Comments on: 100 Wines: A Chronicle, #18 & 19 … And a Brief Meditation on Mentors & Friends

By: Tim Frassinelli

Tim Frassinelli — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:19:02 +0000

Your story of meeting Big John is so similar to mine. It’s uncanny A great story about a great man.

By: In Praise of Thirsty Friends | Thirsty South

In Praise of Thirsty Friends | Thirsty South — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:30:47 +0000

[...] a story, a chance at adventure. Fredric Koeppel, an accomplished wine writer in Memphis, penned a wonderful rumination on the importance of thirsty friends, and thirsty mentors in particular. While most of us may not have the privilege of a mentor like [...]

By: Blanch Vanvalkenbur

Blanch Vanvalkenbur — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:10:22 +0000

I'm really loving your internet site, and hope this, plus the excellent reviews additional people have written, continue on.

By: Steve-O

Steve-O — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:23:06 +0000

Don’t worry about Shields…rumor has it he has a hot new wife who think’s the accent is “sexy”!

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:56:55 +0000

Ha! I’ve been able to speak with Shields during my CSW-studying days, and he certainly does have the accent!

Oh, and wine tasting at a Church?! I’m part of the wrong congregation…

…seriously, though, what a collection of amazing experiences!

By: Bigger Than Your Head » 100 Wines: A Chronicle, #20

Bigger Than Your Head » 100 Wines: A Chronicle, #20 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:21:14 +0000

[...] are — I said that during the great educational year of 1984 the best wines were clearly the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1970 and ‘75 that I tasted on September 11. Well, I’m not unhappy to drink my words and say that I was [...]

By: Big Mike

Big Mike — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:00:09 +0000

Fredrick,
What a great post. Anyone in the wine business or even the wine lover from Memphis knows both of these great men. I have had the pleasure of sharing many great bottles with both of them. I know your national readers will not understand but all of the locals will. Thanks for paying tribute to two wine legends and mentors to me.

I also enjoy raising a glass with you from time to time.
Wine, what a great gatherer of wonderful people.

Big Mike

By: Allen

Allen — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:40:06 +0000

Thanks for the post and the great memories it brought back. Business lunches, family dinners, birthdays and anniversaries, Big John’s was the place to go. Attended my first wine tasting there. When it closed, a friend went to the auction and bought a dozen saute pans. She gave me two that I cherish. Blackened, bent and the bottoms are so thin, thousands of great meals were prepared.

Shields is a legend in wine education and I am glad to know where he is.

By: biskuit

biskuit — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:29:20 +0000

Fred, love the post and the blog in general. Totally agree that for those lucky enough to make the right connections, having the opportunity to do tastings like the ones you described helps one’s appreciation and understanding of wine grow by leaps and bounds. Of course, there’s the downside of losing “the bliss of ignorance” and realizing how amazingly good spectacular (rare, often expensive) wines can be relative to the otherwise completely enjoyable bottles we tend to drink regularly.

By: Benito

Benito — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:49:42 +0000

Excellent post about two local wine legends. I never had the opportunity to open a bottle with Big John, but my father did and we certainly loved visiting his restaurant as a family.

I recently got a set of three-tined forks. Why? I’ve been coveting them since first encountering the oddities at Grisanti’s in the late 80s. And they’re still superior for certain kinds of pasta.