MJScribe

Chapitre 17: Le bar est fermé

Greetings.  So this will be last entry for awhile.  Unfortunately, my current run at La Gatte is coming to an end.  I’ll be stateside in a few days and am pretty stoked to catch up with all you peeps. 

The last few weeks have been as good as any.  Much work around La Gatte – mainly in the vineyard, but also the usual stuff – bottling, labeling, etc.  It’s been quite amazing watching the vines progress over the last few months.  The grapes are starting to turn color and the weather will really dictate how this vintage turns out. 

I made it out to the beach the last few weekends which was stellar.  Chilling in Andernos, beaches in Cap Ferret, and boating in Petit Piquay amongst the highlights.  Spaced my camera not once, but twice. 

Was also able to squeeze in a quick jaunt to Geneva last week.  My friend Janine had a business pitch there and I was able to connect and hang with her for a few days.  There was some nutty festival going on there and we also had a chance to cruise Lake Geneva and check out a killer village called Nyon.  Good times.  The pho-tos, yo.

So what’s up next?

I am heading back into NYC this weekend.  I plan on hanging with some friends, seeing my dog, and doing some life-housekeeping.  Must. See. Dentist. STAT.  Wine-stained teeth are no way to go through life, son. 

A few days in DC with the ‘rents and then off to Austin to throwdown with some friends and get my skull wacked by MMJ.  Segue into the Kirbo/Fox wedding shenanigans in Aspen, and then back to Morrison, CO at Chez Ziz for some toxin-removal hiking for a few days.  After that, head back East-Coast stylie to Bethany Beach, DE to check out Ziz’s new ‘straunt: Ray Ray’s Snack Shack.  I’ll probably eat crab everything for 5 days straight — you feeling me?  I also need to get some dank sushi and Mexican.  Haven’t seen that stuff in almost 5 months.

From there, I’m thinking of knocking off a bank.  I need to diffuse some of this serious debt I am lugging around.  Ugly.

Mid-September I’m on my way back.  Ziz and Reddish are most likely coming for a bit.  Barcelona is certainly in the cards.  After a bit of travel, I’ll be here.  Right where it started.  Working the harvest.   Wondering what the phuck I am doing?  Watch this from last year; I think it’ll crystallize things for ya.

So, I guess that’s it for awhile.  I did play Lotto today in France, 57 million Euros.   So I got that going for me.  I could use the cash, and well, buy a Chateau of course. 

Sorry folks, the bar is closed for now.  Don’t forget to tip your waitresses…

Humbly,
Stone Panic (Alexander Supertramp was taken)

Oh yeah, kill that tune below. Sick.

Chapitre 16: Biarritz > Paris > Mallorca

Shit.  What’s been going on?  Been traveling a bit the last few weeks so pardon the pause in the programming.   The trips have been lee-git, but I am happy to be back in Bordeaux again for the next few weeks.

Anyways, big news here at La Gatte.  We are rocking the inflatable pool these days.  It’s not huge by any means, and you need a ladder to get in, but after a long day dans les vignes, shit is vital.   A dip ghetto-style, a Fischer ale, a view of the Dordogne, and the day is worthwhile.  Aight, here’s the recap of the last few weeks, CliffsNotestyle.

Biarritz
Kinda don’t have much on this front.  My sister’s friend from Santa Barbara got a gig as a personal chef in Provence for a few weeks and was in Biarritz so I took a ride down to hang.  About 3 hours to the coast.  Chill town.  Surf town.  Very OC and all that.  Big tourist spot, but was just what the doctor ordered.  Was happy to hang with someone from the States for a bit.  We met some great folks from the UK and hung with them for a few days.  A few great dinners and such.  Since Biarritz is a big surf spot in France, the coastline had its moments for sure.  I didn’t get a ton of photos, but here’s what I got.  Props to Kirsten on her journey and I wish her the best in her travels.  Before I left, I dropped her at a train station in Irun, SPAIN and I hope things worked out.  Godspeed.

Paris
Most of you that know me have a pretty good idea on how I’m wired.  On a consistent basis, I need serious food, drink, and music.  Well, I have the first two covered over here like you read about.  The third, is a train wreck.  I’m not sure how this happened, but France is just plain god awful when it comes to music.  Now I’m not even saying this to proclaim my music preferences are better in any way.  I can rock out a mean Bee Gees disc now and again, but Jeez-uss.  It’s like they take all the cheesy music from the States, digitize it, translate it and then spit it back at you, LOUDLY.  And they LOVE it.  The radio is useless and the ringtones going off over here are just downright scary.  Enough on that, you get the picture.   Please accept my apologies if Mika is your thang.  Helene, you can’t win them all.

I hadn’t seen any live music since I had been over here, so when La Chaqueta was scheduled to play Paris, it was a no brainer.  Especially since my friend Chris was going to be in Paris for a few days.  TGV train into Paris and it was on.  I’ll skip the blow by blow here, but suffice to say I had one of the coolest musical experiences I’ve ever known – and I have had a few.  Chris knew the tour manager for MMJ and we were able to blaze on in to Le Trabendo for the show gratuit.  150 people maybe, soaking wet.  Most had no clue what they were watching and just sorta stared blankly.  We made up for that, believe me…

This band is hitting its stride big time.  See you kids in Austin for Stubb’s and the ACL taping.  Not missing this.  Thinking hard about NYE at MSG also.

Mallorca, SPAIN
<content removed due to unsuitable nature of material.> 

Sorry folks, some experiences I just can’t wrap my dome around, and this was one of them.  I would also be doing our trip a great disservice by trying to capture into words how much fun it was.  So I’ll leave it at that.  Great Island, definitely worth checking out of you are in that part of Spain.

I will, however, post a bunch of snaps by some of the other folks that were there.  Many thanks to Chris, Wade, Karen, and Kimmy for making the journey over.  As much as I know this was your vacation, I really had a blast seeing some familiar faces for the first time in awhile.    I think we were all touched in a mind-blowing kind of way.  Adios Bitches!

Miscellaneous
Completely unrelated, but completely rad, check out this shot of the double magnums Helene and I sealed in hot wax. 

Also, the grapes are really starting to grow a bit, very nice to see.  We also bottled the 2005 Montalon this week. Here are a few shots of both. 

Well, it’s getting on four months overseas and I feel blessed to have visited so many pristinely killer destinations*, but have merely scratched the surface on this bright blue ball.  Travel is wonderful and I can’t imagine not being able to do this for years to come.  We all know how easy it is to get caught up in the monotony of the daily grind, but I leave you with some wise words from Wilbur ‘Shooter’ Flatch…

“Don’t get caught watching the paint dry.”

*Copyright, 2008. MJScribe, Inc.

Chapitre 15: Pardonnez moi...

…for the lack of scribe.  Been on the road for a few weeks and have not had much time to sit down and collect my thoughts.  Biarritz > Paris > Mallorca.  Just back settling in at La Gatte for a few days at this point and will try and get something worthwhile up.

I’ll just say that The Jacket absolutely CRUSHED Paris.  From 80,000 at Bonnaroo to 150 people in Paris.  Just floored.  Reddish and I blew it up and had one of the finest musical experiences of all time. 

Back at you soon, until then, rawk out this Gideon from Letterman.

Up next:
- Biarritz, surfstyle
- Paris shred with big red
- The gang goes to Mallorca, also starring:

• Karen (Mazel) Cahn
• Wade (Jeez-us) Heavner
• Chris (Bitchez) Reddish
• Kimmy (Breaker) Synnott

Chapitre 14: Est

I’m finally back in Bordeaux after a week on the road.  The trip took us east, across all of France to Northern Germany.  We then made our way back down south through Luxembourg and back home.  A nice mix of biz and pleasure.   

Bordeaux > Chantelle

After a rather short travel day (5 hrs or so) we were welcomed in a tiny village called Chantelle, population =  1,100.    I got the feeling that the place hasn’t changed a whole lot in a few hundred years. 

We’re here for the Brocante – a veritable flea market, and we’re here to sell wine.  Chantelle is in central France, near Vichy.  Mountains and greenery surround the village and I can only admire the folks who have come to settle in such a quiet and peaceful place.  Michael has a few friends who have places here.  Some live year round, others, like Ken and Reine Salter come a few times a year and stay for a month or so at a time.  We arrived at Chez Salter for as dinner party with their friends.  Here’s the lineup:

Ken & Reine Salter – Franco American couple, live in Berkeley, but escape to Chantelle a few times a year.  They were our hosts for the night.

Henrich & Silva – Danes who used to work for the UN.  More on them later.

Finn & Lone – Danes who have retired to Chantelle recently. 

Patrice – French Bronconteur.  Professional gourmand.  Dude can eat and drink. 

Aside from Michael, I was the youngest by at least 20 years – no matter.  These people were happy, cordial, elegant, sophisticated, and thirsty.   The view from their backyard is just downright ill.  Life doesn’t stop at 60 mon amis.  No friggin way.  The shizznit.

Chantelle Brocante Day 1

Early set up is needed for prime location.  Ken/Reine are retired, but keep busy selling antique glass, pottery, etc.  Really nice stuff.  I was able to nab a few 19^th century bottles from them.  Weather was hot and after the morning, we broke for lunch at Henricks.    I’m not going to get into detail here because I am starting to go into a food coma just thinking about this meal.  Lunch in France:  4 hours, 7 courses, many bottles.  Their crib is 15^th century (1450’s I think) and left me speechless.  The porn.

A few more hours in the sun slinging vino left us a bit drained, but we rallied at Ken’s for another nice evening of food/wine.  No, it doesn’t stop.

Chantelle Brocante Day 2

Ditto most of what was above — except for lunch we just put a table in the street and had a great meal from Hotel de la Poste.   I’ll just sum it up by saying that imagine if you were sitting in a small ass village in the middle of Kansas….and the “clientele” you may encounter.  Quite colorful to say the least.  Other vendors present:  Ninja sword salesman, firecracker and other explosive devices, cheese dude, old vinyl, and some of the most utterly unusable collections of crappola just cobbled together in some indiscernible form EVER.  That being said, there was some nice antiques to be had, if you dig that stuff.  The company and charm of the old village is really what gave me a precise view into what most of France is about.  This shit is so far from Michelin, Lonely Planet, etc…and that is pretty damn cool.  Visuals from both days.

Chantelle > Apoigny > Auxerre > Metz

Longest day on the road thus far — many deliveries and stops that I can’t quite remember.  Mostly in Northern Burgundy near Chablis.  We stopped in Auxerre for lunch and an internet cafe jolt. 

What I mainly remember is that anyone you deliver to, welcomes you with open arms, food, and drink.  And they always send you packing with some home-distilled concoction.  Apple Cider (aged 4 years), Alsatian Pinot Gris, Quince Eau de Vie, etc.  We almost came home with more than we delivered.  Not true, but you get the picture.  We crashed in Metz on the German border ready to attack up North in the morning.

Metz > Hannover

Okay, so let me get this right.  You can stop in at any rest stop and buy beer, wine, liquor, etc and then hop right on the Autobahn and drive 200+ km/h.  With no police anywhere.  Head scratcher.  I guess it works for them. 

Long ass drive up to Hannover.  We stopped in a small village along the way and tooled around a bit before finishing up in Hannover. 

Michael’s buddy Francesco and his business partner Martin met us at their flat.  They don’t actually live there all the time, but use it for when they are in town for business.    Great guys, speak very good English and extremely hospitable.  We went out for a typical German meal – schnitzel and Gi-normous beers.  They are fanatical about this stuff.  Hello gut expansion.  We kicked it with these guys for a bit the next day before hitting the road.  We still had a few deliveries to make in Alsace and wanted to get a jump on the day. 

Hannover > Luxembourg > Thann (Alsace)

We made our way south through Luxembourg and into the Alsace region.  Not much to say about Luxembourg other than I’ve been there.  It’s also some kind of no-tax zone so people flock there for their gazole and nicotine.  The Alsatian region of France is beautiful.  Seeing a bit more mountains and small villages set at the base on canyons.  Chill.  It reminded me a bit of Telluride, but not to that extreme. 

Another delivery, a bottle of Reisling, and a tour of Uncle Jesse’s Schnapps distillery in his shed.   I am doing much better at picking up French conversation and am usually able to grasp the concept of the discussions.  However, in Alsace, they speak some kind of hybrid French-German thang and it was almost impossible.  You can easily see the German influence in the part of France.  We had a great meal in Thonn and then headed West for a few hours.  We had an appointment in the morning in Burgundy to see some glass.

Bonnencontre (Burgundy) > Chantelle

Let me sorta give you a bit of background on why we came here.  Michael has been into collecting all kinds of antique glass/bottles for some time now.  At La Gatte, it’s everywhere.  Really cool stuff.  Mostly nineteenth century, hand-blown, and quite colorful.  The stuff ranges in all sizes and shapes.  I wont bore you with any more details about that, because quite frankly, beyond having a few trinkets in my place and few pieces of data about where it comes from and how old it is, I really don’t need to add another obsessive/psychotic hobby to my life.

I’ll leave you with a few shots of the stuff we were looking at.  Christoff and his wife were great hosts as always and really gave us a great afternoon of food, wine (shocker!), and conversation.  The glass.

Chantelle Pit Stop

We stopped in Chantelle on our way back home.  Too much ground to cover and we needed to crash.  Alas, with Ken/Reine as hosts, that aint happening.  Great night once again, their porch is spectacular and offers and amazing view of an Abbaye across the way.  The sun sets each night and you really can’t ask for a better visual.  I’m sure you saw the 90 different shots I included in the first slideshow, but it was that cool.

Home at Last

After 8 days on the road we were happy to get back to home base.  Unfortunately, a parcel of the La Butte lot got hit by some crazy windstorms and dropped a 100 year old oak tree, falling directly on La Butte vines; concernable damage; many vines will need replanting; most will re-bud in 2010 or 2011.  Approximate loss: 5%.    I spent most of Saturday hauling wood off the lot.  Seeing what just one tree can do and the days it took to haul off the rubble, I can’t imagine what Katrina was like.  Really put it in perspective.  The visuals.

Next Up

Starting to move into some nice stuff I have planned over the next few weeks.  Working a bit this week and then off to Biarritz for a few days.  Next week is MMJ in Paris with Reddish, and then off to Mallorca for a week starting July 12^th.  It’ll be good to see some US faces in Mallorca.  I expect to get tons of rest with Wade, Kimmo, Reddish, and K. Cahn in the mix. </sarc>

Peace.  Out.