bereavement in the family and a pleasant business trip to Paris. A city with a certain style..and a memory of a restaurant where we had dinner..with a bagful of oysters in ice..lying on the street..and the chef regularly collecting a few and opening them for eager customers.....the place had an open front..with street heaters for warmth..so smokers could enjoy an evening drink..all very French..the German health office would have gone gray if it happened here.
If you like/love sausages..Germany is the place to live....all-sorts here...and all very good indeed...my youth in England only had an odd sausage...not of very good quality...and to prove I love 'down to earth' food..throw a couple in the pan with lightly roasted potatoes..and I'll be your friend for life!
Walter Jellinek von der Bug Box hat ein Faible für Ausgefallenes und Seltenes. Hier sein "63er 15 Fenster Deluxe" in herbstlicher Atmosphäre.
Palacios...steep hillside..back-breaking...100% Mencia..a grape that 'belongs' to Bierzo. 
developed...worlds apart from the old style Rioja tasted a day before...perfect restaurant wine..holds up in glass and bottle...and would please every customer.
La Rioja Alta
mid-90's..travelling back from Portugal through Spain and stopping at a very fine restaurant..where they had a decent wine-list. This was recommended..and warily..I accepted. Back then..Spanish whites were thin and without character..or heavily oaked Riojas. I remember how good it was...so after a few years..here we are again..old amigos. 
whole lot more. How about a Treixadura? Now..I enjoy the whites of the Languedoc..and this Spanish wine reminds me in style of those delicious alternatives.
minerals abound..wrapped in a soft glove..it spends only 2 months in oak...a gentle explosion reveals melons...the flavour is lemony...and complex...this needs airing..and the rest drank a day later showed it. A decant about 5 hours before drinking would give it a real chance to show..it is a complicated wine compared to many other 'up-front' wines on offer....worth looking for if you like something more than 'obvious' fruit and oak. Give King Carlos a phone call..maybe he'll let you have a bottle.
A few years ago..the German media people got hold of it..well..it is a long time between Easter and Xmas..and they need a reason to sell more to kids. So..what happens..children of all religions appear at our window....some of Muslem belief..and they are not allowed to eat everything that is in chocolate nowadays....so my wife has to make sure the ingredients are right....somehow..it all seems to be changing....the kids love it..and the bosses rake it in...but the whole thing jars with me. After a 'scary' ring of the bell...the treats were shared out...and we decided on the spur of the moment to go to our local Bistro...a quick visit to my cellar to get a bottle..and Stan Laurel's mask seemed an appropriate partner for the photo. 
