I was lucky to be seated at just the right table during the recent WSET diploma dinner at I Trulli on December 5. I received my diploma in 2008 from the International Wine Center which manages the WSET program in the United States under the watchful eye of Mary Ewing Mulligan and Linda Lawry, guardians of the faith. I have been to every diploma dinner since and I look forward to the occasion each year.

It’s great to see other friends from the industry, meet new people and try some wonderful wines. My dear friend Eileen brought a Madeira from 1919, THANK YOU, and one from 1979 I believe.

At my table, a fellow diploma graduate brought this stunning bottle of Chateau Fortia, a Chateauneuf-du-pape from 1994 that was dreamy and in beautiful shape.
Here’s a great post on the winery written by a colleague in the wine writing business.

The history behind this bottle, the estate and Baron Le Roy was right up my alley. Nothing excites me more than that generation that fought in World War I and II. I also love what he apparently said in his testament to winegrowers in France:

“That Never the choice of Quality should be abondonned. We are not made for mass production. No!
We are unbeatable on the level of possessing elements that render the Artisan an Artist.
Quality spells out the Genious of the French people”.

This bottle certainly showed that philosophy. I found a few bottles of this year available on the internet. Don’t pass it up if you get the chance to try it.