2) Long naps on the couch several times a week.

3) Taking luxurious baths all the time in the winter.

Of course, my serious internet addiction is somewhat to blame for my inability to do these things anymore.

Really? I mean, the commercial is very "Alton" but Welches effing grape juice? I am torn between my admiration for A.B. and my disgust with this idea.

Tell me again how glamorous my job is.

The next day I basically consider our first. We got up, had breakfast at the hotel and jumped in our mini-bus. Mostly sight-seeing on the first day, we headed towards Hout Bay with Sentinal Hill, then down towards the Cape, which was totally socked in.

There were baboons almost everywhere we went. We were told to stay away as they can be fairly violent and are far too placid with humans due to expecting food. Still, baby baboon butt, how can you resist?

After a couple hours on the bus, seeing Sentinal Hill and Houts Bay, then the disappointment of the Cape not being visible, we were hungry.

We had an awesome lunch, lots of seafood and wine. This is the same lunch where we had all the oysters. This dish is called the Neptune Platter. Where is the Trident?

After lunch we headed towards Boulder Beach where the largest colony of Jackass Penguins (very noisy things, they BRAY!) live.

How cute is that? There should be a card with these little guys on it.

Seriously, can't you hear, "Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup."? They were posing!

They were amazing. If penguins didn't crap so much and smell so much, I would be hanging out there, even now.

One evening we got to spend time with Marc Kent, a truly amazing character. His wines at Boekenhoutskloof are without parallel. Everything is of extremely high quality. He is also a bit of a nutter. He completely spoke out of school about other winemakers and his supplier. It was a hysterical evening. Many of us spent the evening with our jaws dropped. I think those wines that evening were my very favorite.

Boekenhoutskloof is located in the Franschhoek area (French quarter) of South Africa, a place known for its outstanding food and wine quality. Marc is part owner of the best (I was told) restaurant in Franschhoek and he had them cater our meal. It was several hours with an outstanding winemaker on an amazing night. We all laughed and cried (with joy) a lot that evening.

It was just turning night when I took the following picture and it is blurry. It is very fitting of Marc, a man who can't keep still or his mouth shut.

That article I linked to from the Wine Spectator is great and my favorite question/answer is:

WS: What’s your favorite food pairing with your Syrah?

MK: I seldom drink my own wine, and food-and-wine pairing is not something I deliberately emphasize. I’d probably enjoy it with an aromatic Asian duck dish. In fairness, I’ll enjoy that with most wines!

I love a winemaker who will admit he drinks other peoples' wines. Here's to Marc Kent, a man bigger than life!

Anyway, welcome Dad. Congratulations on learning how to Google.

For the last year I have been meaning to sort of change things here but I didn't know how. My life is about cooking, selling wine, tasting wine, and traveling with a dash of lazy gardening tossed in. I am also a smartass and a grumpy gus. So, while it doesn't look any different around here (lots of white space) hopefully the content will focus on the things in my life.

I have a ton of pictures from my wine trip to South Africa, last February. I was laid-off from my job the day after I got back and somehow I have this mental block about it. I am still dealing with the anger. Going through those pictures, the place where I was SO happy only to have it turn on a dime, well, it blows. I took pictures in vineyards and collected FUCKING rocks knowing that I would come back and use those to sell wine. I bought presents for all the people I worked with. I dragged cheese home in my bag, for crying out loud.

Well, it is time to focus on my life. To post things here that are about me. Probably, I will post more because of it (I hope). That and I am going to start posting pictures of my trip to South Africa*, there are so many great photos.

One of the great employees from MAN Vintners with some of their perfectly cool marketing materials.

*Some photos already started appearing this month.

There is some groovy music playing (first Dylan, now Willie Nelson - both unusual for this place) and we are each involved in our own thing. But it feels somewhat companion-ly. We are doing things together.

I found out a couple months ago that I have a wheat intolerance and it makes dining out a bit of a landmine. Especially considering that all beer has wheat in it of some sort. Having worked in the industry, I try to be easy. Instead of modifying the menu I just try to find one single thing to eat. Salad is a pretty decent standby but gets old, fast.

However, pubs are really hard. Our favorites have great beer, great sandwiches, and pretty crappy wine lists. At Dad Watsons I can either have a salad or a burger, no bun. FYI, burgers without buns are dull. The bread, ketchup, and mustard add a lot. Upside, all the fries I can eat.

Take what you can get, I guess.

So back to that February trip to South Africa. Here is a photo of the end of a barrel at Hamilton Russell winery:

We went to a housewarming party tonight for some friends. Ex-coworkers of AmigaBoy and frankly I have to say, "What the hell is it with the shoes-off party?"

Seattle is cold and rainy. Even if I had a shoes-off policy in my house I would never enforce it during a party. I hate walking around in socks in someone else's house. Weird. The party itself was fun, though.

Tomorrow my couch and I have a date. Maybe there is a crappy, crime-drama marathon on the USA network?

Anthony Hamilton Russell makes the best Chardonnay in South Africa - some sommeliers say the best New World Chardonnay, period. His Pinot Noir is pretty damn skippy, too. This is a picture of his dining room looking out onto the veranda. It is almost summer in South Africa right now...

David, resident oyster expert, recommended eschewing cocktail sauce and just using a little bit of mignonette (just dip the cocktail fork into the vinegar sauce and hold it over the oyster letting some drop on) and fresh grated horseradish. He also told us we should chew. Apparently swallowing is low-grade. *Snicker*

I was expecting to throw up but my first oyster was................holy shit, DELICIOUS! At the table I had a couple more and ever since then have been a big fan. I can now explain the flavor profile I like (medium size, slight copper with melon finish) and definitely make sure to get the nectar sitting in the shell. Here are some oysters we had in South Africa:

Don't they look delicious? This is my current wallpaper. Sure makes me want to travel (and eat!).

The one time I tried it, I had no idea what I was in for. Jason got himself one and decided I needed to try it as well. Came neat, like a shot of black death. Usually, I can man up. I've tasted lots of bitter, stringent drinks before and liked them. So I sipped it. I already described the taste but I forgot to mention how it lingers. Since I had a glass of ice water I fished out some of the ice and put it in. It was just as bad. More ice. God, in fact it was cold and shitty. Even worse. I finally conceded that the drink might not be for me and Jason took my drink and polished it off with his own. I really think it might be worst thing I ever put in tasted.

*Shudder*

The company I work for is bringing on several new suppliers and we had a meeting tonight with one of them. They have Cinzano, an Italian vermouth - supposedly the origin of the Italian toast "Cin Cin" comes from a historic Cinzano ad. The dry version wasn't there but they had a bottle of the sweet Cinzano open. I decided to try it based on the advice of a co-worker. Upon first pour I was leery. Quite dark and the smell was extremely reminiscent of the old-man I smelled in Fernet. Then I sipped it.

It was fantastic. I love it. I even asked to take the open bottle home so I can take it around and show all my accounts. The co-worker who told me to have some also suggests that it is fantastic used for a Manhattan or with some soda water, ice and lemon zest. Just sipping it was fantastic for me.

So you heard it here. Cinzano Sweet Vermouth is a crowd pleaser.

***Strange NaBloPoMo note: On Monday and Tuesday I published posts at 11:something pm and today realized that our server downstairs must not have changed time last week? Or there is a strange ghost reposting me an hour later. Regardless, I fixed the time stamp and really have posted every day so far.***

Does it make me feel any better that this late night work likely gets me a free case of wine? Ask me on Friday when I find out which wines they are.

What does this say about me? That while I long for the many hours of just doing nothing, or housework, or yardwork, I still manage to wreck all my couch-sitting time. This week, at night, I find myself on a new wine-supplier website updating myself on all their "learning modules" that have tests afterwards. Do I have to do it? Well, yes and no.

No, if I don't give a crap about my job and only want to sell the wines I already know about. Yes, if I want to win a bunch of wine at the end of the week and also look really good in front of my fellow employees and earn a bunch of brownie points. Which, I do, disgustingly. I also like being the most prepared that I can so there is that.

On the other hand, the couch looked fucking awesomely untouched tonight. God, I miss the couch.