Who wants to be a billionaire?

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Apparently, I am nearly the last person to learn that Microsoft intimated at Wednesday’s CES kickoff that it is scrapping Vista. Not sure what that really means—I never use their derivative operating system nor any of the execrable software they publish. Besides, I was immersed in Macworld this week.

Still, back in 2000, I actually met Microsoft’s Big Kahuna. And I don’t mean the guy with the perennial $8 haircut.

We had just finished dinner at Viognier, a noted San Mateo restaurant and wine destination (how could it not be with a name like that?). Manned by Gary Danko at the helm of the kitchen, Viognier sat perched atop the 4th Avenue branch of Draeger’s, an upscale grocer with a rather impressive wine department in its own right, and had recently been voted the #2 restaurant in the entire Bay Area. As we exited the elevator to the sidewalk, whom should I see standing on the corner but current Microsoft CEO and America’s ninth-richest person, Steve Ballmer! Of course, recognizing Steve in public is a rather simple feat—one would not tend to describe him as a poster boy for 24 Hour Fitness. Nonetheless, I’m sure Danko’s gastronomic wonders managed to augment his ample girth by an inch or two.

Corpulent cracks aside, I decided to introduce myself (we actually have a number of acquaintances in common). Knowing he was deeply immersed in battling the Justice Department’s efforts to split his company into two or three separate entities, I extended my right hand in a semi-conciliatory manner and proffered, “Don’t worry, Steve. No matter what happens, they can never take away Microsoft’s ability to innovate.”

I’m not sure he ever caught my gist…

Home and the range

Last night was a rare treat. After I’d put in a marathon over the past 72 hours, building building sites for Sostevinobile on the Web, Facebook and here, the Ginkgo Girl cooked dinner. After 10 consecutive days of variants on the leftovers from the turkey and other delectables I had whipped up for our Christmas dinner party, her stir-fried shrimp was a welcome respite, albeit an extra-spicy one.

Not that she wasn’t well aware of how many Thai chili peppers she had tossed into the wok. Knowing how spicy foods tend to create a cascade of perspiration streaming from my gleaming pate, she asked, in her typically unpretentious manner, “Do you want a glass of wine?”

“That’s like asking ‘do I want to breathe?’” I replied. Actually, it took 2½ glasses of 2006 Markham Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc to quell the heat.

I’m readying a new batch of homemade limoncello this afternoon, then heading off to Macworld.

What’s in a name?

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I’m sitting down to compose my first entry with a glass of 2005 BV Rutherford Cabernet close at hand. When I first began cutting my chops in the wine industry, before the release of their acclaimed 1984 vintage, BV offered three Cabs: Beautour, Rutherford and Georges de Latour. The Rutherford was their mid-range offering, produced in large batches, and selling for $7.98. Today, BV has more Cabernet selections than I care to count and the Rutherford—you’re lucky to find it under $35.

Still, it’s nice to launch my wine blog with an old friend by my side. After all, the name Sostevinobile is a bit more than a mouthful, although you’ll find it goes down quite smoothly once you can handle its mellifluous pronunciation. Sostevinobile is my original portmanteau, a fusion of the Italian word sostenere, vino, and nobile—respectively, to sustain, wine and nobile (as in noble grapes). It’s also the working name for my latest venture, a rather expansive wine bar opening later this year with an exclusive focus on wines from California, Oregon and Washington.

I should clarify that and note that we will only be serving sustainable wines from the West Coast, although that will narrow our selection to around a mere 98% of the wines produced here. The irony, though, is that virtually every restaurant these days boasts a menu culled from local, sustainable ingredients: produce, meat, fish, cheese, bread, etc., then features a wine list that’s 75% imported wine—or more. Sostevinobile promises to be the first full-service wine bar that addresses this inconsistency.

I’ve been an impassioned proponent of the wine we produce here ever since I migrated West, following my stint in a graduate Creative Writing program somewhere back East. One thing I and Sostevinobile can promise is that there will be no shortage of intriguing variety and excellent quality in all the wines we will be serving.

Let the journey begin here.