I had the pleasure of working with Joe Spellman reviewing wines in Chicago, before I went over to the dark side of the law. He's a class act, all the way, and I'm glad to hear he hasn't changed in the last 10 years. I thought I had exposed myself to a predatory sommelier at lunch at Taillevent this past March. I concluded that a red burgundy was the best choice, but put myself in his hands, as my experience with the region is unfortunately shallow, with only the plaintive suggestion under my breath that it not be too pricey. He brought a excellent '97 (cannot recall the village), and I braced myself for the check, hoping it didn't pass too far into the 3 figures. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was under 50E! Among other things, it was that kind of service that made the meal. Geoff
