My name is Roll, The Kaiser Roll

The German wine cheerleader formerly known as 'The Kaiser' has requested that he no longer be called by this name. Evidently, the legendary German wine importer Rudi Weist has been known as 'The Kaiser' for several decades. Lucky for us, however, our resident Kraut has another nickname. From this moment forward, I shall refer to our German wine cheerleader as 'The Kaiser Roll.' Pass the mustard, please.

Diebolt-Vallois, Blanc de Blanc, a Cramant, Grand Cru, 1997

Diebolt-Vallois is the best estate in the village of Cramant, which is one the two finest locations for Chardonnay based wines in the region. Mesnil is more famous, but the best wines from Cramant rival those produced in the former town, with the possible exception of Salon and Krug's Clos du Mesnil. I find the wines from Cramant to be more delicate than those produced in Mesnil, but they possess the same level of refinement and depth. The 1997 Diebolt-Vallois, a Cramant, Blanc de Blanc is very elegant and obviously well made, but the wine disappeared on the backend. I attribute the short finish of the wine to the difficult conditions of the vintage. Diebolt-Vallois is a top level domaine and I would love to taste this cuvee in a more successful vintage.

Frederic Magnien, Bourgogne, rose, Pinot Noir, 2007

The color of the Frederic Magnien, Bourgogne, rose, Pinot Noir, 2007 was pale and the bouquet was very subtle. Bourgogne rose seems to be a tough category. Many of the rose wines from the Cote d'Or, such as this one, do not offer much in the way of character and come across as pretty neutral. This bottle was pleasant, but not worth the $16 I paid for it.

Not enough money for a Hybrid? How about a 'Vineyard Buggy'

(David Clark/domainedavidclark.com)

David Clark has been drawing attention from critics for the fine wines he produces in Morey St.-Denis and his biodynamic approach, but there is also something else that separates this man from his neighbors. David Clarke is an inventor!

A recent entry on his blog (http://domainedavidclark.com/) details a new contraption that Mr. Clarke's father built from surplus plumping material. The process of de-budding is a real pain in the ass according to Mr. Clarke, but this 'vineyard buggy' allows him to cruise for unwanted vine shoots in style. Many of the vineyards farmed by this domaine are at a slight slope, which allow the buggy to glide from vine to vine without much effort from the rider. I would love see the faces of the village's older vignerons as Mr. Clarke rolls by their vines.

Nothing to do with wine - The Babe's last stand

Babe Ruth in a Boston Brave uniform

George Herman Ruth (a.k.a. "Babe") was traded by the New York Yankees to the Boston Braves on February 26, 1935. The man who led the Yankees to 4 World Series Championships was shipped off to Boston for almost nothing. Ruth's numbers had begun to decline and after the 1934 season in which Ruth only hit 22 home runs, the Yankees looked to dump the slugger. While certainly unsentimental, this trade proved to be a wise baseball decision. The greatest player of this time was finished and everyone, including Ruth, knew it. In order to get Ruth to agree to the trade, the Braves had promised him the titles of club Vice President and assistant manager. Ruth, who dreamed of being a manager, agreed, but it soon became clear that he was given these titles in name only. The once mighty Babe Ruth was being used like a circus attraction to lure fans.

Ruth hitting his second home run of the game. Career# 713

Fat and totally out of shape, Ruth struggled in the field and at the plate. Then, right out of a movie script, the Babe recaptured his old swing on May 25th. The Braves were playing the Pirates at Forbes Field in Pittsburg. Ruth went 4-4, hit 3 home runs and drove in 6. The third home run that day sailed over the roof of the stadium, the only time that happened in the history of Forbes Field. Ruth, however, never hit another ball over a major league fence. Less than a week later, the Babe hobbled off the field with an injury during a game in Philadelphia. The most famous athlete in history almost wrote the perfect ending to a great career, but he missed his cue by five days.

F.X. Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Klostersatz, Federspiel, 2006

Federspiel is the term used to describe the wines produced in the Wachau that have an alcohol level of 12.5% or lower. These wines are usually bright, clean and medium bodied, but F.X. Pichler's Federspiels tend to be richer than most. They often more closely resemble other producers Smaragd level wines. Based on past vintages, I expected that the 2006 F.X. Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Federspiel, "Klostersatz" to be rich and intense. The weather in 2006 resulted in rich, full-bodied wines and many Federspiels produced from this year reflect this. Ironically, this wine (from a vineyard on the flat land below the terraces that line the Wachau) is lighter then 2004 and 2005 versions. Medium bodied and elegant, this bottle opened some after an hour in the glass, but never showed the beautiful texture that I love in the wines from this domaine. Maybe the wine is in awkward place at the moment and just needs some time in the bottle. The other 2006's I have tasted from Pichler have been awesome, so I would be willing to bet that this wine will show more down the road.

Austin SCORES!!!!............again

A baby girl had been born and it was time to celebrate. The night after Boboette joined our posse, my good friend 'Austin' stopped by the hospital to meet the world's next oenophile. Two days locked up in a hospital room without any wine is hard labor (excuse the pun), so we bolted for the only upscale bar/restaurant in Princeton with a decent wine list, Mediterra. Our stated reason for leaving the hospital was to retrieve a couple pizzas for dinner, but a toast to Boboette was overdue (my wife does not believe that it took two hours to make the pies). The restaurant was packed, but a couple seats where available at the beautiful chrome bar. A bottle of Nicolas Feuillate, Champagne, Brut, NV satisfied our needs. The wine was good, with medium sized bubbles and nice a nice chalky finish.

As I savored the moment, 'Austin' engaged in his usual habit of shamelessly hitting on the nearest female, who in this case happened to be a black haired former model. The next ten minutes featured a barage of repulsive one liners. The irony of the situation hit me as I pounded back the last glass of Champagne. Here I was, glowing in the realization that I had just become a father, and 'Austin' was preoccupied with securing yet another one night stand. The old saying that 'some things/people never change' seemed very appropiate.

In keeping with our usual tradition, we finished with a couple glasses of port. A 1996 Dow was a little hard to drink at this stage, but it showed good fruit. Speaking of fruitiness, 'Austin' called the next morning and recapped his conquest of the previous evening (which I spent curled up on a hard hospital chair). I immediately scolded him for his shallow and tiresome actions, but 'Austin' pointed out that he had felt obligated to defend my reputation.

"How were you defending my reputation exactly?," I asked.

"I had to go all the way in order to prove that she was wrong," he responded.

"Wrong about what?"

"Well, she saw us sitting at the bar drinking Champagne," he replied.

"So?"

"She said that she lived in New York for three years, and the only guys she ever saw drinking Champagne were gay!"