Keying Up - the Court Jester.

I am a strong proponent of the idea that education is the best way to empower people as wine consumers. That certainly is a challenging task, which is why so many take the lower-resistance path of “democratizing” or “de-mystifying” wine.

These approaches often end up oversimplifying the subject as to not challenge anyone. Many approaches end up telling people that there is really no consensus about wine character and thus there is no way to organize and assimilate information which would quality benchmark for wine.

Combine this with the idea that wine writing must somehow be entertaining and you either end up with material straight out of Idiocracy, or find yourself putting more of your efforts into the shtick rather than the message.

Nevertheless, all approaches seem to endorse some notion of training one’s “palate”. Now, it’s been a while since I graduated from med school, but I’m pretty sure that the palate is not an organ of olfactory or gustatory sensation. (more…)

Solidarność.

It seems revolt and change are teeming in so many places these days. Wine culture - and wine writing, in particular - is no exception.

I left Poland in late December of 1980. Although tension had been mounting and change had been brewing for some time; shortly after our departure, things spiraled down: Economic hardships, empty store shelves, public unrest, protests, water cannons, beatings and arrests.

The regime contained and suppressed it but things were never the same and a few years later there finally came a breakthrough. A similar situation is playing out in Iran. So, it is my ardent hope that the Iranian people achieve their breakthrough - whatever they want that to be. (more…)

Brand presence.

I really do not think of myself as all that smart. Yes, there’s that whole med school and looking at brains for a living thing. But it doesn’t take much more than an IQ of 100 and discipline and persistence to get through med school and subsequent specialty training.

I suppose that my self-perception distorts my understanding of the intelligence and aptitude of the average citizen consumer. It’s probably safe to say that I have forgotten the level of medical knowledge possessed by Jane and John Patient since I don’t interact with patients on a regular basis (I’m not a real doctor, I just look at pictures, as my son once famously said).  Every once in a while, though, a sobering reality check comes along. (more…)

Reality Check

Voices from the past can not only make us revel in memories but nudge us - however inadvertently - to view our current circumstances in a new light. This can creep up on us unexpectedly. It can happen as a tangent to the catching up.

I recently re-connected with a fraternity brother. He was not a typical fraternity guy. Shiro came to the U.S. from Japan to study at my university. A stalwart friend and a dedicated brother, he immersed himself in American culture - down to buying a ‘66 Mustang with a straight 6. He also shared his culture by teaching me a few Japanese turns of phrase, some of which I still remember. We had a lot of good times together and I was very sad the day a group of us saw him off at the airport.

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George W. Bush

Today is a big day for our country. A President disliked (even despised) by many is passing control of the helm to one in whom some have placed unrealistic, messiah-like expectations. Nevertheless, the country, as a whole, seems hungry for a new direction and looks to brighter days ahead.

If the past eight years have given political pundits numerous “Bushisms” to mock and ruminate over (and provided fertile fodder for The Global Language Monitor), they have also seen the rise to prominence of some “winoisms”. The latter are a group of words and concepts which have found their way into common parlance despite the fact that they are simply incorrect usage of terminology. (more…)

Wine service.

We wine lovers sometimes like to pick little situations or annoyances to criticize. Sometimes, these topics get henpecked. Foremost among these is restaurant wine service. It’s almost a stock, or formulaic scenario in which arrogant, supercilious wine servers condescend to restaurant patrons.

I am sure that, on occasion, people get a server who is a jerk (or is having a bad day) and some restaurants just have crappy wine service for reasons stemming from the internal culture of the establishment. However, I am at a loss to recall any instance where the server in a restaurant treated me or my party like second class citizens.

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Hair of the Dog

It’s that time of the year again: The Holidays. Many people will imbibe this season if not because of the economy then in spite of it. What they will drink this season is much the subject of blog chatter this year as the financial roller coaster is having a marked impact on the wine and spirits industry.

No matter the economic climate, the day after the celebrations - be they with family, friends or in the office - brings regret and discomfort for many. So it is only natural that people seek out remedies and antidotes for these consequences of their hedonism.

I have decided to take on the myths that surround preventing and treating hangovers because I am doubly qualified to do so: I am a physician and I am Polish (’nuff said).

The causes of hangover symptoms are a consequence of a number of physiologic derangements including: dehydration, electrolyte loss, hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, loss of REM sleep and possibly insufficient oxygen. It should also not be overlooked that some elements of a hangover fulfill the clinical criteria for withdrawal symptoms. (more…)