Yesterday, I flew from Newark to Seattle. It was my first time... sitting in a middle seat.
I usually opt for beer at the airport as I typically find myself disappointed with the wine by the glass(btg) selection so I was surprised to find a “premium” btg card at the bar. The list was not comparable to those found at favorites like Gotham, Eleven Madison or Veritas but nonetheless, it was an upgrade. The Club offered:
Red Wines
* Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico, Tuscany ($9)
* Duckhorn Merlot, Napa ($12)
* Stag's Leap Wine Cellars “Artemis” Cabernet, Napa ($12)
* Jean Chartron Pommard “Vaumuriens” Red Burgundy ($9)
White Wines & Champagne
* Veuve Clicquot “Yellow Label” Champagne, Ponsardin ($9)
* Rombauer Chardonnay, Carneros ($12)
* Stag's Leap Wine Cellars “Karia” Chardonnay, Napa ($9)
* Caymus Conundrum, Napa ($9)
I ordered the Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico to accompany the free wheat crackers and Tillamook cheese. Not surprisingly, the wine was definitely very drinkable; it was a clear ruby red color, had red and black fruits on the nose accented with just a hint of minerality and good acidity on the palate. I had no time to linger so I headed to the gate. Upon boarding, the flight attendant announced that the plane was completely full, so my thoughts of sitting by myself were quickly dashed. Two very friendly and chatty twenty-something year olds sat themselves to my left and right. Within minutes, they both quickly identified themselves as ESTJ Myers-Briggs types: Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging. To my right sat Ashley, a recent graduate from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I enjoyed talking to her. She started to work on her computer and I observed as she tediously separated each cell of her contact spreadsheet. As a analyst, I taught her how to use the Concatenate function to speed up her work.
To my left sat Marc, a Ph.D. Candidate in Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University. He told me of the lack of eligible women at Princeton and then dissected the hierarchy at the university, clarifying that undergraduates were at the top the pyramid with graduates and “townies” on an alternating par. We discussed the latest Business Week article on Google clouds, as he connects to supercomputers owned by the U.S. Department of Energy(one of the most powerful) for his work. We concurred that Google would likely be dominant in this next stage of computing. (Disclaimer: I own some GOOG stock)
It is nice to be home. I love seeing the Puget Sound(an estuary like the Gironde in Bordeaux) and the view of Mt. Rainier feels welcoming. My home state is famous for rain, a high suicide rate, Walla Walla sweet onions and red delicious apples, but Washington also produces excellent quality wine! To commemorate my trip home, I opened a bottle of 2000 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is mainly Cabernet with a touch of Cabernet Franc from the Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Taptiel vineyards. QC is among my favorite US producers. The wine held up to my mom’s delicious Kimchee Jeegae (kimchee & pork soup with tofu in a spicy stew) although I wouldn't recommend it as a classic pairing. The other day, the Seattle Times ran a story on the best Washington wines in 2007. Among the state's 500 plus producers, I am a big fan of Leonetti Cellar, Andrew Will and Woodward Canyon. The article highlighted some wines that I am not familiar with; I’ll be looking for those tomorrow at my favorite wine store in Seattle, Esquin Wine Merchants.
Note:
I am a big fan of Google SMS to check the status of my flights.
Text 466453 (‘GOOGLE’ on most mobile devices), and the information will be sent back to you. Info is provided by flightstats.com.
For flight updates, type: LH 454 or AA 2111 or CO 1881
