My pal - and new research assistant on the next book (subject and title currently secret ... ok, I don't have a title yet) - Brandon Chizum sent along this little tidbit.
***

I experienced an epiphany recently, the likes of which has never struck me before, oddly enough. While staring out my living room window, watching the rain slide down the glass, it dawned on me that the similarities between two of my loves, baseball and wine, are many, and as such, my writing gene began to stir. The following paragraphs are the result of my jumbled thoughts. (Who says brevity is key when expression is so vital?)

The beauty of a wonderfully sculpted Bordeaux rests within its ability to heighten the senses throughout the wine tasting; the beginning, middle, and finish of the swirl, sniff, sip and savor serves as perfection in a glass, sparking an enriching experience on the tongue of the drinker and startling those taste buds surprised by nature’s grape nectar.

Similarly, a baseball fan’s visit to the ballpark acts as a catalyst in awakening the images we dream of and associate with the best sport in creation -- the green, patterned-grass, the scent of popcorn wafting through the air, the crack of the bat, the thump! of the catcher’s mitt -- occurrences that greatly pique the interests of those privy to such an occasion.

Impressions like these are felt by me constantly (and hopefully each of you as well) during my ventures into either forum – into wine tasting mode or biased baseball observer – and the results that appear afterwards may not be perfect, but damn, how focused and intrigued are we to learn even more about these subjects.

For example, the twinge felt as the cool, crisp Sancerre smacks our lips on a hot summer day is akin to a major leaguer pitcher painting the inside corner of the plate with a 92 m.p.h. fastball. Our level of anticipation easily rises before that monumental pitch is hurled towards home plate, or before we truly discover what it is that drives those enamored with wine to purchase bottles for hundreds of dollars.

A love, a captivated audience, a passionate and devoted following -- these end-results are the culmination of those processes that build and add to our daily learnings and experiences with both wine and baseball, efforts that provide us joy beyond measure, no matter if the playing field is Wrigley or a Spiegelau wine glass.

For example, the smooth, subtle experience of a nice Merlot can be compared to the fluidity of a pitcher’s mechanics and motion, e.g., a Mark Prior or Greg Maddux. The bold, “look at me” tasting of a Petite Sirah serves as a mirror to say, a homerun crushed by the underdog in the bottom of the ninth. Compare a baseball triple? Not a problem – an exquisite “Burgund-ian” effort, confident and well-timed, one wine at the top of the class.

Of course, the absolutely stunning beauty of a Barolo is easily comparable to that double which plates two runs and affects the spirits of even the slightest baseball fan. So whether it be the grandeur of Fenway or that well-crafted Zinfandel, the majestic Yankee Stadium or that elegant Oregon Pinot Noir, rest assured that the unheralded beauty of both baseball and wine can be expressed as simple, undisputed maxims.

I am well aware that many more wine & baseball similarity examples could be tossed around the imaginary discussion table, but my attempt to list only a few is intentional, primarily for reasons of time and of course, the beckoning of dinner. And because of my close-to-absurd avidity of both baseball and wine, I hope this article genuinely sparks an interest in each of you to pursue the sensory nirvana that surrounds both baseball and wine.

So here’s to vintners and managers, players and grape-pickers, tasters and fans – all enthusiasts, and all integral to the maintenance of two separate, but for today, theoretically intertwined loves, and oh, how close they reside to our respective souls.

***
Give Brandon some feedback. My last assistant ended up working for a major league team (not that I had much to do with it), so I have high hopes.