I log my wine notes in those spiral bound fat lil’ Mead notebooks and I started my sixth “volume” in the last four plus years on January 25^th. Since then I have sampled 127 wines, some with food, most without, some at home, the vast majority at the shop. Here are some of the rambling highlights that may give you some idea of not only the thought process (I’m giving myself the benefit of the doubt here) involved in selecting wines but also of the mind blowing diversity of options we in the biz can be exposed to. January 25 found me sitting down to a mild four bean chili with sour cream and some Milpiedras Sangiovese 2006 ($11) from Argentina that had been opened the night before. It held up well and earned an asterisk (recommended). I had chilled a bottle of Vega Los Zarzales Tempranillo Rosado 2006 ($11) from Spain and my fondness of pink with anything resembling Mexican fare got the best of me; asterisk plus. The next night Charm had prepared pan fried cod so that I could run two vintages of Flora Springs Merlot ($26) by a moist, delicate fish that previous vintages had paired with surprisingly well. Whether it was me, the wine, the fish, or all of the above the result was mesa mesa but not bad. A Waterbrook Riesling 2006 ($12) from Washington garnered the same reaction. While the well documented Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier ($14) was racking up the pairing points on the home front at the job site I was jotting down positive comments on the Spanish Poema Cava ($13) and Don Olegario Albarino ($25) and made a note to taste the Root One Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc ($12) from Chile at the table, i.e I need a bottle to take home. A few pages later I found myself enthusiastic about the Dutton Estate Karmen Isabella Pinot Noir 2006 ($32) even though the wine, along with a tasty Dutton Estate Chardonnay ’06 ($38), had been opened the day before. And the Kings Ridge Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($15) from Washington was downright yummy and earned a buy notation. The Fort Ross Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2006 was too austere, but I was rather taken with the Wild Earth Blind Trail 2005 ($30) and 2006 ($22) Pinot Noirs from New Zealand’s Central Otago region; enjoyed the Milsreef Merlot/Malbec ($18) too. Back at the homestead a Murphy-Goode Liar’s Dice Sonoma Zinfandel ($22) showed a little too much of its 15.5 alcohol with food but the Mount Eden Wolf Vineyard Chardonnay ’06 ($20) fared much better with everything but beef. I’ve got an eight vintage pairing profile on this guy; should bring in a box or two. On February 5^th  I scribbled yes next to my notes on the Man Vintners South African Shiraz ($12), having sampled among numerous other bottlings along the way the Carmel Road wines (three), Montirius Les Cadet Vacqueras from the south of France, di Tierra Coast View Chardonnay 2006 ($30, bring in some bottles), a tasty David Bruce Central Coast Petite Sirah 2005 ($19, think about it), and Trinitas Napa Sauvignon Blanc 2006 ($19, like it but don’t need it). The next few days unveiled the new vintages of Golan Moscato from Israel ($15, a must), McNab Ridge French Colombard from Mendocino ($11, another must), and Argentina’s Bodega Lurton Pinot Gris Reserve ($10, so so, will have to revisit given the positive pairing history). Food focus aside I tasted and ordered a case of the Ridge Del Carlo Ranch Dry Creek Zinfandel 2003 ($30 and worth every penny). Heck, I’m only at 11 February with 22 pages to go and we’re out of space. Oh well, you get the idea. Maybe we’ll pick up the trail another time.