Spring Rings
Wine makes great friends.
By Lance Sparks

I felt restless, almost feverish. I prowled around my shabby office, fingered stacks of unanswered correspondence, flipped through piles of unfiled reports, eyeballed the computer monitors with their blinking cursors: Here, here, here, start here. Dull and impatient, I rifled a drawer in the old roll-top, found my binoculars, strode to the window, raised the glasses, peered out. From the 17th floor of the old high-rise, I could survey the spring scene of urban Eugene.

The sky was pale baby-blanket blue, dotted with cotton-ball clouds. A light breeze stirred the fresh green branches of the old maples and firs. A stand of golden honey locust shimmered. Most of the rhodies were still at their peak blooms, great clusters of brilliant reds, purples, oranges, shades of pinks. I trained the gogs on Saturday Market, crowds of smiling people strolling through booths piled with baby carrots, tiny new zucchinis and summer squash, glowing globes of red and white onions, vibrant heads of redsail lettuce, thick rods of dark green cucumbers. The flower stands displayed huge stems of stargazers, callas and daylilies, gleaming spikes of lupine, great buckets of irises, peonies, poppies, pansies. People stopped and talked, eddied and flowed under the warm sun. I could almost smell the perfume of the flowers, the woodsmoke, charcoal and spices of the food booths.

I couldnŠt stand another minute indoors. The quick-running sap of spring coursed through my blood like lightning. I had to go out, NOW.

I had my straw panama in one hand, the doorknob in the other, when the phone rang.

†Sparks,˙ I barked. †WeŠre closed. Nobody home. This is an answering machine. Leave a message. IŠll call back when it rains.˙

I got a low chuckle and cultured voice: †Sleuth, dear fellow, I know youŠre there and should be working despite the vernal splendor.˙ Ever-elegant Mouse, one of my snitches; my groan told him to go on. †I have just located two of your favorites and thought to make you aware. Try Tyee 2000 Gewurtztraminer ($11.99) É dry, spicy with charming grapefruit notes in the nose and flavors. And Benton Lane 1999 Pinot Noir ($13.49); it has nice strawberry aromas and black raspberry flavors, sweet oak, good balance, firm, very good.˙ I scribbled furiously, muttered thanks and apologies, got another chuckle before the line went dead.

I snatched up my hat, scanned room, promised IŠd be right back, reached out ... and the phone bleated at me again. †Farkles!˙ I grumped at walls and into receiver.

†Sleuth, my friend, hope IŠm not disturbing you, but I have a small tip to pass along.˙ The deep, gentle voice of Treetop, Buddhist vegetarian giant, master of tasty whites; I mumbled a quick sure-sure-no-problem. †Well, you might have noticed all the lovely spring vegetables ...˙ É I moaned, audibly É †and cheeses in the market. We just savored a medley with a delicious white from Spain, the Rias Baixas region, Lagar de Cervera 2000 AlbariŔo ($11.50), quite a bargain for mouth-filling flavors of ripe pears, white flowers, certain mineral qualities, delicate balance. Oh, and it has a very positive aura. Enjoy.˙ He clicked off before I could voice gratitude. OK, notes taken, out the door, no stopping.

The computer dinged, incoming e-mail, could be spam, could be terrorism warning from Office of Daily Terrorism Warnings. Rush to screen, message from Soho Sandy/Peter Poet, to wit: †Fabulous dinner in Yachats, fresh Dungeness Crab, scintillating with Sobon Estates 2000 Viognier from California Shenandoah Valley ($18 when other such are $30), tastes like the first day of summer or a grand June wedding with the crab, flavors of peaches and pears, river-rock lollipops. Finished stellar repast with selection of exotic cheeses from NewmanŠs Market and pretty Taylor Fladgate Special Ruby Porto (only $10.50), pure as a Shakespearean sonnet, deep cherry/coffee flavors, toasty oak, lovely as DARK LADY, if you WILL. Tee-hee, bye.˙ Very punny, ha-ha, gottagonow.

BEEEEP: Fax started spitting a page. I heard a high keening note, like a wail of mourning. I looked for the source; I WAS the source. I snagged the page, read frantically: From old pal Keith at Sundance Wine (www.orwine.com), †Lance, interested in affordable Oregon Pinot noir? (Just kidding.) Elk Cove NV (nonvintage) Pinot Noir ($8.50) contains some Gamay fruit, so very round, soft, fleshy/not flabby, affordable/quaffable. Might also want to check Starr 1998 Pinot Noir on deep discount ($17.50 down from $25), very good fruit and texture, just approaching maturity. Just a heads-up FYI. Hope youŠre getting some sun on beautiful day.˙ I circled names in red, pinned note to corkboard, made mental note to buybuybuy, say bye-bye to gloomy office, race to É phone.

Mole: †Hey, SleutŠ, tŠought yaŠd be out! Gotta great find ....˙ Dropped hat on desk, dropped butt on chair, watched dust motes dance in sunbeams. Wine makes great friends. IŠm the luckiest guy in the world, most days.


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