Today I felt it more a testing ground for certain narrative approaches with how I speak wine, making my speak translate to sales and just more for me to write about.  And I’m not trying to proclaim or anoint myself as some sales sage… I’m a writer, but the way I spoke of the wines today very much translated to sales.  About 7 cases for the entire day, and three wine club signings.  But that’s not what I want to focus on— in fact I shouldn’t have even gave you any numbers, none.  I spoke the way the wines, I feel, would want me to speak about them.

Last night, tasting here in home a Foley ’15 SB then an ’09 Lancaster Estate Cabernet.  Both told me I need to be more, if not wild then certainly, feisty and fearless in my wine writings.  Stop trying to sound like every other sport coat-wearing sommelier or some cheeseball wine educator with some contrived acronym after his/her name.  I’m a writer of wine, who presently fights a sinus infection to write this entry.  Didn’t have chance to write at lunch as I left the laptop home.  No excuse, I should have written in my little book, the new one.  What I did do, walk the vineyards, take pictures around the property.  That added, wholly, to the fruitful posture of my day.

Feeling tired, like I could go to bed right along with wife and babies.  They’re set to wake early to see illuminated hot-air balloons levitate above Windsor.  Think they’re set to leave around 05:00, if I’m. not mistaken, which leaves me here, alone.  Perfect taunt for writing, the wee and cruel hours of morrow I’m always hoping I wake early enough to see and taste but never do.  Will cue coffee in a minute, have some of that ’09 ‘LE’, and brainstorm further, get crazier and more deliciously distant with my wine writings.  The ’09 last night showing a certain gothic form to provoke even more a staged calculation of flavor and color, atmosphere and vintage-narrative.  Which I love, of course, as any more I drink wine hoping to taste vintage translation and not just some bold Cab or floral Pinot or buttery slut of a Chardonnay—  I want to be doused in time, the past, that year I’m sipping, and that’s what the ’09 accomplished, multitudinously.  Talk about “fruitful”, a word that all of a sudden annoys me—  Rewarding?  Enriching?  What?  Take the word out, that’s what I always urge students to do.. discuss the entity, the reality.. today was a day that revealed and taught much and with schematic eye, understanding that wine is where everything is for the writer.  Again… made me embrace and structurally realize, again.