i hereby propose 2 new vinocellar award categories:

first & most obvious would be the " traveller of the month ". this would go to the member who best incorporates off-lines with other members into their travels, regardless whether these events are well-planned or impromptu. it seems to me that mbansek would be a good choice for april & ttepper has the early lead for may. oh, & stemor should already qualify for the " honorary lifetime achievement award " .

second, & probably given less frequently & on an irregular basis would be the " vinocellar golden key " to be given to those who have proven to be excellent houseguests. this is not to be taken lightly. this would be given to someone who not only has the courage to enter the lair of someone they know only (or, at least, initially) through internet contact, but then adapts quickly to the mood & rules of the abode in question, becoming for the time being a functioning & contributing member of the household. they boldly eat whatever is placed before them. they happily use whatever facilities & accomadations they are presented with, always with compliments & never complaints. &, of course, they understand completely the old saying about houseguests & fish.

if either or both of these awards are approved by the moderators, i propose that any member could nominate such worthy candidates as they see fit by pm to thedesignated moderator & then, of course, the executive board could meet to discuss the candidates & vote while drinking copious quantity of excellent wine & the winners would be announced in a timely fashion to the masses for proper congratulations, etc.

for the second award &, in reality the main point of this rather lengthy post, i hereby nominate mbansek for the 1st vinocellar golden key award. during his travels in california last month, i invited mike to stay at my house while in fresno to visit with us rather than stay in a hotel & he went above & beyond the qualifications i described above. for one thing, he showed up with wine! next, when we went to get the steaks for the grill, he insisted upon buying them & now, weeks later, i recieve a package via fedex containing more wine ('01 vino con brio vionier & '97 merryvale profile). we had a nice dinner on the patio, drank wine with my wife, katy & my brother, ted. he played with my son & petted the dog- oh wait, i don't have a dog, but he would have petted it & scratched its belly if there was one. whether i stay in fresno or move elsewhere, whenever mike finds himself in the area, he has a place to stay.

I'll second the motion for the creation of these awards!

TJ,
I thought for sure that you would be nominating a new award....

The Prolific Poster Award, and immediately awarding it to yourself, or your auto-posting software in your absence.

What about an award for the perfect hosts, instead of the proper guest?

Mike

Or Best Dump Bucket Swirler.

TJ - the prize for that award could be a five-pound bucket of Oxiclean and a carpet brush.

lilac,

now, that's an avatar .

Gus,
Has the wedding been arranged??

Gotta love oxiclean... :-) Best stuff to clean wine glasses ever!!

with no ill effects, Rev?

Gus,

If you need a "second" to your motion for giving Mike Bansek the highly coveted Vinocellar Golden Key Award, I'll gladly provide it.

Mike isn't just a good guest, though. He's generous all the time. Here's an example:


A saleslady in a local (Memphis) wine shop had a customer asking for a 2000 Cloudy Bay SB to complete a vertical that he had assembled. We don't even GET Cloudy Bay in this market, so she called me (knowing that I have eclectic taste and many out-of-state wines in my collection). I had none and couldn't find any on any online resources. After putting out a request for help, Mike chimed in that he had one -- and only one -- in his cellar. I could have it if I wanted it.

So, rather than shipping just ONE bottle from Denver to Memphis, I suggested that we send a few extra bottles, enough to fill a standard 3, 6, or 12-pack wine mailer. Next thing I know, he's given me access to his online inventory and tells me to pick what I want. I've got some Quilceda Creek and Ridge Monte Bello, among others, that he might want in return but we haven't yet figured out the details.

I drove up to my Missouri address today to pick up a few weeks' worth of shipments, including the package from Mike. Inside the package were:

-- 1 '00 Cloudy Bay (the wine that started this whole adventure),
-- 2 '01 Marquis Philips Shiraz 9,
-- 1 '96 Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages,
-- 2 '97 Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages,
-- 1 '97 Justin Isosceles,
-- 1 '97 Viader,
-- 1 '93 Beringer Private Reserve
-- 1 '94 Beringer Private Reserve
-- 2 '99 Beaux Freres Yamhill County Pinot Noir

I've never owned a single bottle of any one of these wines. Now, thanks to Mike, I've got 'em all!

I was talking with a friend about possibly taking a Denver vacation so we can deliver my part of the barter to Mike & Jill in person.

Stemor,

Please PM me with Mike's address and a plausible story - I've never had any of those either!

That is Mike, without a doubt. I'd take that vacation to Denver in a New York minute. Well worth it. I'm thinking about jumping on a plane for the Denver group's next Parsec Cup. That has got to be a blast.