The answer is yes.  I just got back from the beautiful state of Montana.  After driving 6 hours from Billings to BigFork, I understand why they call it “Big Sky.”  One can’t appreciate what that means till they look over the horizon of thousands of acres of wheat fields, rolling green hills, or glacier covered mountains on the Continental Divide.  The sky really looks bigger!

Anyways, to my point.  I was traveling with some of my closest friends, one of which has an extensive wine collection, primarily French, with a smattering of Italian and Australian; but all top shelf brand names. He’s collected for years; and like many of us, looking for the right occasion to open them up.  Well, he felt this was the right occasion, as we all got together and stayed at a beautiful home on Flathead Lake.

Among the four adult drinkers in 8 days, we averaged 3 bottles a night.  We drank some of the best Europe and Australia has to offer: Romanee Conti, 1996, La Tache, 1999, Chateau Margaux 1982, Gaja 1990, Sassicaia, 1996, Grange 1996, Hill of Grace 1994.  I could go on, but it would sound like I’m bragging. Well, I am a bit! You don’t often get an opportunity like this very often, if ever.  Every day was a new experience, a new terroir explored.  By the end of the trip, we were in true bliss.  It’s nice to drink like royalty, even if it’s for a week.

Back to reality, as vacation is done.  The next day, I swore I would not drink for at least a week.  Phone rings; here comes friends from out of town to stay for the night.  Being from out of town, coming to Napa, of course they want to go wine tasting and drink at night.  So, out comes some bottles from my collection. Far from my friend’s cellar; more dominated by Napa Valley.  Was I ready to have a glass?  I thought not…but I was. And after all we drank the week before, I was happy to drink some local wine and realize how good our wines are…and at a fraction of the cost!