To call my good friend and business partner David a deep thinker is an understatement. He is a walking version of a supercomputer. Before he renders an opinion about anything, he considers every angle, every option and every alternative. Of course, David fancies himself quite a knowledgeable practitioner when it comes to wine consumption.

Now in our relationship, I am the one who usually asks for the wine list during client dinners. After all, I’m the theoretical professional wine journalist in the group. And, to be candid, David’s tastes in wine tend to run more toward the mysterious end of the spectrum. On the rare occasion when I have an opening at my regular wine tasting group, I will offer David an invitation and then almost immediately experience a pang of doubt. It is with a sense of foreboding that I wonder what peculiar wine he will proffer to the gathering. But David’s wines are usually the hit of the evening.