WINE TASTING MONTH

Well here it is folks! This is the one time of year where everyone I know who's not in this business becomes incredibly jealous of my job and wants to come to work with me. That's right it's the spring time. And for people in my business that means it's time for portfolio tasting. Through out the next month I will be giving you a behind the scenes look at my terribly tough job of tasting through thousands of wines.

The other very difficult part about this time of year is that all the winemakers are in town to personally show us how great their wines are. At the tastings they will tell us all about how their harvest and show us pictures of the properties where they grow their fruit. Then they will tell us about the way they aged the wine and how they selected the barrels for the aging. Beautifully romanticized are the wine makers in their descriptions. Now the difficult part is this. Often with good customers like myself they will invite us to private tastings of their most sought after wines usually at wonderful restaurants. The answer should always be "YES!" you think, but alas it is not that easy. I still have a ton of work that does not go away just because all these talented wine makers are in town.

Here is my wine dilemma this week.

Monday: Private tasting with some of the best Burgundy and Rhone producers at the newly reviewed Bar Boulud. (No this one I will not miss)


Tuesday: Private Luncheon at A Voce (NYTimes 3 Star) with favorite Italian producer Bibi Graetz. I've known Nicolo one of Bibi's younger producers for a while and he has tried to court me with the promise they will be pouring their incredibly small production %100 Caniolo wine. Unfortunately I have to work from ten a.m. to three in the morning and need to be ready for Wednesday, so I will not attend.

Wednesday: Monticastelli is holding a private tasting at Fiamma. Wow do I want to check out Fiama on their dime. Unfortunately attending would interfere with the biggest tasting of the year for me. Michael Skurnik is having their full portfolio tasting!!! Now their are many wine tastings from companies like this all year round but none bigger. It's so big they rent out the Puck Building on Houston to hold it. This is not a sprint it is a marathon of tasting. This is the big one!
I have taken the day off just to pace myself and focus on this tasting.