My love of wine began when I was dating Marla. I invited her for dinner at my apartment, opened a bottle of Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, and cooked the ONLY thing I knew how to cook,…steak and peas. The cooking was mediocre at best, but the wine was good. Marla took this photo way back in the day in front of the 1884 Beringer Brothers Winery “Rhein House” in St. Helena, California. I didn’t know at the time that one of my direct descendants settled in St. Helena in 1865. I guess I have a little wine DNA.

My Mom told me my grandfather attempted to make wine in his basement during prohibition. She heard it was not very good. It’s hard to believe that “Prohibition” lasted from 1920 to 1933!

Wine has always been part of almost every celebration in our life. This was a big anniversary dinner at Mirazur in Menton. Wonderful memory!

The joy of raising a glass with our family to celebrate life and just being together!

Years ago Marla and I explored Germany’s Rheingau region. We enjoyed a very nice Riesling at lunch and asked the waiter about it. He said the Weingut was just up the street. I’ll never forget how uncomfortable I felt as the Weingut owner told us about how “American Bombs” went through his roof in World War II. We purchased an Auslese from him and have never opened it! Probably not drinkable, but I’ll give it a shot some day!

I set up our first wine cellar in a small space under the stairs in our basement. All the walls are pasted with labels noting the dates and the people we shared it with. We are on our second temperature-controlled wine vault; one temp for whites and another for reds.

I met Marla in Granada after a bike ride in Spain last year. Restaurante Carmen de San Miguel, in the hills near the Alhambra, has sensational views over the city and is perfect for watching a beautiful sunset. The cuisine and the wines are wonderful as well.

A great bottle, a nice view,…and what an evening! St. George Restaurant at the Ashbee Hotel in Taormina, Sicily.

Pure bliss!

My brother and I, along with Marla, enjoyed a simply great lunch with our Mom at Scoma’s Restaurant in Sausalito. We drank a nice Groth Sauvignon Blanc!

Frivolity and wine at our Dallas friend’s backyard.

I really had no idea the island of Mallorca produced so many interesting wines. This was a 2017 dinner with my nephew Steven and wife Karen at Randomar Restaurant in Port Soller.

Our daughter Stacy and husband Stan brought a bottle of “Cristal Champagne” to help celebrate one of my big birthdays in Bali. Seems all my birthdays are big these days!

While on a bike tour in the French Languedoc region we sampled wonderful Granache wines from Gil Morrot in Monpeyroux.

Oh, the difficulty! Making hard choices at the O’Brien Estate in Napa.

A favorite meal? It just might be a great pizza, a salad,…and a superb wine!

Drinking Champagne at Alex’s family vineyard in Bouzy, France.

A dinner with our clients in Cannes, France. Many toasts,….more bottles and more toasts! Things were pretty calm until the Brazilian gymnastics group showed up and then all hell broke loose!

I loved the special themed dinners at La Striscia Wine Resort in Arezzo, Tuscany. Their Occhini Sangiovese wine is fabulous!

The wines from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 12 kilometers outside of Avignon, are magically concentrated. In a word… huge! A favorite! I road to the town while staying in Orange.

There is something very special when the owner of a Tuscan castle hotel and winery takes you on a personal tour. Their Sangiovese’s are fantastic, especially their Gran Selezione! I wrote a blog on the enchanting hotel: https://gentryconnects.net/?p=1998. I really can’t give the place enough accolades!

I have tasted many great wines but I think my very favorite is “Solaia”, a magical blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese grapes. Nirvana in a bottle!

We wish you all good health and happiness during this Covid craziness! We may not be able to travel. We may not be gathering like in the past,…but we must remain hopeful for a healthier future! ” à votre santé”

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.