301: Last week began with a visit from a gentleman who closed his locker late 2012. THAT'S LIKE TWO YEARS AGO. He came in to ask about a bit of product I'd given him then. This very special product is not available in California, could I get it again? Well, sure, anyone can, just order some, here's the link. He didn't want to order some, he wanted me to order some. And because this is The Cave, I did.
When he came in this week to get the order, I again asked him if he wanted the necessary links for future endeavors. He said, "No, this way I get to visit you." Aaawwwwww, *sniff*. Anytime, Mr. M.
Then The Deanster came into town.
Last (my weekend) we went on the Tour de Wine Stores. We managed to hit six wine stores from West LA to Glendale.
OH! and BevMo. Seven. Ish. (meaning BevMo is to wine what ... Bevmo is to... wine.)
After he dropped me off, I went to Some Thing and VOILA! There were two more customers!
Thursday not-really-morning, I was lolling in bed and had the epiphany that maybe M. kept telling me he was sleeping through the farmers market in hopes I would figure out to offer, " I go there every week, what can I pick up for you?" (Troglodyte, raised by wolves.) A few texts on the bat phone and he would later come in to pick up his strawberries and blueberries. Then he and The Deanster would peer over my shoulder for an hour looking at wine menus for restaurants I'll never go. Did you know some wine menus are 70 and 80 pages? I do now.
(PS: The Glendale farmers market closed at end of day Thursday, as in D-O-A. Not my fault?)
Since The Deanster was in town, we examined some new ideas, all generously proffered by above-said M. The 1998 Capcanes Vall del Calas Tarragonawas was initially considered, and I'd tried it before...with better results, it appears. Two years later, this stuff, to me, tasted like drinking Lavoris while chewing on lemons. No way, Lavoris still exists? I haven't seen it since I was in my grandparents bathroom. Okay, so get a lemon, throw it into a glass of Lavoris, and you've got wine. What I wasn't understanding was, Dean was saying, It's flat. Flat? That's all? Brother, this thing has worst problems than mere flat. Is it a desirable quality for wine to sometimes taste like Lavoris and lemons? Is this a goal of some wine and I'm just not getting it? But you know how furniture is: unmovable. So I don't know the answer to this one.
Instead we entertained the idea of the 2012 ArmAs Dry Red Wine. This wine is 92% Karmrahyut, 5% Areni, 2% Kakhet, and 1% Macguyver. WAIT, that's 1% Meghrabuyr. No merlot or pinot noir crap here, these are grapes all indigenous to Armenia. After all I've been reading recently, I was deeply curious.
Last weekend I took advantage of a lingering summer to open the white. It was crisp, apple-y, other fruity things, a bit heavy-handed but solid. Last night I tried the dry red. Really unusual, very prune-y and otherwise not grape-y in pedestrian ways. I was intrigued. The Deanster merely said it was "sweet." Today, I confess, it tastes exactly like lemon flavored artificial iced-tea.
I'm not sure what's going on with all the lemony stuff, but I can tell you Dean has finally moved out. We called in a van and some guys. They were gentle.
Shipping season has begun, and Thanksgiving is soon. After many quiet, sleepy days at The Cave, it's good to see people I've not seen in months. It turns out there is LIFE here after all.