Barolo, Neighbors, and a wine expert

Dory and I got some new wine glasses, a pair of very large tasting goblets from King Estates Winery in Lane County, Oregon. When we tasted our table wines in these fancy new glasses, we tasted off-scents, subtle but not pleasant. Because these glasses were designed for tasting good, "big" wines, I thought we should have a Barolo on the next evening. We invited our neighbors who brought her father, and that's the story I want to tell.

The father of our neighbor was George Sternfels, and over the course of the evening he regaled us with tales of learning the wine business, first in Paris and later in Manhattan, then of being in the distribution business, and currently where he teaches wine appreciation classes in Florida. In addition to being a wonderful dinner partner and a great story teller, he says he thinks he is the oldest living enlisted man from the D-Day invasion. Wounded in France after the invasion, he recovered back at headquarters. After the war ended, he found himself managing a large hotel for Allied officers in Saint-Cloud near Paris. He learned about French wines, knowledge he took back with him to New York. He owned two different wine stores, and helped introduce many Americans to the art of appreciating wine.

After starting in the hospitality business, George worked in retail and worked for Heubleins, a distribution company. He retired to Florida in the 1970s, and began teaching wine appreciation courses in Gainesville. He is active, entertaining, and still has a keen taste for excellent wine. He has clearly conveyed that passion for wine to his daughter, and we were lucky to share it as well.

As it happens, George brought a bottle of Barolo, a Brunate 2001 which we opened and decanted when he arrived. I had decanted a bottle of Cannubi Barolo, Fratelli Serio e Battista Borgogno, 1998. My bottle, however, didn't taste right to me. It was lacking that massive body, intriguing tannins, and wonderful lingering aftertaste that marks a wonderful Barolo wine. I thought it might need some airing, so I let it sit.

We started with Bellinis, a cocktail made of fresh white peach juice and sparkling Prosecco wine. I cooked a steak, and Dory prepared fresh green beans, and a salad with local greens from our CSA. We were enjoying the conversation, getting ready for a memorable meal, and anticipating the wine. But when we sat at the dinner table, I thought something was wrong.

Barolo is one of my favorite wines. It is complex and inspirational. But my wine, the '98 Cannubi, which I normally really like, wasn't tasting very good. Nobody else complained, but it just didn't seem right to me. After a few minutes I left the table and opened another bottle, a 1997 Reserva from the same vintner. This wine was sublime, the way Barolo should be.

The Brunate was more fruity than the (1997) Cannubi, but both wines were excellent. We don't often have a chance to meet D-Day heros, or to share a meal over not one but two bottles of a world class wine. But as we finished the evening over Grappa, we felt like we had experienced a very special evening.