Friday, December 7, 2007

Wine Snobs Redux

In a Letter to the Editor of Connect Savannah back in August 11th 2004...... I write:

Don’t forget ‘the Drunks’

Dear Editor,

As cofounder of the Savannah Wine Club (www.members.aol.com/savannahwine), I read last week’s “Corkscrew” column with great pleasure.

However, there is one wine consumer you left out. It is the "Drunk." That is the person who shows up at a wine tasting or dinner to get ripped. They tend to say nothing until their blood alcohol content reaches 150. Then they spew out all sort of sophomoric crap (loudly and slurred) to rival even the "bullshitters."

After being in the company of some wine-greats such as Larry Stone amongst others over the years, I found that the not-so-greats at the wine tastings and dinners became increasingly less entertaining. Quite honestly, the Educators, Prognosticators and Bullshitters in the groups became annoyingly obnoxious and bored me to tears on near every occasion.

Some in the industry are the worst offenders. That is never a good thing when trying to enjoy a fine wine. Not enough Newbies (of which I have always considered myself) to balance out the others.

Hence, I have given up on large scale tasting and wine events for the very small 2 to 4 person gathering over a fine bottle or two of wine, good food and interesting conversation.

Just though I would add my two cents, and I haven’t even uncorked this evening’s bottle yet.

JP Saleeby, MD

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