WHO ARE YOUR MODERATORS

[Woodman]

Seems Jerry and Bucko want to do their bios in the third person. That's OK with me, but I'll do mine in the first if no one minds.

First off, let me say that I was flattered and honored when Jerry asked me to do this. I don't know what the responsibilities are exactly, but I suppose we'll find out.

At the moment, I'm underemployed, which is code for "trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my childhood". I'm trying desperately to figure out a way to make money at wine in some fashion, but it seems all anyone can do is lose money at wine [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img].

I've been drinking and tasting wine for 28 years off and on, ever since the days four of us started a group that eventually (after my wife and I were ousted) metamorphosized into the group that now is responsible for the California Grapevine. In fits and starts, I've gone from fine wine (oh, how I remember the Spring Mountain Lot 68-69) to plonk (anything from Trader Joe's was A-OK) and back to semi-fine wine again. Let's just hope there is not another downturn in my fortunes.

My collection has grown rapidly in the past year or so, and I'm constantly changing my horizons. At one time, almost everything I owned was zinfandel. That now takes a back seat to cabernet and Oregon pinot noir, with syrah making a run at zinfandel for third place. Recently with the encouragement of the well-known and well-regarded Burg hound, I've been dabbling in Burgundy. Today (1/9/99) I actually purchased two (gasp!) bottles of Italian wine in the same day.

I'm blessed to have a wife (the infamous "Roger") and friends who put up with me. I enjoy cooking, fishing (mostly offshore for tuna in Southern California) and golf along with wine. I'm about a 6-handicap cook, a 4-handicap fisherman and anywhere from a 6 to a 20 handicap golfer, depending on the day.

I look forward to meeting many of you in person if you're ever in Portland -- which is not high on anyone's resort destination list, but pretty just the same.