Bucephalus

Have you ever had a divine intervention experience? I have and it inspired me to write about a certain wine. A wine salesperson came by the other day and we tried a wine called Black Stallion.  I thought the wine was great and it was on sale to boot.  I contemplated using the wine for my wine club.

I started researching information on the winery. I discovered that the visitor center used to be an equestrian center, hence the name of the winery “Black Stallion.”  As I read on, I discovered they have a high-end wine named Bucephalus. Bucephalus is the legendary horse that Alexander the Great tamed as a young boy and continued to ride in all his battles. Again, I thought this would make an interesting story. So what does this have to do with divine intervention? Keep reading…

Later that evening after I ate dinner and cleaned up a bit, I turned on the television to see if anything good was on. There were no good sporting events to watch and my favorite cooking shows were over. I turned the guide off and a movie had already started on the channel I selected earlier. As I watched, a story about a small boy that was stranded on an island somewhere started to develop. It seems that the boy and his father had captured a wild black stallion and they were transporting the horse via ship back home.

A fire broke out and destroyed the ship killing everyone aboard except the horse and the little boy, the stallion rescued. Turns out the only thing the boy had in his possession besides the clothes on his back was a small metal figure his father had given him as a keepsake. The figure was none other than Bucephalus.

The boy and the horse became friends and you guessed it, when the boy was rescued the horse went with him. Of course, the story goes on and a local horse trainer (Mickey Rooney) helped the boy get The Black Stallion ready for a race. As I sat there sipping my wine, which by the way just happened to be the last of the sample bottle the salesperson had left behind, I knew I was making the right choice for next month’s wine pick. That is either divine or extremely circumstantially coincidental.

Wine Bucket List

So, my friends and I are sitting around discussing the daily news. As I open the first bottle of wine for the evening I ask, "Has anyone ever thought about a bucket list, you know 10 wines you want to try before your put in the dark cellar?"
Everyone looks at me, swirling their glasses, sniffing the wine at hand, which was an Argentina red blend called Alta Vista Atemporal. Three of us looks at each other and Phil says, "What's your number one?" Jim looks at Phil, "I know what my top two would be. Bryan, tell us your number one."

Well, I could see it in their eyes, dozens of wines rolling around trying to get at the top of the list. "It would have to be Domaine De La Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti." We all agreed on the same number one.
Kathy asked ,"Are there any specific regions you guys are going with or is it anything goes?"
I say," Whatever floats your boat!"

After hours of debate and three bottles of wine I finalized my list. Some of these wines I have had the opportunity to taste already, the rest are yet to be conquered.

1. Domaine De La Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti
2. Gaja Barbaresco
3. Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon
4. A flight of 2001, 2004, 2007 Antinori Tignanello
5. Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape
6. Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
7. Penfolds Grange
8. Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido
9. Chateau D'Yquem
10. Chateau Petrus

Of course we didn't agreed on the whole list. I could have made my list 20 deep. But these are wines that always seem to elude me or I have them in my possession and I just can't find the right moment or enough strength to open them.

What would your list look like? It doesn't have to be monetary based, nor does it have to be worldly. Comment if you would like to share.