestowed upon me. I never got the chance to tell her that, I ran out of time….I can only hope that I made her proud, that I continue to make her proud and the legacy of her full heart will show in the strength and happiness of her daughters.



I think of my mother often but never as much as around Thanksgiving, her happy time. I find that my own heart feels richer, fuller and more tuned in to the things that matter, around Thanksgiving. This is a reflective time for me, a time of happy childhood memories around a table packed with olives, sweet pickles, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, (she always brushed her dinner rolls with butter and dusted them with sugar before baking, hated them as a kid, make them that way now) bright green sweet peas, raisin studded, buttery stuffing and a golden brown bird…my mother laughing, I remember very little of my childhood, Thanksgiving I always remember. I never want to, “run out of time” again…I want those that I love to know that I love them, I want to be truly grateful for each thing that touches me, changes me and adds to this person that I am. It may be a silly holiday gesture but for me…it means the world to gives thanks.

I am thankful for:

My Son Jeremy, without his entrance into my life I have no idea how far down that slippery slope I would have fallen. Being his mother made me a better person, knowing him makes me a better person and raising such an astonishingly magnificent young man makes me as proud as I have ever been.

My Husband, poor bastard…being married to me is no cake walk I assure you, his patience and understanding of what I need to feel truly happy is unsurpassed. His ability to make me feel safe, really safe in my own skin is unlike anything I had known before him.

My Sister, her laugh simply kills me, don’t even need to know the source of the laughter, just hearing her giggle sends serious shots of happiness to my heart. Her perseverance and dedication to her education, her husband, her puppies…all make me swell with pride, make me think of mom and make me hope that she too knows how much I love her and how grateful I am to have her.

Randy Kemner, my boss and mentor, the man that brought wine into my life, swung the door wide open and urged me to find my palate, my passion and my words to express both. The man that soothed my insecurities, pushed me and changed the way I think about my place or worth, the first man that was ever genuinely proud of me and it shows…all the time. I have bled, cried and poured sweat for Randy and I would do it again in a heartbeat, his love means the world to me and his gift of wine and food will be with me forever.

Michael Sullivan, the man that opened the world to me, showed me France, drove me around the Eiffel Tower….at midnight no less, the wet Paris streets, the trip to France that forever changed me, that last night as I looked from the twinkly lights on the tower back to Michael Sullivan, the way his face bore the wisdom of a teacher, the way it showed me he was willing to teach me…the way he never stopped teaching me. Michael has supported my wine education and pushed me to write like no one ever has…I long to make him proud and always let him know how much his gift has meant to me.

My Girls, (Amy, Merzie and Sonya) three women that can find beauty in me even in my ugliest times, women that love me for everything I am, women that trust me with their hearts and for whom I would walk through fire. Friendship as sound and as strong as we have is a very rare gift and one I have never once taken lightly.

Benito, the first person to really pay attention to this silly blog, my first loyal reader, (that didn’t already know me) that went out of his way to help and encourage me.

Ron Washam, a man that selflessly goes out of his way to make me feel truly adored, makes me feel beautiful, (no easy feat) and encourages me through is adoration and support. He makes me laugh, he makes me blush and he makes me proud to know him, proud that he wants to know me. As smart and funny a writer as I have ever met and I am honored that he reads and loves me.

Red Burgundy, for teaching me that wine can indeed make love to you, seduce you and haunt you.

John Kelly, for making me laugh, standing up for me and letting me close to his life…I am always thinking of you.

Champagne, a wine that stole my heart, honed my palate and my passion for it got me lots of admirers and enormous respect..something I yearned for and now pushes me to learn more.
All Of My Readers, you all push me to write, something I have discovered that I love doing, you encourage me, drive me and make me want to share myself, my stories and my rants with all of you…I cherish what you have all given me.

French Fries, as perfect a food as there ever was.

Didier Dagueneau, for showing the world that Sauvignon Blanc, in the right hands, can be a very serious wine. That and for breaking my bawls which knocked some of the shy right off me. You are greatly missed.

Dale Kemner, a woman whose smile melts my heart, a woman whose strength is inspiring and a woman whose adoration means the world to me. The meals, the example you have set, these are things that drive me, make me want to make you proud, one of those smiles and I know you are.

Dave Matthews, for showing me that smart is sexy as hell.

The Wine Country, without it I would never have had much of this list….without it I would have never been me.

Mom, forever thankful.

Hooray!!???....

Yup, they’re here, yes we will be pouring them in celebration of the harvest but…damn, do I hate these wines. For years I turned up my nose at Gamay, I didn’t get them, I do now but these? Not so much. They are thin, tangy and more often than not taste of banana, I hate banana. I even had one wine person say, “I cannot wait to taste the Nouveau this year. I hear that 2009 was a great vintage for France”……um, what the hell? You really think those carbonicly craptastic wines are going to tell you something about the 2009 vintage in France?! Oh that’s right, you read all the “press” so you already know everything, (grumble). The thing is, I already know this person is going to taste the wines and proclaim them the best vintage in years, why even bother tasting them? I sure as shit wouldn’t if I didn’t have to….


The best part is when people ask me what my favorite is, for years I would just flat out tell people how much I hate them but after having people look at me like I just skinned a cat, I now just kind of chuckle, gently mention that they are, “Pretty similar” and point to the one with the label I like the most. I know I am going to get my bawls broken all day about this, the staff, knowing full well how I feel about these wines, is going to relish in having me assist every customer that wants a detailed breakdown on each Nouveau we have….sigh. I get why people love the festivities, the celebration and all but to get all serious, want tasting notes and standing there with your brow furrowed, nose buried in the glass while feverishly taking notes….well that might be just a little silly. Drink them, celebrate with them, wash your feet in them, (most pleasurable of the three in my book) but remember what they are and were meant to be, “fun”.

We did however just get in a bunch of 2008 Cru Beaujolais and they are drinking wicked delicious....think I will kick in the extra 5 bucks and drink those.

Thanks For Playin"

So now that the newsletter needs are off my shoulders I had some time to really look at the results of the survey I posted, okay okay…I looked before now, matter of fact I was damn near compulsive the first day or two, but with deadline breathing down my neck I let myself check, less. Now that I have some real time to look it over, and read the emails from those of you that wanted to see the results, (guess I’m not the only nosey one) I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post the findings. So the one thing I noticed was that many of you opted to fill in the blanks as it were, gotta tell ya…I was pretty touched by some of the things that were said, really touched, don’t know what I did to deserve such praise, would do it again in a second because that felt really damn good. Thank you all for taking the time, it does help and I will be taking some of the suggestions into consideration, (that’s fancy talk for, “thanks for stuffing my suggestion box and I aint gonna change much”) but for the most part it seems like people seem to like this silly blog and for a girl like me, that is a truly heartwarming thing.

I cannot address all of the things posted, like I said most of you opted to fill in the blanks but there were one or two people that pointed out my…um, lack of grammatical understanding, and to that I can only say, “Who the hell are ya tellin?!” I suck dudes, I know. The one thing I will say in my defense is that I was a horrible student that is when I was a student. I was kicked out of Poly High, (source of great pride when I was younger…much less now) in the 10th grade so the last grade I completed was the 9th and even then I rarely went to school. There is a whole world of shit that I never cared to learn, (again much cooler when you are like 16 than now) so those of you that read even though you must be cringing…I adore you for that. I’m not a writer, I’m just some chick that writes her mindless crap, throws it up and for some reason people read it, again I adore you for that.



I have to address the one person that responded to tell me that they read weekly but pretty much have no use for anything I write and would like to run into me, “never” I just have to ask, “Why are you reading?” I’m not upset and appreciate you taking the time to share your displeasure with me and my rambling but, why put yourself through it? Fuck, if I didn’t have to listen to me I wouldn’t and when it comes to reading blogs…you don’t have to. Save yourself, run!

Okay so on to the results…

1) I read Samantha Sans Dosage Because:
Other was the winner here. 45.5% of you opted to add your personal reason, (melted kids, I melted)
Drunk chicks are funny got 30.3% of the votes
Wine reviews got 24.2%
Customer at The Wine Country and HoseMaster tied with 12.1%
I had 2 because she is my soul mate on this one…

2) The one thing I would like to see more of:
Rants & Vetos took first place here with 45.5%
Other got 30.3%
Wine reviews got 18.2%
Personal stories got 6.1%
Wine business news got a big fat donut
Got a few, “More banter with HoseMaster”, got quite a few, “More pictures of Sam” (not happening by the way) Got lots of, “Don’t change a thing” and one request for erotic fiction…

3) I read Samantha Sans Dosage:
Daily got 51.5%
Alerted to new posts got 18.2%
Weekly got 12.1%
Rarely got 3.0%
Other got 15.2 and can I say, I loved the person that said hourly.

4) I don’t comment because:
Other took it here at 57.6%
Don’t know what to say got 30.3%
Other posters got 3.0%
Don’t care got 3.0%
My favorites in the other department, (aside from the total pervy one..and I know who you are!) were, “I’m afraid you might take a swing at me” and “Eh, I’m just not that interesting”

5) I started reading Samantha Sans Dosage because (and yes I am tired of typing my own name now)
She made me laugh got 42.4%
Drunk chicks are funny got 39.4%
I like French wine got 33.3%
I feel like I know her got 30.3%

6) I found Samantha Sans Dosage, (Ugh) through:
Other took it with 39.4% Peter Leim took a few, Wine Country customers took some..
Fermentation took 33.3%
HoseMaster got 13.3%
The Wine Country website got 9.0%
The Pour got 3.0%

7) If I could change one thing about Samantha, (sigh) Sans Dosage:
Other took 54.5 %
More wine porn got 27.3%
Less personal crap got 12.1%
Less photos got 6.1%
Content got a goose egg
My favorite, “other” comments were, “Move her closer to me so we can have lunch”, and I swear I had like 20, “don’t change a thing”…awe, melting…that’s me melting.

8) I am:
A wine lover took it with 63.6%
In the business got 27.3%
Not sure what I’m doing here got 15.2%
Other got 12.1%
Not that into wine but still a reader got 6.1%
Favorite other there had to be the confession to blog reading OCD

9) I think, (here we go again) Samantha Sans Dosage offers:
An interesting voice took it with 57.6%
Other got 21.2%
A giggle got 15.2%
Interesting wine reviews got 6.1%
Favorite others had to be, (again aside from the pervy..and I still know who you are) “A complete view of life, love, wine and friendship” and “A cool, humorous & touching look into the life of someone that has a lot to say”

10) I would like to run into Samantha:
Bar took it at 51.5%
Other got 36.4%
The Wine Country got 21.2%
An alley got 12.1%
Never got that one vote…
Favorite others, (again aside from the not as pervy but not fit for everyone to see) “At a bistro in Beaune” “frequently” that made me laugh my ass off, and there were lots of anywhere and everywhere ones…again, melting.

So there you have it, the results are in and I would once again like to thank everyone that took the time to participate…fascinating really and it was really cool to hear what everyone thinks. It means the world to me that you all read my silly crap, it fills me, pushes me and makes me want to be better at it, for me and for all of you.



I’ve always said that I’m not about the coco, berries and cherries. North facing slopes and drainage mean dick to me…I can speak it when need be, but it’s not what moves me. It’s the human side of wine, the way it feels in your mouth, the way a smell in a wine can stimulate a long lost memory, the way the back of your neck gets warm after the 3rd glass and the way people come together, share pink faced confessions over one too many glasses, that is what gets me going, lights that fire in my belly and keeps my thumping away at my wheezing little laptop…knowing that at least a few other people can find a kinship, something funny or at the very least interesting in that…stuns me, inspires me and makes me unbelievably grateful, thank you from the bottom of my wine soaked heart.

Long Day, Lots Of Happy People, Tons Of Adoration But I Still Want...More

After a long unfulfilling evening of newsletter writing…which means I could not get a word that made any sense to flow from this vacuous dome of mine, that was punctuated by a rather dramatic, “White trash neighbors” moment, I went to bed and hoped that Saturday would be a better day. Saturday was The Wine Country’s 14th anniversary and to celebrate we were doing one of our most beloved tastings, Cheese & Wine Fest. This is an event we normally do once a year is a perennial customer favorite and one of the most labor intensive tastings of the year….well this year, we did two.

Randy had requested that rather than have me pick the cheeses then the wines, (the way this cheese buyer usually does it) that we instead feature wines that had been around since we opened our doors 14 years ago, and pair cheeses with them…a lot harder. I take this shit very seriously, when my name is on it, people show up to see what I think are harmonious pairings, well…I want to get it right. I spent some serious time thinking about texture, flavor and balance and came up with what I thought was a pretty exciting lineup of cheese and wine. Tuesday morning when all my cheeses showed up, my wines were all in stock and ready to go…well, I felt pretty confident that it was to be a very exciting event.



Woke up early Saturday morning, not enough sleep, drama from the night before still spinning through my head, lack of newsletter completion weighing heavy on my mind and feeling a very real longing for something, anything, that would make me feel better, I jumped in the shower and prepared myself to be, “On”. So those of you that have been reading for a long time know that I’m not so much good at the being the center of attention, hate it…really hate it, and this event tends to make people like goo all over me and junk…just was not in the place for it today, very secure in my pairings, thrilled with both the wines and the cheeses but, not really in that, “taking lots of compliments” kind of place.

Got into work early, wanted to get my cheeses up to temperature and get the whites in the fridge, where I felt like I was failing the store by not finishing my newsletter stuff, I wanted to make sure this event went off without a hitch. Got the wines ready and spent the next 4 hours in the kitchen with Merritt cutting and plating cheeses, and hacking crusty bread into bite sized chunks. We sawed and hacked and at 12:55 we had plated our last cheese and were ready to roll, with five minutes to spare. I stepped behind the table and popped the first bottle of Paul Bara Champagne at exactly 1:00….sweaty and out of breath, but I was there and ready to go.



The event was a gigantic success, people were pouring in and out at a rate that made my head spin, halfway through, while my head was down…hands covered in cheese, knife in my hand with the buzz of the crowd pounding in my ears I hear, “Samantha, can you sign for these?” flowers…I was sent the most beautiful bunch of all white flowers, (melting…sweaty and harried but melting) my favorite, clearly sent by someone that loves and knows me very well…timing man, timing was perfect.

I signed for my lovely flowers and jumped right back into the tasting, cutting, pouring, explaining and beaming…I might be shy and junk but I so love it when I get it right, today…felt like I got it so right. The wines were just stupid good, the cheeses were perfectly soft and oozed their luxurious, pungency…perfect, it was perfect, the 120 people in attendance seemed to think so too.

Featured Wines & Cheeses

NV Paul Bara Grand Cru Brut, ($42.99) w/ Roule, (soft cow’s milk cheese with garlic and herbs) the soft, round baked apple fruit in the Paul Bara was a perfect match to the bright, fresh tasting cheese. A very gentle but decadent was to start.

2007 Graville-Lacoste Graves Blanc, ($19.99) w/ Goat Brie, where the first pairing was soft and supple this was nervy and full of tang. The Graves was full of citrus rind, wet stones and flint and once that gooey, albeit simple, goat brie hit the zingy wine it seemed to magnify the flavors and soften the acidity. A good pairing but I would look for a better brie than the one we had.

2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc, ($14.99) w/ Humboldt Fog, (Goat’s milk cheese) The cheese was the star here and the pairing did work but…the wine, while full of floral, stone fruit, and tropical citrus…seemed to have a bitter finish, the cheese helped but didn’t take it away completely.

2007 Domaine de la Cadette Bourgogne Vezelay Blanc, ($16.99) w/ Brie de Meaux,(Cow’s milk cheese with strong mushroom notes) one of my favorite pairings of the day. The wine is full without being rich, lots of ripe apple of the palate with a hefty amount of chalk and some bright, mouth cleaning acidity…paired with the slightly pungent Brie de Meaux, the wine got even fuller, brighter and the pairing left your mouth with a lovely sweet and savory finish.

2008 Pardo Montefalco Bianco Colle di Giove, ($14.99) w/ Burrata, (Cow’s milk cheese that we drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Fleur de Sel) another case where the cheese, (the super gooey, need spoons to get at it, texture took some folks aback a bit) outshone the wine. I loved the wine…plenty of weight and texture, steely, and full of herby flavors and paired with the Burrata it just sang, but damn that cheese is just so wicked delicious it stole the show.

2007 Champalou Cuvee des Fondraux Vouvray, ($19.99) w/ Cave Aged Gruyere, (Cow’s milk cheese) much like the first pairing I went for decadence here. The wine was heavy with soft stone fruit, round and supple on the palate but retained plenty of structure…paired with that intense, nutty, fruity, full of crunchy sweet bits, cheese..damn. Powerful and rich pairing that resonated with the crowd, sold lots of both.

2005 Domaine Goisot Bourgogne Cotes D’Auxerre Corps de Garde, ($23.99) w/ Camembert, (Cow’s milk cheese) this was the pairing that wine people love…it made the wine taste even better and helped us introduce people to a new sexy little Pinot Noir. Light, full of cherries and clay on the palate the wine was lifted by the fatty, rich, almost truffley cheese, beautiful..it was beautiful.

2006 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas, ($23.99) w/ Fontina, (Cow’s milk cheese) this wine drove me insane, the pairing worked in that, “don’t take away from the wine” kind of way. This vintage from Cayron is stupid good, the aromatics are wild, herby and there is this citrus, (like tangerine) rind note that baffles but pulls you into the glass. The mild Fontina did its job, using its fatty texture to cut the acidity in the wine, framed the wild wine perfectly.

2006 Domaine Tempier Bandol, ($41.99) w/ Saint-Marcellin, (Cow’s milk cheese) this was the first time many people had experienced Bandol, not always an easy wine to drink and appreciate so I was thrilled with the way the cheese made the wine a little more friendly. Earthy and full of herbs, cooked berries and meat the wine was softened by the softer-than-butter cheese, something in the mildly funky cheese seemed to tame the wild beast of a wine.

2007 Qupe Central Coast Syrah, ($15.99) w/ Petit Basque, (Sheep’s milk cheese) this is such a red wine friendly cheese, salty and soft in texture but with enough flavor to hold up to big red fruit. The Qupe seemed a bit off to me, not as crunchy or bright as I had hoped, tasty but lacking that snap that I have come to adore about this little offering, no matter…made the cheese taste really good.

Once the event was over I helped wrap the leftovers, count the empty bottles and restock the decimated shelves, ( a clear sign of a very successful event) letting myself marinate in that intoxicating feeling…that, “We did good” feeling. My back was aching with each step, my mind still heavy with, “I have to write” and even though our tasting had been wildly successful…I still felt this longing, this aching for something more. Once home, shoes off, glasses off, jewelry off and after an hour of playing with my adorable little neighbor, I was still plagued by this whole, this, something missing…longing, aching, wanting.

So what more could I want?! Tons of happy, wine soaked, cheese stuffed people telling me I did a good job, showing me as much by buying the wines and cheese I featured, stunning blast of aromatic, breathtaking flowers sent to me, Randy and Dale happy as could be…what?! What more could I possibly want? More….I wanted, still want, more….I want...



A kiss on my neck




Fingers on my back




French Fries



Fucking unbelievably aromaic Southern Rhone



The best of Provence



The pleasure of skin in my hand



Another glass of Champagne



Love, the ability to express love through the written word. To be able to "touch" people with my words with that same kind of heart pounding intensity that can be had with the brush of skin against skin...to make people feel, want, desire and ultimately, "love" the wines that I write about...

Too much to ask?!

Greedy, I am being greedy and I need to get back to work....

Help A Sista Out

Okay maybe I am being nosey, or worse a Copy Cat but I was just dying to ask a few of these questions. It will break my little heart if you don't take the time to answer my questions, (there are only 10) but if you don't have the time...or, (sniff) don't want to, or...(sniff) think I should just mind my business then skip it, (sniff) I will be fine.....

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It's About Time

This, “Promotion” has always been BS, every other retailer on the planet knows it. There is no way any retailer is going to give away wine for a nickel. We all knew it but there was little we could do or say about it, just like there is little we can say about the fact that they post “scores” from a man that is a consultant for the company….he better give it a 90, he told you to buy 80 cases of it, ugh. I mean we would all sound like a bunch of whinny bitches if we ranted and pointed our fingers each time this, very misleading promotion started running their commercials.



So when one of our reps came in and told us that our, Wine of the Month, (Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon) that we sell for $7.99 was part of the BevMo, “Nickel Sale” we just kind of shrugged, but when he told us they were selling it for $15.99, (Now he told us it was $18.99 but when I checked their website it said $15.99…dunno if something changed or he just had it wrong) well, that just pissed us off. Now I know the onus is ultimately on the consumer to find the best price on whatever it is they are looking to purchase, but I have always seen the BevMo 5 Cent Sale as a rather disgusting display of a company taking advantage of people that don’t know any better….and frankly I think that is something that they should be thumped for.



So now BevMo is being sued…I think that is a giant waste of tax payer time and money but I do think it was about time that this bullshit “deal” was brought to light and people finally see that they were basically being taken advantage of. Yet another reason to support your local retailer, the little guy that is truly committed to finding you the best wine, at the best price and needs your return business to continue to do so.