bugsy

the reidel restaurant series are EXACTLY the same shape as the Vinum series,but they are not lead crystal. the stems are not short as mark notes and their balance is MUCH better. i'm the wholesaler in MD,DC and DE. and i'm sending some samples to mark. we have over 50 restaurants in this region using the new series and they LOVE them. Riedel is releasing next month a "magnum" glass in the restaurant series that will be sold by wholesales at less thsn $3.50/stem!

any locals out there willing to accept a nice bottle of wine to stand in line to get me a rez for dec. 7 or 8 e-mail me johnmantis@bacchusimportersltd.com

DO NOT pass thru Espanola,NM on your way from Santa Fe to Taos without stopping at El Parasol...it's worth a detour. only take out..... turn east at the intersection where Long John Silver sign...ask Spike of Spike & Charlie's of Baltimore.....this IS New Mexico.

what is the cost per pound? i've been buying mayorga from JR cigars at $5.95

the 98's seem to have been skipped. the 99's are quite good and will be, i believe, a return to greatness.

we used partricia wells web site and it was RIGHT ON last nov

i'm in the wine wholesale biz and without doubt there is at least 5% corked bottles. our average retail sell price is $12/bt and we find that price is not a factor in TCA taint. we tasted various synthetic closures vs. cork at Adelsheim last year and the significant majority prefered the cork. these were bottles over 2 years after bottling. unfortunate that we did not have a screw cap control. we are having great consumer acceptance to a screw cap finish on Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc from NZ. the screw cap IS the future!

had lunch monday past with the omners of Plumpjack Winery who put their premiem cabernet sauvignon in screw cap bottles beginning with the '97 vintage. they are working with UC Davis to moniter the aging over a 5 and 10 year period. so far,in subjective tests,they taste the same. some critics beleive that the natural cork "breathes" and that improves the taste of the wine......stay tuned