Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

Yesterday, a professional bicycle race ran right past the front door of
my employer here in Reading, Pennsylvania. The winner was one Greg
Henderson from...New Zealand!
I used to think you guys were just good at racing boats 8-)

One question; will I be seeing you in next year's race?

Dan-O (bring the Cloudy Bay SB!)

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

"Dan The Man" wrote .....
>
> Yesterday, a professional bicycle race ran right past the front door
> of my employer here in Reading, Pennsylvania. The winner was one
> Greg Henderson from...New Zealand!

A pretty handy bike rider - not quite in the league of Armstrong and the top
Europeans, but he makes a good living.

Actually, he nearly didn't make it to the start line, having been held up at
(US) immigration, being strip searched - to ensure he wasn't carrying
contraband Stelvins - right Dick Neidich ???????


> I used to think you guys were just good at racing boats 8-)
>

We are usually good at any sport where -
(a) We are sitting down (canoeing; equestrian; cycling; motor racing (Scott
Dixon!); or
(b) There is a large amount of gratuitous violence (rugby union)
;-)


> One question; will I be seeing you in next year's race?

As it happens, I won my first cycling championship way back in 1963, and
although I would never have made the elite ranks, I was verging on national
representation until I was struck by a motor vehicle whilst competing in
Australia - the resulting broken arm, leg and ribs ruling me out of the
sport for long enough for me to lose that "killer instinct" required for all
sportsmen competing at the top of their game.

Now I restrict my physical activity to fighting with champagne corks !!!!

--

st.helier

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

"st.helier" > wrote:

> We are usually good at any sport where -
> (a) We are sitting down (canoeing; equestrian; cycling; motor
> racing (Scott Dixon!); or
> (b) There is a large amount of gratuitous violence (rugby union)

(c) The highest mountain on earth is involved.

M.

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

"Nils Gustaf Lindgren" > wrote:

>> (c) The highest mountain on earth is involved.

> Ah - that place in Denmark, right?

Denmark? Not Netherlands?

M.

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

Michael Pronay wrote:
> "st.helier" > wrote:
>
>
>>We are usually good at any sport where -
>>(a) We are sitting down (canoeing; equestrian; cycling; motor
>>racing (Scott Dixon!); or
>>(b) There is a large amount of gratuitous violence (rugby union)
>
>
> (c) The highest mountain on earth is involved.

(d) We are pretty good at cricket, too, but that's in a class of it's
own, and doesn't fit any of the above criteria. Explaining it to
Americans as a variant of baseball where you don't have to run has been
known to produce some enlightenment - but only when there is some good
wine available to assist the process.


--brian


--
Wellington, New Zealand

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping
meat fresh."

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

Mr. Boutel - You must be Cantabrian - pretty good at cricket?

Are you talking about NZers?

Pretty good? - sorry Brian - remove those rose tinted spectacles!!!!!

The words "pretty" and "good" should be reserved for such tasty morsels as
the Evers-Swindell sisters and Sarah Ulmer!

"Brian Boutel" wrote ....

> Explaining it (cricket) to Americans .......
> has been known to produce some enlightenment
>

Isn't using the words "American" and "enlightenment" in the same sentence
slightly oxymoronic?

--

st.helier

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:39:38 +1200, "st.helier"
> wrote:
>
>Isn't using the words "American" and "enlightenment" in the same sentence
>slightly oxymoronic?

Not since Thomas Edison figured out that the filament would last
longer in a vacuum.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

st.helier wrote:
> Pretty good? - sorry Brian - remove those rose tinted spectacles!!!!!
>
> The words "pretty" and "good" should be reserved for such tasty morsels as
> the Evers-Swindell sisters and Sarah Ulmer!

Aye, certainly not the 'Caps. Let's wait for them to find a couple of
bowlers (the sort who're fit from time to time) and some batsmen with
spine, then they might be fairly decent. :)

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

"Nils Gustaf Lindgren" <> wrote:

> "Michael Pronay" <> skrev i meddelandet

>> "Nils Gustaf Lindgren" <> wrote:
>>
>>>> (c) The highest mountain on earth is involved.
>>
>>> Ah - that place in Denmark, right?
>>
>> Denmark? Not Netherlands?
>
>
> In fact, the highest point of Netherlands is 321 m over sealevel - the
> highest in Denmark 170. The fact that some parts of Netherlands are
> actually _below_ sea level doesn´t count.

Why always is the Netherlands involved in this?....:-)
We, the Dutch, discovered half of the World, why is that not mentioned?
We even discovered Australia but there was no profit for us to be
made....:-)

Yes, I do live 5-7 meters below sea level.

Regards.
Robèrt


> Nils Gustaf
>
> --
> Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se
>

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

st.helier wrote:

> Isn't using the words "American" and "enlightenment" in the same sentence
> slightly oxymoronic?

Not any more than any other stereotype.

Dana

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

Nils Gustaf Lindgren skrev i dette:
> "Michael Pronay" > skrev i meddelandet
> ...
>> "Nils Gustaf Lindgren" > wrote:
>>
>>>> (c) The highest mountain on earth is involved.
>>
>>> Ah - that place in Denmark, right?
>>
>> Denmark? Not Netherlands?
>
>
> In fact, the highest point of Netherlands is 321 m over sealevel - the
> highest in Denmark 170.

Excuse me, but You seem to understate this figure considerably: The highest
point (I prefere the term 'peak') is impressing 172.54 meter!!!
(however this is achieved as a result of some digging in the bronze age)

Why has swedes always this condescending attitude just because somone has
left a heap of gravel called Kebnekaise in their backyard.

regards
Jan
--
A few photos can be found on http://jan.boegh.net/foto.htm

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

Yep, I surprised the Lord St H left his sheep long enough to email us.
Happy Trails.............
"Dana H. Myers" > wrote in message
. ..
> st.helier wrote:
>
> > Isn't using the words "American" and "enlightenment" in the same
sentence
> > slightly oxymoronic?
>
> Not any more than any other stereotype.
>
> Dana

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

Had to look it up :-) It is Møllehøj 170,86 meter. Seems to be one of the
'peaks' of Ejer Baunehøj :-), the second highest is the soaring Yding Skov
170,77 meter and the third is Ejer Bavnehøj proper at a dizzying 170,35
meter
Anders
"Jan Bøgh" <spamhater@nowhere> skrev i melding
k...
> Nils Gustaf Lindgren skrev i dette:
>> "Michael Pronay" > skrev i meddelandet
>> ...
>>> "Nils Gustaf Lindgren" > wrote:
>>>
>>>>> (c) The highest mountain on earth is involved.
>>>
>>>> Ah - that place in Denmark, right?
>>>
>>> Denmark? Not Netherlands?
>>
>>
>> In fact, the highest point of Netherlands is 321 m over sealevel - the
>> highest in Denmark 170.
>
> Excuse me, but You seem to understate this figure considerably: The
> highest point (I prefere the term 'peak') is impressing 172.54 meter!!!
> (however this is achieved as a result of some digging in the bronze age)
>
> Why has swedes always this condescending attitude just because somone has
> left a heap of gravel called Kebnekaise in their backyard.
>
> regards
> Jan
> --
> A few photos can be found on http://jan.boegh.net/foto.htm
>

Paging Mr. St. Helier...
 

Have to add, though that Jan's figure includes ''added soil" and thus is
geographically correct, if not geologically so.
<vbg>
Anders
"Anders Tørneskog" > skrev i melding
...
> Had to look it up :-) It is Møllehøj 170,86 meter. Seems to be one of the
> 'peaks' of Ejer Baunehøj :-), the second highest is the soaring Yding Skov
> 170,77 meter and the third is Ejer Bavnehøj proper at a dizzying 170,35
> meter
> Anders
> "Jan Bøgh" <spamhater@nowhere> skrev i melding
> k...
>> Nils Gustaf Lindgren skrev i dette:
>>> "Michael Pronay" > skrev i meddelandet
>>> ...
>>>> "Nils Gustaf Lindgren" > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>> (c) The highest mountain on earth is involved.
>>>>
>>>>> Ah - that place in Denmark, right?
>>>>
>>>> Denmark? Not Netherlands?
>>>
>>>
>>> In fact, the highest point of Netherlands is 321 m over sealevel - the
>>> highest in Denmark 170.
>>
>> Excuse me, but You seem to understate this figure considerably: The
>> highest point (I prefere the term 'peak') is impressing 172.54 meter!!!
>> (however this is achieved as a result of some digging in the bronze age)
>>
>> Why has swedes always this condescending attitude just because somone has
>> left a heap of gravel called Kebnekaise in their backyard.
>>
>> regards
>> Jan
>> --
>> A few photos can be found on http://jan.boegh.net/foto.htm
>>
>
>

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

"Ed Rasimus" > skrev i melding
...
> On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:39:38 +1200, "st.helier"
> > wrote:
>>
>>Isn't using the words "American" and "enlightenment" in the same sentence
>>slightly oxymoronic?
>
> Not since Thomas Edison figured out that the filament would last
> longer in a vacuum.
Oh, that's why there are so many bright Americans?
....
Anders

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 20:54:28 +0200, "Anders Tørneskog"
> wrote:

>
>"Ed Rasimus" > skrev i melding
.. .
>> On Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:39:38 +1200, "st.helier"
>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>Isn't using the words "American" and "enlightenment" in the same sentence
>>>slightly oxymoronic?
>>
>> Not since Thomas Edison figured out that the filament would last
>> longer in a vacuum.
>Oh, that's why there are so many bright Americans?
>...
>Anders
>

I think the intellectual talent spread approximates the world-wide
standard. We just have better marketing.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

Salut/Hi st.helier,

le/on Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:39:38 +1200, tu disais/you said:-

>Mr. Boutel - You must be Cantabrian - pretty good at cricket?
>
>Are you talking about NZers?

Took the words out of my mouth.

On the other hand You make some pleasant wines. A far more serious form of
sportt than hitting a leather wrapped ball of cord with a bizarrely shaped
piece of willow.

Mind you, it's no more obscure than Australian rules football which has far
more in common with mountain climbing that the noble game of "Soccer".
--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

Ian Hoare wrote:
> Salut/Hi st.helier,
>
> le/on Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:39:38 +1200, tu disais/you said:-
>
>
>>Mr. Boutel - You must be Cantabrian - pretty good at cricket?
>>
>>Are you talking about NZers?
>
>
> Took the words out of my mouth.


Current ODI rankings have NZ 4th in the world, and England 7th. That's
"pretty good", I would have thought. But I can understand your
Eurocentric bias - it's st helier's that's disappointing!

>
> On the other hand You make some pleasant wines.

Pleasant!!! That's damning with faint praise, if ever I heard it,
although NZer's natural modesty occasionally gets in the way of properly
proclaiming the quality of their products. A good example of this is
that Alana Estate (Martinborough) deign to allow Fortnum and Mason's to
sell their SB under their (F&M) house label.

I shall be visiting the UK in August to see my new grandson (
web.mac.com/aboutel/iWeb/Site/Iskander.html for anyone who wants to say
Aaah!). I may even try it (the SB). There's bugger all chance of getting
it here. Although they are balloting some 2006 SB to "friends and
family", there are thousands of us on the list.



> A far more serious form of
> sportt than hitting a leather wrapped ball of cord with a bizarrely shaped
> piece of willow.
>
> Mind you, it's no more obscure than Australian rules football which has far
> more in common with mountain climbing that the noble game of "Soccer".

Soccer is a game that many more people here play than talk about. One
might almost gain the impression that Rugby is the national game.

--brian

--
Wellington, New Zealand

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping
meat fresh."

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

"Brian Boutel" defensively wrote ......
>
>
> Current ODI rankings have NZ 4th in the world, and England 7th.


Ah, twisting the facts by ignoring the Test rankings - 7th of 11 is a real
reflection of the state of cricket in NZ I would have thought !!!!!


> "pretty good", I would have thought. But I can understand your Eurocentric
> bias.


Actually, Ian Hoare's language skills are always "understated"

When he and his wife visited with us a couple of years back (covering the NZ
wine scene extensively from Auckland to Otago) I learned of Ian's unique
scoring system - The Hoare Yum system.

When in Napier, after a particularly nice meal, we the gathered (His
Lordship; Mme et M. Hoare and the learned Prof. Lipton) I opened a 1/2
bottle of 1998 Villa Maria Reserve Botritised Riesling.

Here were the Proessor and I, vainly trying to find the Southern Cross
through the cloud covered sky; all the while M. Hoare laying back going
"Yum, yum, yum"

I subsequently learned that 3 x yums = virtual perfection in that venerable
Anglohungarofrancophiles vernacular. (Ian is an Englishman, born of
Hungarian heritage, who runs (with his gorgeous, and equally knowledgable
wife Jacquie) a splendid B&B in Central France (the Correze to be precise)

So, Brian, "pleasant" is actually *high* praise for a NZ wine.

If you have time on your trip north, you should pop over the channel (no
problem taking NZ wines into France) - Ian was slightly underwhelmed by
the Central Otago Pinot Noirs he encountered - you may convince him that
our wines are improving as the vines mature a little.

--

st.helier
(firmly domiciled in Northland!!!)
>>
>> On the other hand You make some pleasant wines.
>
> Pleasant!!! That's damning with faint praise, if ever I heard it, although
> NZer's natural modesty occasionally gets in the way of properly
> proclaiming the quality of their products. A good example of this is that
> Alana Estate (Martinborough) deign to allow Fortnum and Mason's to sell
> their SB under their (F&M) house label.
>
> I shall be visiting the UK in August to see my new grandson (
> web.mac.com/aboutel/iWeb/Site/Iskander.html for anyone who wants to say
> Aaah!). I may even try it (the SB). There's bugger all chance of getting
> it here. Although they are balloting some 2006 SB to "friends and family",
> there are thousands of us on the list.
>
>
>
>> A far more serious form of
>> sportt than hitting a leather wrapped ball of cord with a bizarrely
>> shaped
>> piece of willow. Mind you, it's no more obscure than Australian rules
>> football which has far
>> more in common with mountain climbing that the noble game of "Soccer".
>
> Soccer is a game that many more people here play than talk about. One
> might almost gain the impression that Rugby is the national game.
>
> --brian
>
> --
> Wellington, New Zealand
>
> "What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat
> fresh."

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

st.helier wrote:

>
> So, Brian, "pleasant" is actually *high* praise for a NZ wine.
>
> If you have time on your trip north, you should pop over the channel (no
> problem taking NZ wines into France) - Ian was slightly underwhelmed by
> the Central Otago Pinot Noirs he encountered - you may convince him that
> our wines are improving as the vines mature a little.
>
>

That's an attractive idea, but I think we will not have time, mainly
because we will be taking the new grandson to Lebanon to meet his Arab
rellies.

There is convincing to do about NZ wine in another quarter. Iskandar's
other grandfather is an oenophile par excellence, with a cellar to drool
over (95% Bordeaux, he is a Membre d'Honneur of the Academie du Vin de
Bordeaux - in *very* distinguished company), and, I am afraid, somewhat
unimpressed with our product. Oh, well, you can't win them all.

--brian


--
Wellington, New Zealand

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping
meat fresh."

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

st.helier wrote:
> Ah, twisting the facts by ignoring the Test rankings - 7th of 11 is a real
> reflection of the state of cricket in NZ I would have thought !!!!!

But there are only 2 tests being played by NZ in the next year and a
half! Obviously ODIs seem to matter more there... :-)

> When in Napier, after a particularly nice meal, we the gathered (His
> Lordship; Mme et M. Hoare and the learned Prof. Lipton) I opened a 1/2
> bottle of 1998 Villa Maria Reserve Botritised Riesling.

I'm envious. I opened the 2004 Villa Maria Riesling some time ago, and
it was absolutely exquisite. Haven't tried many of the NZ botrytised
Rieslings, but that's because they're impossible to find in Singapore.
(Last one I got hold of was the Kaikoura 2003 Noble Riesling when in
NZ, which was excellent).

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

Salut/Hi Brian Boutel,

le/on Fri, 16 Jun 2006 17:27:22 +1200, tu disais/you said:-

>> So, Brian, "pleasant" is actually *high* praise for a NZ wine.

Well of course. We don't want to appear vulgar and unbritish, do we?

>> problem taking NZ wines into France) - Ian was slightly underwhelmed by
>> the Central Otago Pinot Noirs he encountered - you may convince him that
>> our wines are improving as the vines mature a little.

'Fraid I was. However, plans to revisit are steadily coming up the list. At
the moment we have one - maybe two - longish hols before a nantipodeal
rematch comes to the top of the pile.

>That's an attractive idea, but I think we will not have time, mainly
>because we will be taking the new grandson to Lebanon to meet his Arab
>rellies.

You mean you'd prefer to visit _Lebanon_ than the Corrèze. Perverse!! Truly
perverse. Mind you, there are a couple of almost drinkable wines made there.
Mr Hochar is very committed. We merely have a passable sweet wine made by
air drying grapes in polythene tunnels. They call it "Vin Paillé although
there's no straw anywhere near it. "Vin plastifié" wouldn't have quite the
same ring about it would it?

>There is convincing to do about NZ wine in another quarter. Iskandar's
>other grandfather is an oenophile par excellence, with a cellar to drool
>over (95% Bordeaux, he is a Membre d'Honneur of the Academie du Vin de
>Bordeaux - in *very* distinguished company), and, I am afraid, somewhat
>unimpressed with our product. Oh, well, you can't win them all.

Don't worry, he probably considers Burgundy nasty blowsy stuff. I've a
jaundiced view of Bordelais oenophiles, after I asked an eminent wine
merchant what he thought of the magnificent 1945 Ch Balestard de Tonnelle we
were being treated to by the Capemourlin family. With barely disguised
irritation at my temerity for having distracted him, he sniffed "it's old"
and went back to talking investments with his son and his business partner.

Humph.


--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

"Brian Boutel" wrote .........
>
> There is convincing to do about NZ wine in another quarter. Iskandar's
> other grandfather is an oenophile par excellence, with a cellar to drool
> over (95% Bordeaux, he is a Membre d'Honneur of the Academie du Vin de
> Bordeaux - in *very* distinguished company), and, I am afraid, somewhat
> unimpressed with our product.


Sounds like he will always suffer from "Bordelaise Blindness" so even taking
something like Esk Valley "The Terraces" will possibly leave him
underwhelmed.

So, what about slamming him with one of our excellent Hawkes Bay Syrahs.

If you can get one, the Martinborough Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir 1998 is
IMNSO one of the very best NZ pinots ever.

Of course, you could always drive up to Pegasus Bay and explain your dilemma
to Ivan Donaldson and see if can dredge something stunning out of their
library wines, just to show "the other grandfather" that despite giving
France 2,000 years start, and having an industry about 0.1% the size of the
French industry, we do fight above our weight.

--

st.helier

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

st.helier wrote:


> If you can get one, the Martinborough Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir 1998 is
> IMNSO one of the very best NZ pinots ever.

Grrrrr... Why didn't you tell me that when we there, dammit? They were
selling the '98 reserve but no tastee, and I declined to buy it "sight
unseen." Would that I had, would that I had.

Mark Lipton

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

Ian Hoare wrote:
> Salut/Hi Brian Boutel,
>
> le/on Fri, 16 Jun 2006 17:27:22 +1200, tu disais/you said:-
>
>
>>>So, Brian, "pleasant" is actually *high* praise for a NZ wine.
>
>
> Well of course. We don't want to appear vulgar and unbritish, do we?
>
>

I don't see why not.

>>>problem taking NZ wines into France) - Ian was slightly underwhelmed by
>>>the Central Otago Pinot Noirs he encountered - you may convince him that
>>>our wines are improving as the vines mature a little.
>
>
> 'Fraid I was. However, plans to revisit are steadily coming up the list. At
> the moment we have one - maybe two - longish hols before a nantipodeal
> rematch comes to the top of the pile.
>
>
>>That's an attractive idea, but I think we will not have time, mainly
>>because we will be taking the new grandson to Lebanon to meet his Arab
>>rellies.
>
>
> You mean you'd prefer to visit _Lebanon_ than the Corrèze. Perverse!! Truly
> perverse. Mind you, there are a couple of almost drinkable wines made there.
> Mr Hochar is very committed. We merely have a passable sweet wine made by
> air drying grapes in polythene tunnels. They call it "Vin Paillé although
> there's no straw anywhere near it. "Vin plastifié" wouldn't have quite the
> same ring about it would it?
>

I look forward to trying some more of the Lebanese product. I had some
at one of the events around my son's wedding, but to tell the truth I
preferred the Arak. I suspect, however, considering the people involved,
and the traditions of hospitality and generosity of the region, that
good wine will not be in short supply on this trip.

>
>>There is convincing to do about NZ wine in another quarter. Iskandar's
>>other grandfather is an oenophile par excellence, with a cellar to drool
>>over (95% Bordeaux, he is a Membre d'Honneur of the Academie du Vin de
>>Bordeaux - in *very* distinguished company), and, I am afraid, somewhat
>>unimpressed with our product. Oh, well, you can't win them all.
>
>
> Don't worry, he probably considers Burgundy nasty blowsy stuff. I've a
> jaundiced view of Bordelais oenophiles, after I asked an eminent wine
> merchant what he thought of the magnificent 1945 Ch Balestard de Tonnelle we
> were being treated to by the Capemourlin family. With barely disguised
> irritation at my temerity for having distracted him, he sniffed "it's old"
> and went back to talking investments with his son and his business partner.
>

Let's not get confused by "Bordelais oenophile", which is st helier's
term. I'm talking about someone who likes Bordeaux wine, not someone
from Bordeaux who likes wine. Michel, despite his French name, is
Lebanese, with a NZ wife, and lives in the UK. I've seen him serve
Burgandy, too, even NZ Chardonnay. Michael Broadbent describes him, in
his book Vintage Wine, as "Industrialist, and modest owner of a fine
cellar". A cellar for keeping, for laying down for ones children and
grandchildren, is naturally going to have long-lived wines heavily
represented. In his case, his love of claret dates to his being
introduced to it by a colleague, when studying in London. I developed a
similar taste about the same time, although I was in Cambridge, not
London, The difference between us is that he can afford to indulge his
taste.

They have beautiful daughters, too, especially the one my son married!
(Smiles the contented smile of a new, first-time grandfather)



> Humph.
>

And with some justification, by the sound of it, although it can be
dangerous to interrupt sharks whe they are feeding. Of course, he may
just have thought it was a silly question.

--brian

--
Wellington, New Zealand

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping
meat fresh."

Sensitive Americans - Do Not Read !!!!!
 

"Mark Lipton" grrrrrd at His Lordship - thus.....
>
>> If you can get one, the Martinborough Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir 1998
>> is IMNSO one of the very best NZ pinots ever.
>
> Grrrrr... Why didn't you tell me that when we there, dammit? They were
> selling the '98 reserve but no tastee, and I declined to buy it "sight
> unseen." Would that I had, would that I had.


Because at the time or your visit, I had not tasted the wine, and at the
winery it was too expensive to purchase "untried".

Beside, 1998 was a superb, hot year - great for the Bordeaux varietals, but
(I wondered) too hot for pinot?

When I first tried it, I thought the wine was good, but I was not ecstatic
enough to rush out and find it.

Just recently, I shared a bottle with friends and found it had developed
beautifully - and Mark, if I were able, I would gladly send you a couple
bottles.

Ian recently indicated his intention to return to these fair shores in a
future visit (albeit a few years away)

When are you bringing your family down on a return visit?

Regards

st.helier