I have no doubt that the best decision I have ever made in my life was to marry my high school and college sweetheart, who I followed to France in 1967 and married in 1969. For our 42nd wedding anniversary (which seems to have arrived in the blink of an eye) we enjoyed a quiet dinner for two at the Oregon Grille, just a ten minute drive from our home. During our leisurely evening out, we enjoyed two magnificent bottles of wine. I have only a few bottles of Domaine Leroy’s 1989 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières remaining in my cellar, and I doubt that today I would pay the price demanded for more recent examples of this cuvée. The 1989 was made long before the premox scandal hit white Burgundy and this extraordinary wine tastes more like a great Montrachet than a premier cru. It reveals a remarkably light gold color as well as a stunning nose of crushed rocks, white currants, quince, acacia flowers and honeysuckle. Full-bodied with a freshness, purity and exuberance to its fruit that is unbelievable for a 22-year old white wine, it is about as close to perfection as one could hope for. It is a credit to Lalou Bize-Leroy, an incredibly compulsive/obsessive, passionate proprietor who has made many great wines yet is so profoundly misunderstood by many people in the wine world. That wine was followed by one of my favorite 1982 Bordeaux, the 1982 La Mission Haut Brion. (I vacillate between the 1982 Lafleur, La Mission Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Lalande or Latour as to which is the greatest wine.) If you are looking for high class, unsmoked cigar tobacco notes intermixed with graphite, scorched earth, plum sauce, black currant and sweet cherry characteristics presented in an expansive, opulent, full-bodied, voluptuously textured style, this is the wine. Unbelievably complex aromatics, a silky smooth mouthfeel and a richness that should keep this wine alive for another 20+ years made for another magical drinking experience. The Oregon Grille usually hits a home run with their soft-shelled crabs, but on this night they were somewhat leathery. Maryland soft-shelled crab season is one of the culinary highlights of the year and we locals are spoiled as the crabs are caught, put in shallow bins and are culled out just as the hard shells are shed and replaced by a soft, tender shell (which begins to harden almost immediately). If they are eaten within 24 hours of being taken out of the water, it is one of the great gastronomical experiences of the world. However, if the person pulling the crabs from the water is not a skilled operator, they often wait too long and the skins begin to toughen up. The result is what we had at the Oregon Grille - slightly leathery, chewy shells. Readers should remember that with Maryland soft-shelled crabs, you eat the entire crab (including the legs). The only things that are removed are the lungs and eyes/face. This is done while the crabs are still alive, and then they are quickly sautéed and served. The Oregon Grille (along with Baltimore’s Charleston restaurant) is one of the few restaurants that generally has great success with the quality of the soft shells they serve, so this was a rare disappointment. However, the chef redeemed himself with a wonderful well-aged New York strip steak served with crunchy, perfectly cooked, non-greasy onion rings. Lastly, in a cynical world where distortion, deception, disinformation and fraud seem rampant, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary relationship I have had with my wife of 42 years. After four plus decades, she remains my best friend, my confidant, my lover and my most trusted advisor. In addition, she is extraordinarily fun to be with, which says it all. Moreover, she probably has a better palate than I, but let’s keep that a secret!

I have no doubt that the best decision I have ever made in my life was to marry my high school and college sweetheart, who I followed to France in 1967 and married in 1969. For our 42nd wedding anniversary (which seems to have arrived in the blink of an eye) we enjoyed a quiet dinner for two at the Oregon Grille, just a ten minute drive from our home. During our leisurely evening out, we enjoyed two magnificent bottles of wine. I have only a few bottles of Domaine Leroy’s 1989 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières remaining in my cellar, and I doubt that today I would pay the price demanded for more recent examples of this cuvée. The 1989 was made long before the premox scandal hit white Burgundy and this extraordinary wine tastes more like a great Montrachet than a premier cru. It reveals a remarkably light gold color as well as a stunning nose of crushed rocks, white currants, quince, acacia flowers and honeysuckle. Full-bodied with a freshness, purity and exuberance to its fruit that is unbelievable for a 22-year old white wine, it is about as close to perfection as one could hope for. It is a credit to Lalou Bize-Leroy, an incredibly compulsive/obsessive, passionate proprietor who has made many great wines yet is so profoundly misunderstood by many people in the wine world. That wine was followed by one of my favorite 1982 Bordeaux, the 1982 La Mission Haut Brion. (I vacillate between the 1982 Lafleur, La Mission Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Lalande or Latour as to which is the greatest wine.) If you are looking for high class, unsmoked cigar tobacco notes intermixed with graphite, scorched earth, plum sauce, black currant and sweet cherry characteristics presented in an expansive, opulent, full-bodied, voluptuously textured style, this is the wine. Unbelievably complex aromatics, a silky smooth mouthfeel and a richness that should keep this wine alive for another 20+ years made for another magical drinking experience.

The Oregon Grille usually hits a home run with their soft-shelled crabs, but on this night they were somewhat leathery. Maryland soft-shelled crab season is one of the culinary highlights of the year and we locals are spoiled as the crabs are caught, put in shallow bins and are culled out just as the hard shells are shed and replaced by a soft, tender shell (which begins to harden almost immediately). If they are eaten within 24 hours of being taken out of the water, it is one of the great gastronomical experiences of the world. However, if the person pulling the crabs from the water is not a skilled operator, they often wait too long and the skins begin to toughen up. The result is what we had at the Oregon Grille - slightly leathery, chewy shells. Readers should remember that with Maryland soft-shelled crabs, you eat the entire crab (including the legs). The only things that are removed are the lungs and eyes/face. This is done while the crabs are still alive, and then they are quickly sautéed and served. The Oregon Grille (along with Baltimore’s Charleston restaurant) is one of the few restaurants that generally has great success with the quality of the soft shells they serve, so this was a rare disappointment. However, the chef redeemed himself with a wonderful well-aged New York strip steak served with crunchy, perfectly cooked, non-greasy onion rings.

Lastly, in a cynical world where distortion, deception, disinformation and fraud seem rampant, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary relationship I have had with my wife of 42 years. After four plus decades, she remains my best friend, my confidant, my lover and my most trusted advisor. In addition, she is extraordinarily fun to be with, which says it all. Moreover, she probably has a better palate than I, but let’s keep that a secret!