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| MARCO POLO AKA DON MERLOT |
Fly on the wall – by Don Merlot aka – Ron Alonzo Notes & thoughts on food and
wine from Ron Alonzo aka Don Merlot[1]
In June I traveled out of town and left
New Orleans for the first time since COVID hit in 2020, and we left on my
birthday (and Paul McCartney’s birthday too) – June 18 (1942) – he born in
Britain, and I born in Mexico, so we were both 79 on this day; and I say since
he was born first that he got first dibs on everything, but as I look back, I
cannot complain I have had a great life, great family, great experiences,
traveled the world – became a Marco Polo & a Renaissance Man, so no complaints.
We took I-10 and here I was escaping COVID captivity; traveling East to Florida,
and on the first day we went as far as Tallahassee. We are on our way to spend
some time in Florida: see friends and Denise has a family reunion and I am
working and thinking on how to go forward with my wine journey – Fly on the Wall
- and taking a 2021 perspective. But first let’s comment on my birthday: we
found an OUTBACK in Tallahassee and had some Aussie wine and beef steak from the
barbie.
The drinks menu was presented, and my experience of wine from my visits
to Australia made me think of my Wine paradigm: and I looked at the wine
offering to make the selection: a glass of Chardonnay, a glass of Medium red –
Shiraz & a glass of Moscato – which went with dessert, an excellent chocolate
cake dessert. It was a good repast & birthday celebration. (This is an escape
after the hip replacement, rehabilitation, & physical therapy: re learning how
to walk - avoiding a Parkinson’s gait I developed and get out of our COVID
stalag encampment, so rather than just flying – ( I flew for 43 years, and now I
try to avoid flying & we decided to rent a car and drive to see old chums along
the way. “This was easier said than done”… n’est pas? - Cars for rentals are
very scarce because rental companies sold their car stock because one could not
travel & their useless autos were not rentable; because of the covid shutdown;
the foodservice outlets are not at full staff so there is a labor shortage
either; but as my famous historical line goes, “other than that Mrs. Lincoln did
you enjoy the play?” We laughed it up & muddled through everything…
Our journey
was a gas… and had a lot of fun seeing old friends and enjoyed the fellowship
after being cooped up so long. When I retired (in 2012) from my last job, we
left Florida (Land of Lakes, in Pasco County – near Tampa - 9 years ago & we
settled back in New Orleans, my home away since leaving Mexico in 1958 and
Denise’s hometown - chez Rufin. We had lived in Florida for 9 years.
This trip
made it a home coming for us in many ways. Friends that we visited were from
different stages of our life (as far back as (high school & graduate school – to
neighbors and friends in Florida) who were now settled in Florida. We started
our journey: first to Lake Mary, then to St. Petersburg, Naples, Tampa. & Denise
went to Captiva Island, then back through Tampa, returning & finding our way to
New Orleans (and we cut over to Destin and took the coastal road to Pensacola to
pick up I-10. )
Memories & experiences of Food and Wine are always my favorite
topics as with some of these friends that were on the same Journey as I when I
first cut my teeth on my Marco Polo gastronomic tour and returning to Florida
gave me an opportunity re-experience these memories. (A special treat was having
Cuban food and to taste that wonderful – “those Morros y Cristianos” &
palomilla, Café colado and fresh seafood assortment with great wines. Our first
stop was to see the David Lawrence’s in Central East Florida the restaurants
were open, and we ate at a Hawker restaurant that had Southeast Asian great
specialties along with great beers – Unfortunately peanut sauces do not go well
with wines, so we had beer. The other meals we had seafood with magnificent
Chardonnays.
They know my love affair with wine. David, after Thunderbird, had
lived in South America and the Caribbean and went to Malaysia where he met &
married Rosalie (Australian) and then lived in Mexico and settled in Lake Mary,
FL. What fun to discuss contemporary social and political ideas - chewing on a
Jamon Serrano and gambas al ajillo sipping Chardonnay. Our chats may not agree
on all our perspectives as we took different paths, but if we didn’t agree, we
just agreed to disagree and moved on. Our journey continued to St. Petersburg to
visit our Land of Lakes Neighbors Michael and Jean Audino (2002 – 2012), who
immigrated from Iowa (the mid-West in the new South and were thinking to
relocate to FL when we first met. The cultural education was fabulous. We became
friends.
During that period, I received my Wine knowledge certificates from WINE
SPECTATOR - so I educated them on Wine and food. Both were strictly Margarita
and beer people. “Food was to live by and not live to eat.” He gained an
appreciation for wine with food. At first, he did not like certain wines alone,
but with food he said it enhanced the experience. At first, he liked Rieslings
and Merlots.
So, in years that have gone by he now enjoys wine with food. The
special meals with them were Stone Crab with a Vermentino (light bodied It) .and
with roast beef a Negroamaro – a medium red from southern Italy. The next stop
was Naples to visit our friend and Neighbor from Stevensville, Michigan (1969)
who started with me on my wine journey back in 1969 – as we would drive into
Chicago and get wines from the House of Glunz, and we would be tutored by old
Man Glunz on Sherries, & Burgundies. We had bought and split many cases of wines
back in the early 70s: Bordeaux’s, Burgundies. Denise had a commitment to a
family reunion on Captiva Is. In the meantime, Tom and I had dinners and great
wines. One night he made grilled lamb chops and freshly made linguine & Pesto
alla Genovese a phenomenal memory – an old favorite from my New York advertising
days with Lucci and Bruno (1968-1972). We drank Viognier, Morey St. Denis, ½
Sauterne, St. Emilion, Sancerre, Merlot – CA. Sauvignon Blanc (NZ), Albariño –
with these meals we had a glass with dinner . We went to seafood restaurants for
dinners included Lobster rolls, Spanish Tapas, grilled grouper. This created a
whole menagerie of souvenirs (memories – French) . I found a friend Bob & Mary
Jo Hollenbeck – from our Wisconsin period and had great lunch at a small
trattoria – We did advertising together back in 1984 when I was in Wisconsin.
Once Bob and I had a great meal at the “Italian Village” in Chicago with a
bottle of my Frescobaldi (Chianti Riserva) & white Pomino (my favorite Tuscan
wines) – with a perfectly done Veal Chop and pasta dish.
After reuniting with
Denise, we returned to Tampa where we visited Leslie and George Jennings. Leslie
and Denise go way back to High school days, and when we went to Florida in 2002,
she was the reason we moved to Tampa. Denise and Leslie have their own
communication style (and I think I am in the middle of a Laurel and Hardy movie
when those two get together). George is a blessed saint to put up with those two
when they are together. It was wonderful to be back in Tampa again. George had a
fabulous library of best sellers that I had not read, and he let me take some.
On the way back and for my next Fly on the Wall edition I will explore summer
wine: light white, Rosé’s and Light bodied red wines that can be chilled for a
summer day picnic. In reviewing what my friends said about food and wine I must
reenforce what drives me to like wine and food and keeps me interested as to the
importance it played in my life. After graduate school (Thunderbird – American
Graduate School International Management AGSIM) I wanted a business career going
to Paris, France and not Paris, Texas.
Advertising was my top interest and I
ended up at WHIRLPOOL in Michigan because there was a recession in 1968 instead
of going to a New York advertising agency that would lead to an overseas
assignment. My immediate managers and colleagues molded me culturally and
commercially to what I became. Today, as I lookback I thank my training &
development for thinking beyond my borders at the time. It is very important to
accept “what is, is” and not dwell on the “Could have”, “should have”, “would
have”. I found the in seeing so many cultures, it was best to talk about ideas,
because people and things are different, and truth has many faces. Culturally
Wine and Food came from my affair with the French culture – I already had a
bicultural persona – American Midwest (Anglo Saxon) – both parents had come from
Kansas and was born in Mexico City of Spanish new World” culture. I could live
comfortably in two different worlds.
I thought I would never say this but going
back to Florida was not good for just one trip. I want to go back again and
visit friends again and visit some people that I missed on this trip. I miss the
friendship, the Food, Seafood, and the wine. I realized that now that I am 79
and next year, I will be 80 – HOLY CRAP MARIE. 80 is old! A friend told me that
you should do everything - travel etc. – before you are 80 because at that point
you are too old. Bien tot – Ron Alonzo – Don Merlot [1]
Ron Alonzo is a
Chevalier of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin ; Wine Spectator
Certificates : ABC’s of Wine tasting & Wine Tasting Professional ; is a
Professionnel de la Table of the Chaine des Rôtisseurs ; and a CFSP level I of
the NAFEM (Certified Food Service Professional)
(Fly on the wall by Don Merlot)
www.junto.blogspot.com. Quotations from a Burgundian vigneron: “On croit avaler
le bon Dieu en culottes de velours.” - “One seems to have swallowed the good
Lord himself wearing velvet pants.” (P. Morten Shand)