So, here's the thing.  It's a bit of an odd feeling for me - in all my (long) years with the LDB, I was never free to truly speak my mind.  Something along the lines of our modern sanitized sports environment - hey, can you imagine Gilles Villeneuve or James Hunt doing corporate-speak?  But now that I've walked off the job-site, so to speak, I can say what I like, within libel laws.  And I wonder what I want to say.  What do you want to hear?

We all know the usual suspects when it comes to wine & spirits reviews (and beer, which unfortunately gets to be the poor cousin - damn shame that, and something we will address in the future), but how much of it is relevant to our community?  Even certain Vancouver wine writers, whom I will not yet name, though in the future I might (and in any case many of you know my views) don't particularly give a shit about anyone or anything outside of the GVRD.

It's an almost unknown fact that at least four of the top ten revenue-generating stores in the province outside the Lower Mainland are in the Interior - and we get all the respect that's given a pail of drywall compound.  I did my best as an agent of the government to represent, but as I say, there were certain constraints. I think we need to demand respect.  I couldn't do it alone as a single government employee.  Maybe we can do it together?  Don't know.  Nice to think so.  Let's talk.

Meantime, my stupid website isn't ready, and I have wine notes.  Let me warn you - you might find some of them racy.  But I'm going to print them nonetheless, and cast myself upon your mercy.  I think you'll find it worth your time.  Polemics aside, I will post my opinions of locally-avaliable wines, free of advertising and outside influence.  Well, for now.  Unless they pay me a lot of money.  Wait, is this thing on....?

Oh, come on.  Would I lie to you?