After years of near misses, and countless seasons watching others fall prey, I’d begun to believe I possessed a rare genetic exemption. Alas, along with some patterned wool socks, a newly re-released blue-wax LP, and a fresh pair of Timberland boots, I received a surprise gift for Christmas this year: a case of the not-so-novel coronavirus, the December 2023 edition. Perhaps I got it from Santa, whose half-eaten cookies one is obliged to finish. There was no gift card, just two solid pink lines where there should have been one. Full as I was of egg nog, prime rib, red velvet cake, and a half-pint of boosters, my Christmas covid was mild. It didn’t want to hurt me, just to slow me down long enough to remember some of this last year, and prepare to face the next.

As the rains came, so did Julia’s second pink line. We canceled our New Year’s travel plans and put on pajamas. Finding our appetites intact, we identified the leftovers, excavated our chest freezer, and started cooking. We made beef and farro soup, wild mushroom risotto, bò lúc lắc salad, fresh sourdough bread, homemade chicken soup, braised lamb shanks with butter beans and cabbage, Lasagna from scratch - starting with the noodles, and grilled mackerel, among other dishes. We had morning tea by the softly glowing tree...and afternoon and evening tea; we got a lot of tree-tea-time this season.

It feels good to be regaining strength during these opening days of 2024, to be starting the year with healing and a feeling of returning to the fullness of oneself, along with the clarity that life is better with friends at the table and a little bit of wine in our glasses. Here’s to the coming year - to our health, resilience, and prosperity - to all the unknown wonders awaiting us!

Starting with TONIGHT...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: GAMAY from the Savoie, Beaujolais and the Valle d’Aosta, and AUSTRIAN Whites (Harslevelü, dry Muscat and Riesling).
2022 Angelot Bugey Gamay
2022 Yohan Lardy Poppy Gamay
2022 Grosjean Frères Gamay
2020 Birgit Wiederstein Anna Blume Lindenblättriger
2021 Heidi Schrock Gelber Muskateller
2022 Schloss Gobelsburg Schlosskellerei Riesling
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 1/6: CALIFORNIA Wine Tasting Flights
2022 Broc Cellars Love White
2021 Trail Marker Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay
2022 Folk Machine Redwood Valley Mendocino Valdiguie 2022 Martha Stoumen Post-Flirtation Red
Flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!

Cheers,
Max