Wine Blogger's Gameshow

Brooklyn Uncorked was a lot of fun last week, tasting loads of Long Island wine, enjoying a nice outdoor lunch, and most of all, hangin' out with a couple of bloggers - Lenn of Lenndevours and Tyler of Dr. Vino, and Lenn's buddy Matt.

You know how sometimes when you meet someone that you previously know only through email or phone, they can completely surprise you? How sometimes they just don't conform to any of your expectations? This was not the case with Lenn and Dr. Vino. They were essentially how I imagined them - absolutely and genuinely good people. Good humored, relaxed, excellent company. There were a few, shall we say, "quirks," though, and I thought of a fun way to share them with readers out there.

Following is a series of things about two of our favorite bloggers, Lenn and Dr. Vino, some of which are true, and some of which are pure fabrication. See if you can figure out which is which:

Dr. Vino:

• After our lunch, upon arriving at the tasting, donned a white medical robe with "Dr. Vino" stitched in red over the breast pocket. Wore this for the first 10 minutes of the tasting.
• Used a nose dropper to take a sample of the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc we had with lunch, took home in a small vial, "for testing," he said.
• Is not drinking bottled water these days, but brought his own tap water, in a plastic bottle, to the restaurant.
• Measured the pulse of Shinn Estate Vineyards co-founder Barbara Shinn. Proclaimed her to be "very healthy."
• Ends his wine classes by asking students to play "show, tell, and taste."
• Asked for garlic powder at lunch after tasting his skate fish. Upon being told that the chef does not have garlic powder, produced his own from a bag of organic spices that he carries around.

Lenn:

• Is at least 6 foot 3 - probably taller.
  
• Brought and used his own tasting glass - engraved with the Pittsburgh Steelers logo.
• Spat at the tasting, but never in the spit bucket. Usually on the floor. All of the LI wine makers seemed to be used to this - no one asked him to stop.
  
• Knocked into NYTimes Long Island wine writer Howard Goldberg, causing him to spill the contents of his glass on his (Howard's) blazer..."by mistake."
• Glared at Lieb Cellars pourer somewhat threateningly until she produced an unlabeled bottle of 2006 Sauvignon Blanc for us to taste.
  
• Lives in Long Island for years now, but had never set foot in Brooklyn before this event.
  
• Tried to get me to "chug-a-lug" a half bottle of late harvest Chardonnay dessert wine with him.

Okay, that was fun. More about the wine next, and all of that will be the truth, Ruth.