Hello to all! First, let me say how nice it is to be here amongst some old friends, many of whom I've actually met! Second, an expression of regret for not being here at all really over the past long while, largely due to the inevitable busy-ness, but also to a hacker or group of hackers who put something on my hard drive that effectively rendered the internet useless to me for almost six months! The purchase of a second computer and better protection for it should allow me to appear online more often, with luck, here as well as at the WS forums.

The point of this message is to invite all VinoCellarites to participate in the September TAA, hosted by yours truly, beginning next Saturday night. Whatsis!? you say??? Click here for a full explanation:

http://forums.winespectator.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=9306023451&f=3146091161&m=2126031

but what it is is a monthly offline-online, a virtual tasting of a given wine by participants across cyberspace, on a given night or afterwards. Once the host (me) has posted his or her TNs, others jump in and post theirs, resulting (one hopes) in a broad cross-section of opinion on a given wine.

Being slightly well-known for my love of port, my choiceis 1997 Fonseca LBV port. Click here for the thread on it:

http://forums.winespectator.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=9306023451&f=6826053161&m=89260512

So, run out and buy some 97 Fonseca LBV! I look forward to seeing lots of Vinocellarites online over at the WS forums on September 20 or afterwards, especially old pals like jb, TJ, TCK, Revlis, LCC, Dick, well, too many to mention, really.

bman,

It's really good to see you here. I hope all is well with you and I'm glad you've gotten your PC troubles straightened out.

I accept your offer and will try to track down the Fonseca and attend the wine tasting offline-online TAA.

Cheers!

Looks like I'm going shopping.

jb

Great to see you here, bman. I'll go seek out that Port.

By the way, I expect to be up in Ottawa sometime in the next year.

Sorry to hear about your computer troubles, bman. And nice to see you back in the saddle!

Sadly, I will be unable to participate in your TAA, as I will be in Italy. HOWEVER, in the rare chance that I see this on a restaurant list anywhere we dine while we're over there, I will give it a whirl. I've only ever participated in one of these, so I'm totally up for trying another.

bman...

Welcome back. I imagine you had just a few (thousand) posts to read to catch up. I can hardly keep up if I miss one day!

bman, glad you found us over here

Likewise Bman, good to have you back!

Thanks guys. I was unsure if some might resent a WS forumite jumping in like this, even if he would also be a loyal Vinocellarite if his bloody computer worked as it should for the past few months, and of course if there were 5-10 more hours in each day.

I will try to drop by more often (especially the port forum! )

...and in the spirit, I put the Fonseca LBV 1997 on sale at $14.99, if anyone participating needs some

Woohooo!! WTG MudPuppy!!!

Looks like I have to hurry up and pick up a bottle....

I'm at a wedding Sat night, so I'll probably post the TAA for me on Sunday Morning before golf!!!

it might improve your game

aiez, When all else fails................. Gimme the Louis!

Revlis, I'm SOOOO glad you and several other Vinocellarites will participate in the WS forums TAA this weekend. It will be like a mini-cyber-prodigal-son-reunion (not to go nutzoid with the hyphens, of course! ). I feel a tear coming on so I'll sign off now before I embarass myself.....

i am going to go out and see if i can find some tomorrow and try out my new port glasses.

bman, I look forward to it. A little intersite visitation is always a good thing.

Never did find this while over in Italy. Ah well, I'll have to go check things out on WS to see how this TAA went. Woo-hoo!