Bakker's Blog

A New Goal

Forget the dreams of revolutionizing medical libraries, never mind the vision of fostering real collaboration and information sharing through the use of technology to deliver information at the point of need and make new connections between people and networks of information - i have a new goal. 
Bring the Tom Collins back to nyc. 
Have you had one?  well, they are a Lovely summer cocktail.  but it is shockingly difficult to find a bartender who knows how to make one.  And - buy the mix so you can mix your own after work cocktail?  Don't waste your time on the upper east side.  6 liquor stores and 4 grocery stores later - no mix.  i know it's a simple drink - a little simple syrup, a little lemon juice, gin, club soda and a cherry if you're into garnishes.  but really- at the end of the day, unscrewing the caps of 2 bottles is quite enough; the thought of squeezing a lemon over my most recent paper cut just lacks that after-work-drink appeal.  Or maybe i can finagle a Cleaver thing, except this time June (that's me) goes out to work, and Ward has her made-from-scratch Tom Collins waiting with a smile when i get home from the office.

It's nice to have a new goal. 

Making Wine : science vs tradition

Wired Magazine's Rowan Hooper laid bare a rift in the core values of the winemaking industry in the article, "Ye Olde Winos Blinded By Science."  One side, dominated by countries that are newer to the world of commercial wine (e.g. Chile, Australia, New Zealand), is using science to help produce better crops and make the wine "better" or faster, and cheaper.  The other side, dominated by the old school coutries (e.g. France, Spain - those countries with long standing traditions of strict appellation codes and a national recognition of terrior) claim that the old way is the only way. 

I think the United States is somewhere in the middle.  Since we like to do everything bigger, better, and faster - science certainly has a strong role in winemaking.  But at the same time, the U.S. is adopting wine appellations, recognizing the importance of the grape origin.

Can science be used to produce more wine, faster, cheaper, and with more consistency?  And, is that what we want? 
For the average wine drinker on the average day - sure, why not.  Finding an acceptable wine that is cheap enough to drink everyday and consistent enough to not have to re-select with every vintage is a great deal.  But for special occasions, or for every Miles in the world (Miles - from the movie Sideways), the complexity of the grape that comes from the terrior and is coaxed forth to seduce the palate (through the efforts of the winemaker) cannot be replaced by chemical compounds added to tanks in a factory.  The subtle nuances that create a truely great wine are the result of patient care and artisitc talent - and I have yet to see science replace art. 
While I am open to the possibility that science can produce such an exquisite, unique product - I have not tasted it yet (not to mention I do like the process of wine's creation - something the French intimately understand and cherish). 
So for me - back off you techie, only-stuff-made-with-new-technology-is-good hacks and bring me a bottle of real wine.  I'll enjoy my Cote d'Or  while you go siphon off some more pink stuff from that box in your fridge - and bon appetit to us both!
[disclaimer:  the countries newer to winemaking also make some absolutely fabulous, cannot-miss-it wine, and the old countries also make some terrible,  I-wouldn't-serve-this-to-my-worst-enemy wine. And it should be noted - I have been known to be perfectly satisfied with an adequate mass-produced wine from time to time.]