A couple who found their (unexpected) calling in wine, after-the-jump ..
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From 1998-2009, I found myself perusing (in the Friday expanded version of the Wall Street Journal, which my offices had a copy of) something that I never expected: a wine column. Over the years I had tried to become enthused .. yet never could. Often, the author pre-supposed that you knew a lot (say, the ‘outstanding 1979 vintage’), or used industry jargon, or just wrote about the business … that was not meaningful to a rank amateur like myself. And then …
… the Wall Street Journal introduced a column written by an interracial couple (Black and Jewish, both native Floridians) that was … none-of-the-above.
Dorothy J. (“Dottie”) Gaiter was born in Tallahassee, John Brecher in Jacksonville, and they met the first day they began working at the Miami Herald: June 4, 1973. They became business/editorial content writers for several publications, with Dottie’s 1981 story in the NY Times (about NYC elderly going hungry on the weekends since food programs did not operate then) leading Gael Greene and chef James Beard to step-in and found a supplementary program.
They married and both found a niche at the Wall Street Journal: John as a Page One editor, Dottie as an editor for Urban Affairs. All along, they shared a love for wine. Somewhere along-the-line, they took courses on the subject … but came to it organically, after honing their skills as business-oriented writers.
When the WSJ began an expanded Friday/weekend edition (arts-and-leisure, not business/politics) in 1998: the section editor (knowing of their passion) offered them a wine column (in addition to their regular duties). In only two years, it became so meaningful that they relinquished their other posts to become full-time wine writers. They also appeared on TV shows such as Martha Stewart Living and CBS Sunday Morning as well as two appearances on Terry Gross’s Fresh Air radio program.
They developed a standard rating system ("Yech", "OK", "Good", "Very Good", "Delicious" to "Delicious!") and I always felt like I was reading the advice of old friends, rather than a larger-than-life expert (with an Orson Welles aura). They had some memorable topics I still recall:
1) “Do you remember your first wine? Yes …...…that one” (I choked w/laughter).
2) They revealed the first wine the two of them shared —André Cold Duck.
3) Before they met: on his previous dinner dates, John bought his date Mateus Rosé… but if he really wanted to impress her, he bought …Lancers.
4) They described Chardonnay as a “white wine that wants to be a red wine” and Pinot Noir as a “red wine that wants to be a white wine”.
5) If unsure of a wine: they gave a list of wine importers (Eric Solomon as one of them) whose name in fine print on a label was a good sign of reliability.
6) They indicated whether a recommended wine would be easy to locate (or if one needed to seek a specialty shop) as well as expected price ranges.
7) When the 2004 film Sideways came out: they addressed the issue that the film’s protagonist had about not liking Merlot. Their analysis felt that at a certain price point (may/may not have been $15/bottle and above) that Merlot was a consistently excellent choice … below, inconsistent. Didn’t recall anyone else doing that.
8) They also rated various chain restaurants: asking their servers for wine recommendations (and evaluating how helpful they may/may not have been). After multiple visits to various locations, they gave their rankings. They were surprised that one chain they visited (as a lark) earned a better-than-average rank: Hooters. Their servers had tried their (albeit limited) wines and made decent pairing selections.
9) They like German wines, yet acknowledge their labels are overly scientific. They gave specific recommendations, one being if you see the words Riesling-Kabinett (in that order) it will be dry, flavorful and have a low alcohol content.
10) Avoid inexpensive wines with cute animals (critter wines, they dub them).
If they did nothing else: they’d be remembered for creating Open that Bottle Night. It originated in reader Q&A, as many readers might mention having, say, a bottle of 1963 Chateau Such-and-Such, asking if it was still safe to drink? They would answer the questions technically … until finally asking, “Why do you have such a bottle?” Invariably, the response was they were saving it for a special occasion, yet no occasion ever seemed …...… well ….... special enough.
So, Dottie and John signed everyone’s permission slip: suggesting holding a special dinner on the last Saturday in February, inviting friends for a simple (yet elegant) meal and also having another bottle on hand just in case the old wine had turned to vinegar. Readers send photos of their home dinners and some restaurants (advised of the situation) will waive their normal corkage fee to accommodate patrons who want to go out to have their special meal w/friends.
On the last Friday of 2009, they announced their last column and seemed to disappear ... with no explanation. It seems that the Great Recession (that caught up with many others employed at newspapers) finally caught up with them. Fridays at the office were lonely after that.
In addition to going on to other journalistic works (John at Bloomberg News, for example) they now write for the online Grape Collective journal. This is a different sort of column than in the past: meeting with vintners and extolling new wines they have discovered. Not as much person-to-person, wine advice for amateurs as before, yet they also have a good social media presence: so I don’t feel slighted.
They are the authors of a more personal autobiography Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage (including difficulties as an interracial couple) and Wine for Every Day and Occasion. You can read them at Grape Collective, plus Instagram, as well as Twitter and Facebook.
Let’s close with a song on the subject — featuring music by Ginger Baker … and lyrics by his band member Jack Bruce’s wife, Janet.
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From Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the diary by Merlin196357 about an insurrectionist (who chased Capitol Hill Police Officer Eugene Goodman up a flight of stairs) today being sentenced to forty-one months in prison — after plenty of discussion about sentencing guidelines and the like, Dartagnan begins a humorous stretch about his mustache… and it goes on from there.
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And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
3) My hand has been raised for a long time. by Cmae +1559) Well said. by rahuputra1 +10120) History – Tulsa Massacre by Denise Oliver Velez +7422) Should have been the 51 months by exlrrp +7326) Thanks Markos. by jqjacobs +68