Viral Load and Covid-19

Covid-19 has thrown a monkey wrench in all of our lives. Clark and I have been quarantined at home now for two months and frankly have not done much. You would think we would have the best organized and cleanest house on the planet but sadly not. I also have terribly neglected this blog and do apologize to my loyal readers. We had two trips canceled due to the virus so really had nothing to report on. As I have sat at home for two months now and watched the Covid-19 pandemic evolve and the citizens of the world reaction to it I have decided to post a short blog on the virus to hopefully offer some factual information to you with sound scientific reasoning. Unable to travel and not having any extensive wine parties to offer I offer this article to help you navigate the reopening of the society. 

The main concept I want you to gain from this is the concept of "Viral or Bacterial Load". Simply put Viral load is how many viral particles(or Bacteria organisms) you are exposed to. Our bodies are bombarded daily with viruses and bacteria. At any given point in time it could be one or two organisms or it could be millions. There are a variety of factors that determine what the viral load might be and a variety of factors that either increase or decrease the viral load. Many we cannot control. A few we can. So when facing a pandemic we need in-depth knowledge of what the risks are and how to reduce those risks and to fully understand and institute those measures that reduce the viral load to a level that presents a low risk to us and our families. The #1 issue regarding viral load that we can control is the concentration of viruses or bacterial particles in a measured space. One million particles in a one-gallon space area is a high concentration. One or two particles in that same one-gallon space or volume is a very low concentration. Obviously breathing air with the concentration of the higher one is going to lead to a high concentration of viral load. So to reduce risk we need to do things that reduce the concentration in a given area. The best way to lower concentration is dispersion. If I take a gallon of one million particles and put it my bathtub and get into the bathtub I get exposed a lot. But if I dump the gallon into my hot tub and get in it may be the same number of organisms but the concentration is significantly reduced. If I am standing next to you talking and you sneeze I get the full concentration of whatever is there.  If I am 6 feet from you or better yet 12 feet the amount, number, and concentration of whatever has 6 to 12 feet to disperse and lower the concentration.  The main way to reduce concentration is through hand washing. You are diluting the number of organisms as well as killing them and the concentration theoretically should go to zero. Inside a building the virus is confined and just hangs in the air. Outside the wind and weather and temperature disperse the virus in a matter of minutes if not seconds. Study after study has shown a rapid reduction in a concentration outside. The #2 thing to consider is the time of exposure. If you breathe air with a concentration of one million virus particles for one minute as opposed to one hour you obviously get more exposure with more time. But if the concentration is one or two virus particles being exposed a very long time could potentially expose you to the same number of particles. So the less time you are exposed, the fewer particles you are exposed to reducing viral load. The #3 way to reduce viral load is filtering. Most of us have filters somewhere whose sole purpose is to prevent whatever we are filtering from getting into something we don't want it to get into. We just made Lobster Bisque. We filtered the soup to remove the crab shells and other unwanted solids from the soup. With Viruses the best way to filter them out is with a mask. Over the past two months these are the three things other than quarantine that have clearly demonstrated close to a 95% reduction in the spread of infection and that is hand washing(lowers concentration) and face masks(filters out virus). At the same time the less time spent out when you must go out also helps. I am going to restaurants but I am no longer sticking around and gossiping for 2 or 3 hours. I go out to enjoy my meal and leave and go home reducing the time knowing I am reducing exposure. I also wear my mask when not eating and wash my hands coming and going to the restaurant and going and coming home. To me it is a small inconvenience but together makes a significant reduction in the viral load I am exposed to. 

Viral load is important as whether or not any given individual will actually become ill from the infection. Average humans with average immune systems most will not become sick if exposed to a very low viral load. Our immune systems are designed to daily protect us and make sure we don't get infected with small exposures. Otherwise there would be no human race. There have actually been experiments where volunteers were injected with one or two HIV viral particles and none of them got infected with HIV. HIV concentration varies in infected individuals from very high number of particles to very low number of particles in their blood and other humans exposed through for example a needle prick may or may not get infected dependent of whether or not the concentration of the HIV virus was high or low when they were exposed. Covid-19 is no different so average humans with good immune systems most likely will not get infected if exposed to low viral loads. The people who get infected get infected because they are exposed to a high viral load or they are more susceptible due to a weakened immune system. I suspect the majority of people who have died from Covid-19 were people with low immune systems and exposed to a high viral load. Other than knowing diabetics and heart disease and high blood pressure and older people have weakened immune systems we don't have a test that tells us for sure who is more susceptible. 

So you ask why is Covid-19 different from the regular yearly flu. We have not needed to wear masks in the past years when the flu came around. The answer has to do with the infectivity of the virus or how efficient it is in infecting you. Bottom line a lower viral load is needed to infect any given person with Covid-19 so it is even more important to lower the viral load with COVID 19. What you are trying to do is lower the viral load of Covid-19 that is too low to infect you. 

So the foreseeable future me and my family wash out hands many times a day and when out and about wear masks. We also add a layer of protection by putting a coffee filter inside our masks. There is no risk and it is one more mechanical barrier that might catch a few additional virus particles. It can't hurt and is not noticeable. We also try hard to not linger as long when out. Along with you we are looking forward to the day when this terrible pestilence is over. But until then please follow the above recommendations to help protect yourself and others.

How to predict the future, "those who ignore history are bound to repeat it"

The following is a good summary and example of why we all need to NOT travel right now which I and my family are doing. It is sort of travel-related and hopefully good information for you.

The Spanish Flu in many ways was very similar to the CoVid-19 pandemic. It was highly infectious, people got very sick very quickly. Young people died and Cytokine storm deaths were recognized. 50 million people all over the world and 675,000 Americans died. This was a time remember of much lower populations and fewer high rises. To predict a worst-case scenario one only needs to look at Philadelphia and St. Louis. Philadelphia held a war bond parade on September 28, 1918, despite 647 cases of Spanish Flu in the town of a population of 1.5 million. St. Louis canceled their parade. The result? Within 3 days all 31 Philadelphia hospitals were full and closed for any additional patients. First responders went around town trying to help where they could and do contact tracing and found entire families dead in their homes. Within one week 45,000 citizens were known infected. By the second week in November 12,000 were dead and bodies were piled on sidewalks as morgues were full. Within 5 months 500,000 Philadelphians were infected and 16,000 were dead. St. Louis had 1/8 the cases. The only difference was one(1) parade. For Philadelphia that translates into 1/3 of the population was infected and 1.06% of the total population died. Extrapolate that to just New York State and Florida both of whom rounded off have approximately 20 million residents would mean in each state 6 million people would get infected and 212,000 people would die in each STATE. So how does the initial projection of 200,000 dead Americans in 50 States sound to everyone now? Was it scare tactics. Was it a worst-case scenario. Was it overblown? Don't think quarantine works. Researchers have now found that cities that quarantined the sick and shut schools, churches, theaters in 1918 saw a 50% lower death rate than those who did not. Milwaukee had the lowest death rate of 0.6% where schools, bars, public places were all closed after the first cases were reported and people were told to shelter in place and stay home. FYI another study just released confirmed the importance of Vitamin D that many are deficient in. The study found that nations with the lowest Vitamin D levels, Italy, Spain, and France have the highest death rate. Brown skin people are particularly deficient and also don't absorb it orally well. I currently recommend everyone take 4000 international units a day or 50,000 international units monthly. Brown people should probably take a little more than that, maybe 5000 international units a day or 50,000 international units twice a month.

Eating a Healthy Diet Part 2

For years I have known that most diseases are caused by an over abundant inflammatory response by our immune system. Over the past million or so years human beings have developed a highly sophisticated immune system allowing most of us to long and healthy lives. Our bodies live with a balance of some bacteria, e. coli in the colon, and viruses, herpes zoster in the spinal canal, which is called a symbiotic relationship. Sort of like the birds you see on the backs of cattle. Both organisms benefit from being together. But over the course of evolution, our immune systems have also developed the capacity to kill us while trying to save us. As our behavior developed and created the "fight or flight phenonomen", our immune system did the same, unfortunately when our immune system decides to fight to the death it is our own death it causes. I am convinced with the current Coronovirus pandemic the many younger people who are dying is because of what is termed Cytokine Storm which simply their immune system going into overdrive to kill the virus but in the process kills all the internal organs. But without Coronovirus humans over the years have killed themselves off by eating foods that increase the inflammatory response to a fault. And for the most part all chronic diseases have at some point as their basis inflammation. The best example is coronary heart disease. Decades ago I joined the American Lipid Society and went to all of their annual meetings. I went to learn all about the best and current medication to reduce cholesterol and lipids in the blood because a build up of cholesterol plaques in the coronary arteries caused heart attacks. Right? No, wrong and was I surprised. Turns out the medical field has understood for decades that what causes heart attacks is artery endothelial inflammation. Yes cholesterol builds up in the lining of the artery over years but that build up is met by an inflammatory response by the body trying to get rid of those plaques. Eventually what happens is there is so much inflammation that the inflammation breaks open the plaque causing platelets to swarm around the area and in the end blocks off the artery causing said heart attack. So yes reducing cholesterol is needed and helps but the real problem is the inflammation which we will see is caused by our poor diet. 

This food article today is an update to my previous blog on eating a healthy diet with some new recommendations. With a lot of time on my hands I spent a large amount of time researching inflammation and diets and can offer additional information. Spoiler alert my research again confirmed the BEST diet for low inflammation is the Mediterranean Diet. Go figure. To maybe simplify this concept I found this listing of foods you want to eat. So an anti-inflammatory diet should include lots of these foods: 

Tomatoes 

Avocados, their anti-inflammatory properties are very strong 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil in place of butter 

Green leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, collards, Swiss Chard 

Almonds and Walnuts 

Fatty fish like Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna, and Sardines and Anchovies 

Fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges 

If you just ate the above foods for all of your meals you would go a long way to reduce overall inflammation. 

Though there is at times conflicting research a glass of any wine once a day provides some Resveratrol which you also find in the dark-skinned fruits above.  All wine has some but red wine has more of course.  For most of us, one glass a day is most likely ideal and an entire bottle everyday maybe not such a good idea!

I also have read for years benefits of drinking a glass of lemon water every day and my current research confirmed that. A simple recipe is: 

1/2 Cup Lemon Juice 

4 Cups of water 

1/2 tsp liquid stevia or small amount of maple syrup for sweetness 

May also add some ground Ginger 

Many recipes call for the addition of some turmeric but I recommend turmeric in a different form so I don't add it to the lemon water. 

I continue to recommend from my original blog that we all continue to take zinc, Vitamin D, B12, and optimized Folate. In addition to those supplements I now recommend adding SLCP Longvida Optimized Curcumin and L Glutamine. Almost since the beginning of time in India Ayurvedic medicine has recommended taking Curcumin or Turmeric. But research out of NIH clearly shows anti-inflammatory benefits of Curcumin and a recent paper shows significant survival of ICU patients given IV Curcumin. The problem is that regular over the counter Curcumin is not absorbed orally that well, hence the need to IV administration in the ICU. But other research at NIH has shown a different formulation of Curcumin, SLCP Longvida Optimized Curcumin is much better absorbed orally. A recent study of this better compound showed a dose of 160 mgs a day for 90 days significantly improved function and pain for knee osteoarthritis. I was only able to find online at Amazon in a 400 mgs vegetable capsule so my wife and I plan to take one of those daily. One additional supplement to take is L Glutamine 1000 mgs tablets. The literature talks about taking over 30 grams a day which to me is too much. One article says the maximum recommended safe dose is 14 grams a day. I plan on taking 2-3 grams a day. 

So to improve your health through diet try the above recommendations and see how they work for you. Don't forget nothing is a 100% and those recommendations hopefully will help most people.  Unfortunately, there are not treatments or foods best for everyone as we all can react differently.

Happy Easter and Open that Bottle

Easter is the time of year when most faiths celebrate some belief in rebirth.  Spring, of course, is a time of year when we plant our seeds looking forward to the new growth of plants and crops as well.  It is a time to celebrate life with family and friends usually over a great meal and great wines.  I have always believed you should drink your better wines from time to time.  Wine sitting in a box or cellar never to be drunk to me is a travesty.  In the late 1990s, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher of the Wall Street Journal invented the annual "Open That Bottle Night" (OTBN), encouraging their readers to open a symbolically significant bottle, and then share their stories. Since its inauguration in 2000, the event is always scheduled for the last Saturday in February, so the date may range from February 22 to 29.  In that spirit, I decided no time like the present to open that special wine for Easter.  As I have gotten older I have learned to better live every day like it was my last and today that is more true than others so what the heck I opened one of my Bouchard Pere et Fils Montrachet 2011.  French White Burgundy Montrachet is arguably the greatest white wine in the world and also one of the most expensive.  Approximately 26 Vintners make this wine from a vineyard that is only a couple of acres and recently 3 vines sold for over 3 million Euros which when you think about it is outrageous.  

The wine goes back hundreds of years.  The Montrachet vineyard is the cradle of family secrets that cross centuries thanks to the name given to the local great vintages.  Allegedly during the Crusade period, the infidelity of the chatelain Montrachet gave birth to a boy, half brother to the legitimate heir the knight Montrachet who had left to free the holy city.  When he died the chatelain introduced his second son as the legal successor who was greeted with "Welcome to the bastard Montrachet" and thus the offshoot vineyard Batard Montrachet ..Of course when we go to France the French tell us this story is absurd.  Montrachet wines are known for their complexity and deep and hedonistic mineral flavors.  Most have only a hint of oak but some of the greatest ones have a very complex of overlying buttery flavors that no one else seems to be able to mimic.  Montrachet is a high end and complex white wine that goes with many foods including meats.  This Easter dinner was catered by Matthew Medure of Matthews in San Marco, Jacksonville, Florida.  Matthew is a top-shelf, world-class chef who has produced the best food in Northeast Florida now for years.  We started with Scottish Salmon gravlax with the usual accompaniments served with Extra Brut Fallet French Champagne best described as "bone dry".  The main course was a rack of lamb, stuffed chicken breasts with a side salad with a herb and garlic dressing and baked macaroni and cheese.  Served with the Montrachet the food flavors exploded on the palate only to be elevated by the complexity of the Montrachet.  This Easter for many of us will be memorable and never to be forgotten.  My family wishes you and your family continued health and love and safety. I deeply believe our world will be reborn like a phoenix from the ashes of the crisis we currently must face. And my cellar has one less bottle of Montrachet.

Winter Ski Trips to Utah, Powder Mountain, Park City, and Deer Valley

I have skied for 30 years now and have skied in multiple resorts both east and west. Years ago we visited Park City/Deer Valley but did not return for many, many years. About a dozen years ago or so friends introduced us to Powder Mountain north of Ogden, Utah which is about 1 hour north of Salt Lake City and 2 hours from Park City so we started visiting there every year. Over the years we have discovered the old mountain climbing rule, hike high, sleep low and discovered that as long as we slept under 7000 feet elevation we had no problems with altitude sickness or adjustment. At the base of Powder Mountain is the small town of Eden, Utah which is around 5500 feet elevation and they have thousands of condos and timeshares that we stay in for a week or two. Eden and Powder Mountain are rustic and offer about a dozen places to eat and one gas station and one small supermarket which surprisingly has 99% of what you need. So you go to Powder Mountain to ski. It is the largest ski resort in the world in terms of skiable terrain and encompasses 6 separate mountains and is not crowded. I have skied every year there on ski runs by myself with no one on site and rarely wait in a lift line. Powder Mountain today also has the best groomed slopes in Utah. As a rule we usually spend 2 weeks at Powder Mountain and 1 week at Park City/Deer Valley and ski exclusively at Deer Valley as they do not allow snowboarders which is a plus as well as having the best food on the mountain in Utah. Also staying at the base of the mountains and down in town or just off the interstate in Kimball Junction the altitude is around 6500 feet meeting my sleeping requirements. This year we spent 2 weeks at Park City/Deer Valley and one week at Powder Mountain so as to have better access to better food options primarily and it worked out fine. We were extremely lucky as we skied up to the day the resorts were closed due to Coronavirus. In addition our timing was perfect as the snow was rapidly melting when we left and the last couple of days there the temperature approached 50. About 5 years ago we went to Deer Valley mid April on a really great price deal and literally watched the snow melt off the entire mountain. The day we left there was no snow at all left. The moral to that story is folks climate change and global warming is real and our experience demonstrates the snow goes away now a month earlier than before meaning if you ski you need to go mid January to mid February next year. To us our trips are ideal, we get to do some great skiing and get to eat in some great places. Next year I think we might do one week in each place as after 3 weeks we really are ready to come home. Nothing beats home.

Wahso Asian Restaurant Park City

Frankly I had to think about this one for a while. I had dinner here years ago and since then it has a new chef and a new team. It is primarily an Asian Fusion place as opposed to either Japanese or Chinese and has elements of both. The menu is fairly limited to about 8 to 10 appetizers as well as entrees with a few salads. The best thing about this place is the decor. I was honored to attend a State dinner at the Empress Dowager’s Summer Palace in Beijing many years ago and the decor here struck me as similar. The great old style you would see with Chinese Royalty. The wine list was very good but prices were 3X standard retail which I always have an issue with. Overall the flavor of the food was excellent. But past that to me things went downhill. When we arrived our driver advised us the average entree cost was $48 but it was overall more. My first impression was the prices were outrageous for what you got. I had a bowl of ramen noodle soup with lobster and crab and to me the noodles were what a college kid would pay $1 for in order to save money. Japanese chefs spend 40 years or more to become Master Ramen Chefs and I did not have ramen of that quality and the price was around $50. Other food items were the same. The worst part was the service. Young, poorly trained and unprofessional. It was Super Tuesday we were one of the only people there, our server appeared bored and decided to discuss politics with us for the evening, completely inappropriate. In the end I felt Wahso was overpriced for what you received with poor unprofessional service so I do not plan on returning in the future.

Goldener Hirsch Restaurant Deer Valley 

I had lunch here on a ski day and it was wonderful. I came here for the Wienerschnitzel and it was a wonder. My wife had the Reuben which was also great. Service was highly professional and unassuming. The wine list is excellent and they had a good choice of half bottles which worked well for us for lunch. Staff met all requests professionally and positively. Another table got the fondue and seemed to enjoy it very much. I had apple strudel for dessert that was wonderful. I highly recommend Goldener Hirsh for one of your meals at Silver Lake at Deer Valley

Park City Bus Service

Park City has the best, most efficient, easiest to use bus system in the world. Let me repeat that for emphasis. Park City has the best, most efficient, easiest to use bus system in the world. During our visit last year even though we had a car it stayed in the garage the entire trip as we had a bus stop adjacent to our condo and we went to slopes within 5 to 10 minutes door to door every time. The Salt Lake Airport must have the highest tax in the world, I finally calculated it and it is 65% of the vehicle cost which in my mind is beyond ridiculous. So this year we decided to use the bus system exclusively, filing in with Uber/Lyft from time to time. Transportation was seamless for the most part and we usually had door to door service whenever we wanted to go and usually only waited for the bus 5 to 10 minutes and sometimes no waiting at all. Occasionally we had to transfer buses but Park City has 4 or 5 transit centers which makes bus transfers easy. It takes about 24 hours to learn the system and it is not difficult. Only at night after rush hour were waits longer and at those times Uber/Lyft were better options, though this year most likely due to the coronavirus scare it was harder to order an Uber/Lyft. In general during the day and during rush hours the buses run every 10 to 15 minutes and everys 30 minutes at night. Drivers are friendly and helpful and seats are comfortable and stops are minimal. We did not miss having a car one bit and you cannot beat the price, FREE!( It is paid for with a Federal grant, hence not free you paid for it with income tax, so why not use it). For airport transfers we found Uber/Lyft to be best and most economical, but again had a lot of trouble getting one the last day so I would strongly recommend making an advanced reservation to go back to the airport.

Deer Valley

We ski exclusively at Deer Valley every year. Our main reasons are #1 no snowboarders, #2 great food choices everywhere, #3 usually have great snow and slopes during the week are not too crowded and #4 I am very familiar with the slopes so less chance of me ending up on taking a wrong turn. Deer Valley used to be known primarily as having the best grooming but to me that is no longer the case. Actually I find the grooming at Powder Mountain best. Deer Valley also used to be known for the best overall service of most ski resorts but I have found over the years the service seems to get worse every year. Younger untrained personnel who frankly just don’t seem to care if you have a great time. The lift tickets are now in La La land though I do congratulate them on selling a discount lift ticket to military and veterans which many do not. It’s really gotten more difficult to book ski lessons there as no matter what you have to book reservations weeks in advance and the day of your lesson may not be a great day to ski but you cannot change it. I have learned over the years to book lift tickets and lessons on a daily basis and on days that I really want to ski and not feel obligated to ski. The ski school also push private lessons to a fault. Anytime you want to book a group lesson they push the private lessons whose cost is prohibitive, around $1000 a day. For us older folks who just want to go out and ski on a flexible basis, Deer Valley does not make it convenient. 

Chimayo, Main Street Park City

This was our second visit to Chimayo and as the first was wonderful. They have an eclectic Southwestern menu sure to please you. Food is prepared expertly and has excellent taste and the portions are huge. So large in fact that we ordered one serving of fajitas for 3 people and it was just right and did not end up in doggie bags. The wine list is heavily favored for Spanish wines which go well with the cuisine prices however are a little high. The place is always packed so reservations are absolutely a must even on slow nights or slow seasons. You also need to request upstairs seating as downstairs is claustrophobic and usually filled with families with small children.

Fireside Dining, Top of Empire Mountain

A continued unique and favorite place for dinner at Deer Valley. If you have never been you should add it to your bucket list. It serves primarily a hearty meat and potatoes and soup and salad cuisine with a Scandanavian twist. There are 5 buffet stations where many of the items are cooked in front of a blazing fire. The first course always starts with melted cheese Raclette accompanied by a large selection of caricature meats, olives, pickles etc. 2 stations are dedicated to a large selection of soups, salads, and stews, the 4ths and main station has meat and potatoes, always a leg of lamb rotating on a string in front of the fire as well as a rib eye or prime rib with a selection of potato offerings, and a 5th station dedicated to fondue and dessert. You will not leave hungry. The wine list features Northern Alsace French and German wines which go well with the food at reasonable prices. Service is excellent so you always have a clean table when you return from the buffet with your new selections.

Edge Steakhouse, in The Canyons Resort

Another year, another fabulous visit. In all sincerity I consider this place one of the top 3 steakhouses in the USA right now. From ambience, to quality of food and service few if any places can top this place. They have a wide selection of steaks and chops including multiple cuts of A5 Japanese Kobe including steak caps which I see no where else. For my dinner I had a 6 oz Kobe ribeye cap with a lobster tail cooked to perfection, preceded with a wedge salad with blue cheese crumbles. Dessert was a chocolate souffle. We had some wonderful California Cabernets along with a Puligny Montrachet La Garenne which is quite rare. They have an outstanding wine list but the wine prices are way too high ranging upwards of 5X retail which is not reasonable. The only other issue is this place is off the beaten track and hard to find and surrounded by new construction which should be completed in September of 2020 and we were told once construction is finished they will have convenient parking available but right now they do offer valet parking at the entrance. If you are a steak lover you will simply not find a better place than this one.

Riverhorse on Main Street 

One of the longest and highest rated places in Park City for years located on Main Street. I have lost count how many times I have dined here and many of those meals are memorable. We had a good dinner but I felt a slight drop off of food on this visit. Menu choices to me were limited and portion sizes interestingly were small which compared to other places was somewhat of a relief as we were tired of huge portions requiring doggie bags in the end. Not here. I was disappointed in the eggplant parmesan I had as the eggplant had a very small amount of cheese and was basically deep fried to a crisp and served with undercooked risotto. My appetizer was a goat cheese wonton again with a minimal amount of cheese and 3 small wontons. Just seemed to me to be an attempt to cut corners. They had an excellent guitar player for the evening which was enjoyable. My friends and wife enjoyed their meals and service was very attentive. Maybe it was just an off night but I have had better meals there. But in the end I still recommend it and will in all likelihood return next year. Again reservations are a must and you can forget reservations during the Sundance Film Festival as a Film Company books out the entire restaurant for 10 days solid during that time.

Outstanding Dining in Phoenix, Arizona

It is my pleasure to recommend T. Cook’s restaurant at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. We had an outstanding meal there last week with friends. The menu was excellent and the food was fresh and well prepared. They have an excellent wine list and a very well stocked bar. The menu is primarily a Mediterranean one with an emphasis on Northern Italy, Greece, and Spain. We sat outside as it was pleasant enough and outside you have views of Camelback Mountain and are surrounded by blooming bougainvillea. T. Cooks, 5200 Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-808-0766

Another restaurant with exceptional culinary delights and impeccable service is Elements restaurant at Sanctuary Resort at Camelback Mountain. This award-winning array of farm-fresh American Cuisine with Asian accents presented by Food Network star and Chef Beau MacMillan features innovative seasonal menus incorporating local, organic produce, sustainable seafood, and hormone-free meat. From its extraordinary views of Paradise Valley to its acclaimed innovative offerings, Elements is a highlight among Scottsdale’s luxury dining options. Our friends treated us to an outstanding chef’s table dinner match with wines we provided primarily Kistler Chardonnay. From tuna tartare, foie gras, and half a side of well-aged beef on the bone we were treated to a top-shelf dining experience and I can highly recommend Elements as a go-to place in Phoenix. Contact Sanctuaryaz.com or 855-245-2051.

Concrete Egg Fermentation

I would like to direct your attention to an article that I will summarize here by Kathleen Willcox of Wine-Searcher.com regarding concrete eggs for fermenting wine here: https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/08/the-incredible-concrete-wine-egg . Concrete has been used to ferment, store and transport wine since Greco-Roman times. But then French winemakers popularized oak barrels and, for centuries, oak was the vessel of choice deployed by mainstream premium winemakers for fermenting and aging wine.  In the 20th Century, of course, California winemakers were the first to adopt stainless steel tanks for fermentation. The steel tank was all about control. The tanks are easy to clean, which prevents bacteria baddies from funking up wine; the tank temperature can be monitored, which also allows for maximum micro-management of the fermentation process. They were also shiny and cool-looking.  Still, in the 1980s and '90s, reds that had spent time on oak snagged top scores from critics, as did creamy, oak-aged Chardonnays. But around the turn of the millennium, tastes changed. Buttery overoaked Chardonnays became passé, and cool climate, restrained reds became the hotness. 

Modern times 

Around 2001, Michel Chapoutier, a trailblazing biodynamic producer in the Northern Rhône, and the first winemaker to print his wine labels in braille, commissioned an egg-shaped concrete fermentation vat from Marc Nomblot, a French concrete vat manufacturer. Legend has it, his custom 2.1-meter-high egg was designed to hold 600 liters of wine. Chapoutier, who appears to embrace the more esoteric spiritual-esque aspects of biodynamic winemakers, reportedly believed the egg's spheric shape would imbue it with "celestial energy".  Nomblot must have seen the sky-high commercial potential in the design after completing Chapoutier's initial egg because the company soon scaled-up manufacturing for others; Chapoutier threatened a lawsuit several years later after Nomblot sold the company to the Bonna Sabla Group, claiming he never received proper credit – or cash-money – for the design he claims intellectual responsibility for.  Nothing ever seemed to come of the lawsuit, but Chapoutier appears to still be steaming, as he has links to articles on the contretemps still up on his website.  Trademarking something as ephemeral as a shape, Rosenblatt explains, is next to impossible.  "Concrete and wine have been used together by Etruscans and Romans," he says. "When we first got started, we received a letter from the company that owns Nomblot threatening legal action, but after a few letters back and forth, nothing ever came of it. And five years after Nomblot himself sold his company and his own non-compete expired, he himself came out with a concrete egg of his very own." 

If you visit the vineyards in France you will see these "eggs" all over, usually, side by side with traditional oak barrels. In the Rhone valley, you will see large square concrete vats and on a recent trip to Bordeaux in the Cote de Bourge I visited a small family vineyard with large square concrete vats. When I ask why they are used I am always told they help with "extraction". Gianna Kelly, winemaker at Napa Valley's Galerie, who says she uses concrete eggs to ferment and age Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, for their superior influence on texture, complexity, and flavor.  "The big advantage of the egg is, of course, that oval shape," Kelly says. "The shape allows for natural convection of the lees all throughout fermentation, and this constant contact adds weight and complexity to the texture of our wines." 

Whether any of this truly makes any difference is clearly up for debate.  Again in France a lot of experimenting is going on.  You will also see fermentation tanks built as upright cones and at the next vineyard, the cone is upside down.  The explanation "Extraction".  So who knows in the end if the wine is good and you like it does it really matter.