So there I was, sitting at a table at a fabulous restaurant drinking some of the most sought-after wines in the country with not just the winemaker, Manfred Krankl, but also with the most influential wine critic in the world, Robert Parker Jr. For an oenophile such as myself, this is as close to heaven on Earth as it gets.

How this all came to pass actually began several years ago, when Cindy and I met Bill and Rebecca through a local wine tasting fundraiser. Bill and I became fast friends, first through wine, then through philanthropy. A few years later, we met Chet and Julie through our children and then eventually introduced the two couples to each other.