I most definitely would have. Was just at my office's x-mas party over the holiday and had a few decent bottles. My boss had this weird smoky beaujolais. Trying to be all medium bodied and stuff. It was an odd one. What up with vinters trying to force every type of hybrid these days? IGT's I get. Some stuff just doesn't work though. Kinda like pairing a placenta with mountain dew. It's not gonna finish.
I think that many of the hybrids are market driven. Truth is most of the best bottles are still 1 estate, 1 varietal imo. But that requires the estate to be damned sure they're having a good crop because if not they are screwed. Now when you blend varietals from multiple vineyards you mitigate the risk but you also (at times) dilute the quality. I'd still love me some super-tuscans and there are some amazing blends from all over the world but there are some that are done purely for economic gain. Is that what you mean? Smoky Beaujalais? Sounds interesting. I remember when the restaurant we worked at would sell shit bottles of Beaujolais nouveau for like $50 when they bought it for $5. Man people can be suckers. Seriously, what I wouldn't give to be teaching a wine training class with you again. Those were the days. Seriously. I saw Brian Dufek over Christmas, do you remember him? His wife and mine are good friends. We talked all about being able to open really nice bottles every week and present them to the staff. That was fun, I learned a lot.
Brian Dufek? Glasses? Traded currencies or abouts? A nerd if you didn't know him? I think I trained him. Well. I trained everybody. I keep telling people that I could be the best server in Vancouver no problem. No one believes me. Canadians don't really know good service. It's partially a bummer. Sounds silly, but what I wouldn't give to be poured a beer and set down label out.
Yeah, that's him. He's done well for himself, has a cool wife (beautiful) and still resides in Ann Arbor. We talked Sassacaia. You would be one of the best servers anywhere, so long as Gareth wasn't in the same vicinity. Oooh.... Or Phil Murray. Double Ooooh....
Phil Murray was the best face man on the planet. With me at the rail we were unbeatable.
The Dream Team. But who was Pippen and who was Jordan?
I gotta be Jordan. For the sole fact that I could go upstairs with two large trays of food - one on each shoulder. NO ONE there could do that but me. And it was really expensive food too. Plus I could (and still can) spin a tray and pee at the same time.