January 30, 2008
I've been thinking about Richard Knerr lately. With his recent passing we've lost the man behind the hula-hoop, and other popular kids products from his company, Wham-O. Knerr and his toys brought the world a lot of fun.
But mostly, I've been wondering how he came up with his ideas. Of course the great movie "The Hudsucker Proxy" promulgated one version of the creation story for an early Knerr product - the hula-hoop. According to the movie, the hula-hoop was created by Norville Barnes, the movie's lead character, after being inspired by the ring left by his coffee cup on a page of classified ads. Perhaps the powerful coffee lobby got hold of the Coen brothers as they were writing the movie, or perhaps there simply were no wine bars in the 1950's, but I tend to think wine is a better source of inspiration than is coffee.
The java jolt is a great way to start a day, to attack those things requiring energy and drive. But fresh ideas don't come to me at those times, preferring to enter my mind when it's less crowded by to-do lists. When there is time for contemplation. And what do you think is more conducive to inspiration at such times - the calming affect of wine or the jolting affect of coffee? I 
mean, was anybody else jealous about the hefty fee paid to the creative agency who designed the Lucent logo? Clearly inspired by the tell-tale trace of a wine glass, likely during the agency's initial celebration after winning the account, then revived weeks later after countless billable hours of "testing" other ideas. Yeah, wine is your drink for inspiration, not coffee.
Featured Wines
Wines recommended for their contemplation-enhancing abilities. Wines that will jump through hoops when you need a new idea, even if it's just finding a new way to tell someone "I love you" in a couple of weeks...
Roessler Cellars, 2003 Pinot Noir, Pisoni Vineyard $60 - As I wrote my initial notes on this wine, I had a Mozart symphony playing. The BEST way to listen to Mozart is to close your eyes and do nothing but listen, to let the music take you where it will. And the best way to enjoy this wine is to close your eyes after each sip, letting the wine take you where it will. A little bottle age has produced hints of wonderful things to come, as the bottle bouquet is just beginning to develop its ultimate reward.
Arcadian Winery, 2001 Syrah "Garys' Vineyard" $50 Winemaker/Owner Joe Davis feels this vintage was among the best he's experienced in 21 years of winemaking. Using just over a ton of grapes per acre (or about one cluster for every two vine shoots!), Joe's meticulous grape "triage" pays off in the glass, producing a most distinctive Syrah. Arcadian makes some of the most elegant and feminine wines the Central Coast has to offer, with enough "stuffing" from his ripe fruit to reward those who favor big wines. Layers of evolving flavors to enjoy!
Cheers!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
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Quote of the Day
"Imagination is more important than knowledge"
~ Albert Einstein
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