A bargain wine list and Ornellaia's past and future

A representative of Ornellaia rang me yesterday to remind me that this year the Maremma winery celebrates its 20th anniversary which they plan to celebrate with a vertical tasting in April. Such is my dedication to the massive job of updating The Oxford Companion to Wine for its 3rd edn due out in sep 06 that I had regretfully to decline with thanks.

Such is my devotion to my beloved husband however that when he suggested on my return from nearly three weeks in Australia, NZ and HK that he too needed a break and why didn’t we go to...