You know when you are 4-years-old and you repeat a word over and over until it stops making sense? That's what a few writer colleagues and I were doing when approached by Sparky Marquis.
At a formal event, being complete idiots.
Purely by coincidence, we had always called one of our writers, with more than a passing resemblance to Larry David (creator of Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm), a left-handed idiot. It was something we picked up, he blushed, and so we've teased him non-stop ever since.
Did I say he is 38 years old?
We'd say it so many times to him, it started having no basis in reality. Well, sometimes it did (you know who you are).
Now I have nothing against left-handed people, sometimes I even wish I was left-handed; aren't they supposed to be more imaginative and intelligent than us - the dim and boring right-handed majority?
So you can imagine our surprise when Sparky introduced himself and shook - with his left hand.
I just want to say here: we always teased our left-handed Larry David-like colleague. Incessantly. It was nothing against left-handed people. And definitely, definitely not Sparky.
Honestly, we had no idea about Sparky's adventures after Fox Creek - shamefully (but to our defence, it was after a long week of many formal after-work events) - nor, he was the winemaker behind the winery, Mollydooker, an old Australian slang for a left hander.
The penny didn't drop until he gave us his folded business card - designed especially so it can be opened easily only by left-handed people.
But, perhaps he came up to us precisely because we were being so childish. And he seemed almost relieved to joke around with us.
Formal wine-tasting events can be harrowing for poor wine-makers. They are like artists watching the crowd drink their wines by the sidelines. It must be nerve-wracking to see all that work gulped down so quickly.
Who's the idiot now? Shamefully, us - pitiful right-handers.
(Oh god, such a Larry David cringe moment).
Everything about his wine Carnival of Love is brilliant. From the label to the wine.
If you have a chance to really look at the label of Carnival of Love, everybody is doing things left-handedly: the woman is playing the violin with her left-hand, the juggler is juggling left-handed.
Even better, if you put two different bottles together they form a complete picture.
Much like the cartoons on the last page of Mad Magazine. I can't believe no one has ever done this before.
But good luck finding two bottles. Since Parker's 99 points, they are rare as left-handed can-openers.
As you'd expect from such a unique personality, the wine is unique. Powerful, unctious, almost thick with clotted berries.
It's Parker-style writ LARGE - busting out at 16% alcohol, it's a joyous, gregarious, generous beast. Crowd-pleasing and... democratic.
Yes, that's right, I said democratic - in the US constitutional sense of democratic: you have the right to the pursuit of Happiness.
You could almost say it shows as much personality, humour and moxie as Sparky himself.
Things you need to know
Name: Sparky Marquis
From: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Winery: Mollydooker - a joint winemaking team of Sparky and his winemaker wife, Sarah
Famous wine: Carnival of Love - 99 points Robert Parker
Other wines (all with brilliant names and labels) Velvet Glove Shiraz, The Boxer Shiraz, Enchanted Path Shiraz/Cabernet, The Maitre D' Cabernet, The Violinist, The Scooter, Two Left Feet, Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz, Gigglepot Cabernet.
Website: Mollydooker winery
Interesting fact: Sparky and Sarah were behind the excellent 1998 Fox Creek McLaren Vale Shiraz - if you have tasted it you will know what a brilliant wine this was, from an excellent Australian vintage. Unfortunately, the last great vintage of Fox Creek (and the last vintage by Sparky and Sarah).
Review: Carnival of Love, number 8 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 wines of 2007
Next post: Pt 3: Anne Gros, Burgundy
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