Hi,

I would guess that you may have been wondering where I went. The short answer is to Summerville, South Carolina (just 25 min west of Charleston), the longer answer is found below.

Joy and I have spent the year since our arrival in the Low Country exploring the region, adapting to a winter without snow (not difficult), and adjusting to a relaxed approach to wine. And, of course, there was selling our home in New York, moving three times, carefully watching the completion of our new house in Summerville (just outside of Charleston), and then organizing that house. The moves are done, and the house is now largely organized. We are adjusting to very warm summers, and have experienced that first winter with no snow. We have found an excellent wine bar, a fine local Italian restaurant, and discovered that the Charleston area offers excellent food at reasonable prices. However, we are still seeking bagels that are satisfactory and matzos ball soup that approximates New York standards. Despite these two failings, and missing our New York friends, we are blessed to have relocated to an area that is rich in history and populated by wonderful people and excellent restaurants.

Moreover, having spent more than 30 years in the New York, and thus very conversant with the New York embrace of wine (seeking both good value and unique flavor packages), it is fascinating to find ourselves in a region where wine is often the third option after unique cocktails and craft beer. And, while there are excellent wine bars and eateries with wonderful wine lists, it is much more common to find a long list of available craft beers and mixologists creations.

Thus, the question I have been asking myself over the past 13 months is ‘What should be the focus of a blog discussing wine and spirits emanating from the Low Country?’.

The decision – this blog will off personal reflection of restaurants, wine bars, distilleries, and wineries (as well as an occasional brewery) located in the Charleston area (or wherever our travels should take us), and to share with our friends in South Carolina, New York and elsewhere, wines that we have discovered that are worth seeking in your neighborhood, and food pairings for dishes with a Low Country flavor package.

I will also continue to study the technical, political, and economic aspects of the wine and spirits industry. And, unlike my previous publications, this blog will offer the reader a chance to respond. Wine and spirits are best enjoyed in the company of friends, and this blog is an opportunity for me to remain connected to friends made over the past 20 years in the business, and with new friends made through our move to the Charleston area.

Some posts may be short and some long. The advantage of blogging vs. writing column is that the topic will dictate the length of the article rather than the space allocated to it.

Finally, as I become more comfortable with the process of blogging, and experiment with the many options and add-ons available through this software and the hosting agent, you should anticipate that this will become a more robust and interactive site.

It is time to start writing again …..

Check back often, and encourage friends to join the conversation.