We went to visit some friends that live in the next county north of us. They are truly a "renaissance couple". Having had very successful careers ( he as a chef/owner of a fine dining restaurant and the both of them as wine importers - and several other fun adventures ) They settled into a place in the highest part of the mountains around here, near Hot Springs NC - on the Pigeon River.
Ricardo is from Argentina, and Susanne is originally form Boston. The stories of their adventures throughout the Americas are novel worthy. It would have to be a little Indiana Jone, with Romeo and Juliet in there....
Beautiful people, and the warmest, most kind folks you will ever meet.
Since retiring from wine importing - they took up a passion for raising peonies and figs.
World class peonies and figs...... So, my wife wanted to go while they are in bloom, and pick out some for our yard and grounds, and it was a great excuse to visit with Ricardo and Susanne
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So - first...the scenery. Because if we had the wine and cheese first - the pictures would be more fuzzy and out of focus....
But - be sure to look at the last few pictures. THAT wine is what put Ricardo and Susanne on the "wine map". Robert Parker Jr. of Wine Spectator ranked it as No# 1 available at the time...and the race was on! There are other awesome wines they imported -( they have a few bottles left of a blend that is BETTER than this wine - tho it is hard to believe...) but this one was their breakthrough. I am no wine aficionado....but this wine was soooo good I could not believe it. Those are our fiends and neighbors Jim and Jean Healy at the table. The Mrs. T is in the middle - with a happy flower filled, perfect glass of wine end to the afternoon.
I have have the blend before, and there are a few cases left from 1984. I will own some.
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