HBD 2 ME 🎈

What’s up winos,

That’s right, it’s my birthday - or it’s nearly my birthday (3rd of December, if you’re interested) but it’s also my Parched birthday. Two years ago I was reborn into the wonderful world of wine, plucked from the barren lands of the publishing industry, set on the path towards greatness, striding into pastures new… etc. Can you even remember what your life was like before me? I sure can’t remember it before you. So this email is going to be all about ME. Self-serving? Perhaps. A great read? Absolutely. I’m gonna take you on a little journey down memory lane, through the wines that shaped me into the encylopedia of knowledge I am today (lol). I have a feeling this is going to be like when someone wants to tell you about a dream they had, i.e., only interesting to the person talking, but whatever. This is my email and you’re just living in it.

Let’s begin at the beginning.

Ah, the first time I ever came to Dan’s. The Italian restaurant candles, the eclectically named by the glass offering, the vibes. The VIBES! I knew nothing whatsoever about wine when I first stepped through those doors, and as such, was recommended a spanking bottle of fizz by the owner himself - this Aligote pet nat from Burgundy with a very amusing name, if you’re into puns, which I’m not. Bottle number two was everyone’s stalwart easy skinsy, the Tragolargo Blanco, which frankly still slaps to this day. The board was set, the pieces were moving, etc. The following week I started working at the bar, and was immediately called upon to start recommending bottles to customers even though I didn’t know what Pinot Noir was. The Chasing Rabbits Grenache was my calling card. There was no situation I wouldn’t recommend this wine for, even if somebody was asking for Champagne. It got me through the first three months of employment, before I started actually knowing what I was talking about, and I stand by the sentiment that it will get you through any situation too.

My first day of full time employment was the pleasantly easy to remember Beaujolais Day (what a night, guys, hope you’ve all recovered from this year’s) and I was tasked with selling the wines of a certain Daniel Bouland. Not that they need any selling. The Chiroubles ‘Chatenay’ was the bottle that kept customers coming back to my table over and over again. Well that and the fact that I didn’t (don’t) understand what a tasting pour was. Oops.

April of the following year, I was honoured to be invited on my first ever wine buying trip, to the most iconic of regions, a little place called the Jura. Domaine Ratte was the first winery I ever went to, and the first Savagnin I ever tried. Previously I thought that Dan had just spelled Sauvignon wrong and went through correcting all instances of it on the website, lol. Ratte is also our first ever direct import, and has set the tone for what I personally (and unbiasedly) think is a pretty cracking portfolio. The Trousseau also has a special place in my heart.

2023 was a year of gadding about Europe as I was inundated with offers of jaunts abroad (I guess I must be really good company? Idk?) and in July I headed over to the Mosel. I’ve written extensively about my time in Andreas Bender’s tasting room (some say I never actually left and am still there steadily tasting my way through back vintages until I reach the year that wine was invented) but my standout was Clemens Busch. After a brisk 90 minutes of sleep it was going to take something special to keep me peppy, and having lunch on the banks of the Mosel while tasting through what are still some of my favourite Rieslings was the only way that was going to happen. His entry level is up there with the most valuest of value. Clemens is also a certified king, when I smacked my head on a low hanging beam (I SWEAR I wasn’t even that tipsy, it was hanging extremely low) he patted it better. I’ll be telling that story on my death bed.

A few months later I was called up AGAIN to go and be my best self abroad (can’t catch a break), this time to Sicily, which was among the most special three days of my life so far. Hard to pick a highlight (although being pushed into a swimming pool at three in the morning is up there) but if pressed I’d say it was having dinner at Baglio Occhipinti, sitting across from Arianna, drinking her 2011 Frappato (which Fionn asked me to have her sign, which she did, and which the sommelier accidentally recycled before I could squirrel it away. All that debasing for nothing). Sadly I can’t offer you the 2011, but have a go at the 2022, it’s smashing.

Are you sick of me wanging on yet? Fine, I’ll leave you with just one more. This summer I went to a barbecue at one of my favourite importer’s house and I knew it was game on in terms of which bottle to bring. This Massa Vecchia was the winner, and luckily for you, it just landed back on the shelves. And by ‘it’, I do mean there is one bottle. There’s also one bottle of this and one bottle of this. Just do it.

OKAY. That’s enough flabby prose for one Tuesday morning. Please make my birthday extra special by giving me loads of orders to pack, it’ll keep me humble.

Love u xoxo

Megan