End of 2017

Matthew S. Petersen, left, a nominee for a judgeship on a federal district court, was unable to answer basic legal questions asked by Senator John N. Kennedy, right. CreditLeft, Alex Wong/Getty Images; Susan Walsh/Associated Press

You know it's bad when a conservative Texas Republican cannot approve #dearleader's judicial nominees to the Federal Bench.

The lying and #fakenews generated by this POTUS is reaching it's apex. But last night on the PBSNewsHour, they FINALLY had something he really was the very biggest at accomplishing. He has moved 12 mostly unqualified candidates to the federal bench faster than any president in history. Woo Hoo! It's appalling because it took 12 candidates before the Republican Senators on the committee realized these folks didn't know the law and had received "unqualified" ratings from the Bar Association.

So, water under the bridge, we know how 12 political hacks sitting on the federal bench. I'm hoping to have the time moving into 2018 catalogueing the daily manifestations of #DoublePlusGood that litter this new post-Obama America.

Let's begin with a quick look back at just one amazingly verifyiable lie: (The entire thread can be read here.)

Trump twice told his Pensacola rally this month that he had 32,000 people at his election-eve rally in Michigan. The capacity of that Michigan arena was 4,200.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 22, 2017

At what point do we just say, "Uh...no...not on my watch!" And how do we say it and mean it?

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The Sound of Flapping Wings

The sound of the flapping wings serves as

The sense memory of what I recall, when I think of Angels in America.

How is it that it's pull and and it's push

Can still be so profound decades later?

Perhaps the power of epic theatrical art provides 

The ability to still bowl me over. To stop me in my daily tracks.

You forget your everyday-ness with some degree of confusion,

The way you forget where you put your glasses.

And in that way, sometimes—without your glasses—

You see more than you do when you have them on.

And you experience with new senses

Emotions and feelings you forgot you possess. 

Oddly, the experience can be so rare, so important and valuable

That you realize theatre—to be valuable and meaningful—can be more than

The written word, the kitchen sink drama.

Theatre can aspire to the supernatural and the expansive possibility of what could be.

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Subsequent Performances

*to Jonathan

Once when I knew so little,

My boyfriend said to me he was reading about Subsequent Performances.

You see a performance and the art evolves over them

Over the Subsequent Performances.

So you see a theatrical expressio—be it singing, dance, theatre—

And you see more in it the next time you see it. 

Not more meaning, necessarily, although that can happen too.

You see an extension of the original work, reimagined in time.

Before your eyes, through subsequent performances

You find new meaning and new light in the darkness where art evolves.

Subsequent Performances by Jonathan Miller

From the Publisher's Weekly review:

• "he examines the resonances that a play or opera presents to later generations of theatergoersthe period of its 'afterlife'''
• "Miller's advocacy for the virtues of live theater is passionate..."

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When You Get That One Chance: Feel It

It isn't everyday you get to be there when it's happening.
For some reason or another, I'd met the right people.
My boyfriend was the right person; his friends were the right people, and
I had the right chutzpah.
I was able to be one of the many reviewers for "Angels in America."

After catching the most incredible,
Eye-opening, spleen-rending early editions at the Mark Taper
I returned to Broadway to see the east coast iteration
After it had been rediscovered
Apparently in San Fran

But instead of just reviewing,
I'd asked to interview the cast or director or writer
And they brought me the head of Joe Mantello
And we had breakfast in Chelsea
At a Greek diner

The memory is still good, but lost.
I was so enamoured with what they were producing
That my notes were a complete mess
And my recollection of our conversation wasn't crystal clear

And in the moment, I recall merely being lost in a feeling
Lost in the specialness of knowing I was near something great
Joe was welcoming and friendly.
But my experience was not that of a review in any way.
.
On the walk back, I remember a substantial Brownstone he pointed up at saying,
"That's Tony's place." (Or was it George C. Wolfe?)
Then dragging out our time together,
I ran my mouth off trying to be insightful.

Embarassed that I knew so little
It was good our time was coming to an end. I was no critic
I was what I truly am: a dilettante and fan
I was enamoured and enraptured and I felt every moment of it.

And I write this now,
Wishing against wishes that it was happening right now
All over again. Because happenstance like that.
Doesn't happen often.

Like Alisyn Camerota told me (probably as she was editing my interview with him at work),
"When you meet celebrity, remember as much of it as possible.
Don't let those moments go, remember that you may never meet those folks twice.
You get that one chance. Feel it."


*upon hearing that Angels was moving from Southbank to Broadway

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The Charity Shop Shirt

Last Night The Smell in Your Shirt Was Gone

I kept a shirt, and it was yours. 

I used to be able to smell you in your old shirt: that shirt you'd gotten from the charity shop.

I remember thinking how that smell was you.

Even after a million washes, there was still you.

Then we stopped. It stopped. The mind is fascinating: 

No sooner have you told yourself you'll never forget, 

Then you live and then in the living and the moving on,

You forget.

You forget with every ounce of the effort you intended to remember with.

You can't remember, because your mind chooses what the spirit cannot.

The shock to the system was profound after the move from the old house here.

In the old house, I swear to god that smell of you was always in that shirt.

But no, no it must not have been.

When I looked up, after unboxing and storing. I noticed.

The smell in your shirt was gone.

And I stood up and thought. Now 

Where did it go?

Where was I when it left?

How is it I cannot keep that moment, that sense memory?

And why? Why is it we cannot have what we hope for

In spite of the brutality of partition.

The nation of our lives was cleaved. And the smell of you was gone.

And the smell of that shirt in the charity shop 

Left, during the move.

I suppose I should be grateful. 

But I'm left with the feeling that if I'd only paid attention.
If I'd only opened that box first

If I'd only remembered which box it was in.

If I hadn't run into it in a peculiar moment, 

I'd have known what it was from that shirt from the early 20th century

That bonded us. 

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On Louise, or Thank Your Toaster

On Louise

(upon the death of Louise Hay)

You and your thoughts were there in a way that The Bible couldn't be.

There's almost no way to express how opaque the Bible was

When I reached out and there were no words.

I only had the catechism and that was a mantra I could repeat to speak through the fear.

Then came Louise.

The voice of a Bible that spoke in sentences, not mythology.

The affirmations that were so silly, yet

So tangible when you are dying of something that has no cure.

Then you look up and you say, "Thank you toaster for helping you make all those meals."

Thank your toaster.

*on her passing, Sept. 2, 2017, New York Times obit

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Let the Poems Begin

Something struck as the death of poet laurette John Ashbery. The Newshour did a great piece on him last night and it inspired what I'm hoping will be weekly poems. We'll see.

The work I hope to write will about taking the little moments and seeing the profundity or the complexity. And it'll hopefully take his "difficult work" and from that, I hope I can steal the thunder and make mine more robust, more compelling.

Here's the first efforts:

Why We Text, or 

Rage in the Phone Receiver

The rage from you on the phone the other night.

Wow.
I remember, then I forget, how we are just not a relationship anymore.

But at the same time, we turn to each other and say,
"You are really the only one I can have these conversations with."

And we pause. We reflect in real time and we think,

"Yeah. True."
So how do I give you space to be raging on the phone

Miles away from here. From me?

We are two now and have been for so long.

There's really very little room for patching things up.

When you think about it. To consider otherwise, 

Well, I'm not so sure that's fair.

Irreconcilable difference only mean something when I 

Can still smell you in the shirt I kept of yours from 17 years ago.

But there's no smell there. 

The nose and the mind and the amnesia.

We're really quite lucky, when you think about it. 

I think it's a quirk in the pattern. You still buy the dress 

Because it still looks soon, in spite of the seam not matching up quite right.

It's why we text.

So we don't have to feel the nerve, the anguish of that lost life 

We could never live after the break.

The break that allowed us to breathe again after 15 years of youth.

How do you move on at 34?

You 

Just 

Move

And the sound of the movement rustles like a child hiding in the curtains

And it giggles a little thinking it's getting away with something clever.

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Charlottesville Excursions

[pictures to come]

There’s really no reason to avoid Charlottesville Wineries, except for the lousy drive that it takes to get there. Were there a train from DC’s Union Station to Charlottesville’s train station which isn’t really that far from downtown Charlottesville., this would be so much better. However, it’s 3 hours of a train, with transfer, and then there’s no rent-a-car place at the station, and so it’s all a bit of a palaver. I would say there isn’t really an option except to drive down from D.C. It’s not ideal, but the drive is attractive for the most part and the wine options are plentiful and unique.

Best to leave weekdays and before 3 p.m. ET from inside the district. The trip through Gainesville, Va., to connect with Rte. 29 can really suck after that time on weekdays. Returning from Charlottesville on a Monday is the ideal option, but if you really must go back to work on Monday, leave Sunday morning, skipping everything, but dropping into either Honah Lee or White Hall for a final taste before hitting the road.

Lodging

In town, I have stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Medical Center which is walking distance to the UVA campus and loved the proximity. But the Omni Charlottesville seems like it’s more centrally located. I like the Marriott by UVA, because there’s plenty of walking nearby.

The main “Mall” area is good too, but I don’t really see very decently priced hotel options.

If you’re going to stay outside of downtown but still in Charlottesville, the best looking brand new hotel is the Hyatt Place. I haven’t stayed there, but…it’s connected to a serious of restaurants and shopping that all look pretty good. I’d not say it’s unique, however, it’s a blend of chain restaurants you’ve seen all over America, but at least you can walk from your hotel to dinner and back.  It’s Charlottesville’s answer to a “Town Center” outside of downtown.

For housing outside of Charlottesville, I have a friend who highly recommends the Hampton Inn in Fishersville/Waynesboro. While not in Charlottesville, it’s near to the wineries and is a really nice joint at the right price. Good use of your Hilton points, if you have any.

Dining

I’m a fan now of a random biscuit/Southern cuisine joint called Ace Biscuit and BBQ. I really enjoyed breakfast there.

There is a place north of town called the Shops at Stonefield that has a cheesey Italian joint, Travinia, that I’ve eaten at. It’s not great food, but it’ll do after a day of winerying. Most of the restaurants here have very civilized outside seating areas in the Shops at Stonefield shopping center. And if you need to catch a movie in a really good theater late at night, you’ve come to the right place. Included here is a restaurant that seems really cool but I haven’t been called Rock Salt and a coffee place called Grit. Both seem like decent options.

For drinks/appetizers/dinner in the Mall area downtown—right near that Omni downtown—is a Mexican Anejo joint called The Bebedero with a great wine list (including a Spanish Graciano! Who gets that by the glass anywhere in America?) and like 100 different tequilas (which looked exceptional).

The Bebedero is a really nice late night drinks option if you sit outside in the middle of the Mall or in the indoor, noisey seating area by the bar. We were there at about 10:30 p.m. and the wine was terrific. It sits above the Whisky Jar (I wouldn’t go there for anything, but the Mexican joint is just above it and has LOVELY options).

I have friends who’ve eaten at the Downtown Grill and said nice things. Pricey, but…at least it’s an option in a food-unfriendly downtown.

While out on the road, check out:

Salt if you do the Jefferson Trail wineries

1330 Thomas Jefferson Parkway

Charlottesville, Va. 22902

And

Blue Mountain Pizza and Brew Pub if you do Route 151 wineries.

9519 Critzers Shop Road

Afton, Va. 22920

(540) 456-8020

Otherwise, bring your own food!

Sick of Virginia Wine?

Bold Rock

1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy

Nellysford, Va. 22958

My list of stops along the way to the wineries also includes a nice little commercial cidery which has a hopped cider that is well-worth the visit when they pour on draft. Bold Rock Cidery has a bunch of less appealing ciders (I thought I’d have to kill the dude who made the peach cider—blech, what a judgement error), but this India Pale Ale cider is most excellent (and it’s “gluten free”…bwah ha ha…because it’s made with apples. Hello? All those gluten-filled apples must have NOT been used in the making of this cider. Maybe the hops are gluten free too? Blurgh!)

With a fine nose, a pleasant bitterness, and a fruit-forward flavor that surprises because it’s not a mouth full of apples, it’s my go-to cider in Charlottesville. So much cider these days is trying to emulate the European bitterness and off-flavors that appeal to the cognoscenti. Bold Rock is a pleasant surprise with a sports bar tasting room. But if the weather is civilized, there are outdoor patio balconies overlooking their woodsy space and it’s just a remarkable space, lovely and inviting.

Wineries

Wine in Charlottesville takes on a variety of options all of which hold surprises and options. I’m going to focus on the best of the best, but the experiences vary wildly, because some are holes in the wall, some are taxing free-for-alls with great wine, and still others are rolling estates that are a joy.

After having drunk the wine and sat out on the patio for a very expensive set of sliders at Pippin Hill, I cannot recommend that winery now.  However, the view is just gorgeous and the seating is terrific. The wine was insipid and the food was expensive.

I will list in order of best wineries to so-so wineries my best experiences. Mapping them out would take me more time and I’m not ready yet to pull together an incredible set of about 5 different winery days, but I would encourage you to mix and match based on the experiences you want to have:

A Day in the Life of Crozet Wine

King Family Estates

5273 Mt Juliet Farm

Crozet, Va. 22932

(434) 823-1486

Great wine, luxurious setting, polo matches on Saturdays that you need to time your trip around. Call ahead or look online for polo match days. You’ll feel like aristocracy for a fraction of the effort and price! Bring searsucker jacket and hat to look especially dapper. Not stuffy. Not snooty. Lovely reds. Renowned for their Crose, rose blush wine, but it’s 2016 iteration was blah. The 2014/2015 (?) Meritage red was a complete delight. But they also had I think a Viognier that we also purchased and devoured.

Grace Family Estates

5273 Mount Juliet Farm

Crozet, Va., 22932

(434) 823-1486

It’s not what it used to be, because they used to taste at the old plantation on the hill, but the wine is still solid. The tasting room is a bore. The environment is shot. But the wine is well worth the visit. Love their Tannat.

Stinson Vineyards

4744 Sugar Hollow Road

Crozet, Va. 22932

(434) 823-7300

La Tour D’Afton is possibly one of the finest Virginia reds, if not the best, in the state.  Stinson is the only one selling it. I think it’s possible to set up a visit to that winery, but I haven’t done so. Stinson wines themselves are forgettable. The reds from La Tour D’Afton are not!

White Hall Vineyards

5282 Sugar Ridge Road
Crozet, Va. 22932
(434) 823-8615

I would say that any tasting that begins with Thibaut-Janisson sparkling wine is pretty outstanding from the get-go. It’s the only sparkler in the entire state that I’ll drink. I walked up, and my pourer MaryAnn poured me half a glass. Nice way to kick off a tasting that encompassed a bunch of strong, high-quality Virginia wines. I left buying 3 wines and a case of cut-price Viognier they had to move. Their Gewurtz was quite nice. But their reds are super. Worth the visit to this place that’s really hidden down a terrific drive that takes you away and north from Charlottesville. I stopped here on my way out of Charlottesville and ended up there 3 hours.

Down 151 and Up Afton Mountain

Pollak Vineyards

330 Newtown Road

Greenwood, Va. 22943

(540) 456-8844

I always start here for a day out or end here after a long day, usually because it’s so close to my hotel. Reliable Chard. Terrific Viognier this year (2015/2016), and then good, memorable reds and some nice experiments like their Malbec, which I don’t recommend but appreciate. My suggestion is to be prepared to purchase. I always leave here with bottles, particularly their Cab Franc and Meritage.

Afton Mountain Winery

234 Vineyard Lane

Afton, Va., 22920

(540) 456-8667

Gewurtztraminer galore! Holy cow, Alsatian-style Gewurtz, in Virginia?! You come here for exactly one grape. The rest of their wine is mostly forgettable in my humble opinion; however, the G-wine is not to be missed. And sipping it in the comfy chairs out on the veranda with a pooch by your side—this is why they make estates with a view. Love the view. Bring your own food and sip it with white wine-friendly appetizers.

Delfosse Vineyards

500 DelFosse Winery Lane

Faber, Va. 22938

The wines are good, a lot of options here, but the whites were the strongest. A Frenchman owns/owned it but is in the process of selling it. But save your stamina, and trek UP the hill to the very tippy top, so you can look down on the winery into the valley in which it sits. With a cold glass of their Viognier blends or Sauv Blanc or Petit Manseng, you’ll be glad you wore yourself out. The pics are worth the hike. Besides, you’ve been sittin in a car all that time…you need the walk!

Lovingston Winery

885 Freshwater Cove Lane

Lovingston, Va. 22949

(434) 263-8467

If you love wine and don’t mind sipping/tasting at a garage/warehouse, this is the first logical step when you go tasting and want a beautiful roadtrip. The trip from Charlottesville to Lovingston, Va., is really nice. About 40 minutes from downtown you can begin your journey here, and work your way up Route 151 (what I call “The 151 Freeway”). It’s a winery that makes a few very unique, very worthwhile wines, including blended reds that they call “Rotunda Red” and “Josie’s Knoll” (why they cannot just call it Blended Red Reserve and Blended Red, I have no idea), and a Petit Manseng 2015 I’d travel for. They also have a strong Cab Franc I appreciate for its pepper notes and its ability to carry them through to the finish, unlike so much CF here in Virginia. 33 minutes from Afton Mountain Winery, you can start here and then wend your way up 151 to Afton Mountain and lunch there. So start here around 11 a.m. and eat lunch by 1 p.m. at Afton Mountain. You’ll be glad you did.

Upcountry Wine Tasting

Honah Lee Vineyards

13443 Honah Lee Farm Dr

Gordonsville, Va. 22942

(540) 406-1313

Yes, THAT Honah Lee. The vineyard owners named it after Puff the Magic Dragon because that’s how they saw it on their way when they had their kids in the car in the 1970s when they bought it. At least I think it was the 1970s…the owners love this land and now have their own label which I have not tasted yet.

I always begin this journey at Honah Lee Vineyards on my way to Charlottesville. It’s a nice first stop on your way down from D.C., and it has a homey, wine-shack feel, not a fancy-schmancy feel, something like you might get at the Foxen Vineyards shack on Foxen Canyon Road in Santa Barbara County. Honah Lee is a renown vineyard, home to the best Viognier in the state. They have been growing here since I believe the good folks at Horton, Jim Law from Linden, and my guy Michael Shaps source grapes from here as far back as the 1990s or was it the ‘80s? You can also taste plenty of reds here and wines from other producers, including a women-owned winery called Well Hung!

Keswick Vineyards

1575 Keswick Winery Dr.

Keswick, Va. 22947

(434) 244-3341

Far and away the best Viognier in the state, depending on the vintage and the weather, obviously. I love their reds as well, particularly their reserve Cab, which is a fortune. This stop is a no-brainer. Do it, you’ll be glad you did.

Barboursville and Horton

Barboursville is at 17655 Winery Road, Barboursville, Va. 22923 – (540) 832-7848

Horton is at 6399 Spotswood Trail, Gordonsville, Va. 22942 – (540) 832-7440

You go to Barboursville for the history of Virginia’s first “real” winery, the Sauv Blanc, and the solid reds. Their Octogon you never get to taste during the tasting, so don’t get excited. It’ll be in the Governor’s Case, not yours, unless you buy the bottle—which you can get cheaper online. The wine tasting experience can leave you drunk. Be sure to spit and swish, not swallow, or you’ll lose your whole day here. And while it’s great and thorough as tastings go, you should really check out the other wineries listed above first.

Horton is just a few short blocks away, and you go there for their exceptional Viognier and Cab Franc. I generally do not approve of their other wines, but those two are worth the weird tasting room. From here, Charlottesville is about 20 minutes away, so plan accordingly so you don’t run into friendly officers who’ll want to see your license and registration.

Jefferson’s Journey

Jefferson Vineyards

1353 Thomas Jefferson Parkway

Charlottesville, Va. 22902

(434) 977-3042

Nice work, JV for getting to name your winery this name. Stolen! But the wine’s pretty solid and it’s right next door to Salt, where you can get yourself a lovely lunch and have a sip or two before going on with your day, as you head out to Dave Matthew’s winery and more. I appreciate their Viogniers here. I think these guys and Keswick make the best Viogniers, and outside of Loudoun County Viogniers, these show well AFTER you buy them and get home and drink them a month later.

Get on the road, drive to the bottom of your route and work your way back to Charlottesville from here.

Michael Shaps Winery

1781 Harris Creek Way  

Charlottesville, Va. 22902

(434)296-3438

I’m not always a fan of his wines, but his work is exceptional in Virginia. A real star of Virginia wine, like Jim Law, Jeff White, and Gabrielle Rausse, Jake Busching (Shaps’ vineyard manager), and the Zonin Family. You come here for the chance to meet him and chat when he walks out of the trailer to see who is sitting next to his crush pad. I did with Morgan and we talked for like a half hour about the tasting. He’s so cool.

Couldn’t have said it better myself: “Shaps has been making wine in central Virginia since 1995.  He previously worked with two highly regarded central Virginia wineries – Jefferson Vineyards, and King Family Vineyards.  He currently works as a consultant to wineries in several states and has been involved in the startup of more than ten wineries.

“He was the winner of the Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition in 2004 and has been mentioned in numerous wine publications such as Saveur, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate, Washingtonian, and The Washington Post.” 

Gabrielle Rausse

3247 Carter's Mountain Road

Charlottesville, Va. 22902

(434) 981-1677

Just a beautiful little tucked away wine tasting joint. You can get lovely bread and I think cheese with your tasting. And there’s a lady who cooks “bites” you can purchase if you’re puckish. We only gorged on the bread, so you don’t have to blow a fortune here. But I left with 3 bottles, so beware, you may purchase plenty here.

Blenheim

31 Blenheim Farm

Charlottesville, Va. 22902

(434) 293.5366

Make your last stop Blenheim for two reasons:

(1) Dave Matthew’s wines that they pour are only OK. I’m not in love with their wines.

(2) the view is great and at the end of the day, you’ll want the back balcony view to soak in and destress from all that wine tasting.

It’s a delight, and a great musician owns the place. Happy to give him the $5 tasting fee for the time on his ranch.

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