For reasons I'll probably never understand, my paternal grandfather has harboured a lifelong abhorrence of white vehicles. I've heard that in decades past, white was the default paint colour of automotive manufacturers unless one paid extra, so perhaps he associates it with distasteful frugality. It could also just be a strongly held conviction without any sound justification—it’s occasionally been pointed out that us Drinkles can be particularly opinionated people.
Nobody can be good at everything, and any wine shop that tries to excel in all categories will at best achieve consistent mediocrity. It's known to our frequent customers that, of all French regions, Metrovino ignores Bordeaux. The reasons for this are unimportant, and to tackle them exhaustively would comprise a separate and far lengthier article than the one that you've presently committed to. However, a partial justification of our stance can be made while circuitously endorsing the "sale wine” that precedes this pedantic piece of writing.
Dear Tom,
I'm writing to emphatically thank you for allowing me to make use of your cabin for a few days. I'm sure that you can relate to the magic of how a modest abode, a mere 50 minutes from the city, can prove to be so effective at banishing one's urban sorrows. Free from the quotidian oppression that can seem inescapable in Calgary, I can be as creative and prolific here during a “retreat” of a couple days as I might be over an entire month in the city.
Richard Harvey is a living, indefatigable legend of the Western Canadian wine scene. Particularly in Calgary, there’s nobody doing good work with wine that hasn’t been positively influenced by Richard, even if they’ve never met him and aren’t aware of this influence. Across the decades and through his work as a sommelier, importer, retailer and educator, his infectious and fearsome passion for wine has taken Alberta out of the vinous dark ages. Speaking for all the Metro Mates, countless alumni and innumerable customers, we shudder to think of what we might be drinking and doing if it wasn’t for Richard’s life’s work and perpetual generosity.
