I will be personally signing books on March 19 from 6-8pm at what I call a “book tasting.” The book launch party and tasting will be held at my favorite hometown bookstore, Landmark Booksellers in historic downtown Franklin. There will be complimentary wine and cheese […]
Author: randy
Encouraging people to find out who they are so they can live their lives fully.
What Does The Word Sacrament Mean To You?
Growing up in an evangelical world, the word sacrament was rarely used, and if so, with a negative connotation. It was not until the past three years, attending our neighborhood Episcopal parish and researching my book Sex, Lies & Religion that the enormous implications of […]
An Introduction To Wine (Part 6): “The Earth’s Erogenous Zones”
As we have seen in the previous five posts, great wines don’t come from just anywhere. The earth has her own erogenous zones. There are a few places of harmonic convergence where every facet of the vineyard and every nuance of the grape fit together […]
An Introduction To Wine (Part 5): “Where It All Begins”
The third aspect where wine begins (the grape) is: 3. Tannin – is perhaps the most intellectually intriguing aspect of wine, especially red wine. It can significantly add to a wine’s greatness. To best understand the concept of tannin, think about the bitter, astringent (sour), […]
An Introduction To Wine (Part 4): “Where It All Begins”
The Aspect of Agriculture Let’s start with my favorite wine quote of all-time: “Winemaking is agriculture’s highest art form” -Anonymous For all its complexity, wine is born of something utterly simple – a GRAPE. A grape is by weight: 75% pulp / 20% skin / […]
An Introduction To Wine (Part 3): What To Look For?
Wine has five qualities: 1. Distinct Varietal Character In other words – “The more Granny Smith-ish the Granny Smith apple is, the more it can be savored and appreciated.” The same is true for grape varieties. Each variety of grape presents itself in a different […]
A Caribbean Respite
Every morning for the past two years, I have awakened to the burden of an incomplete book. And for the last six months, the tenth anniversary of cre:ate has added to that load. As of Feb.14 both of those long realized dreams have come true. […]
An Introduction To Wine (Part 2) – Understanding the Aspect of Assessment
First, what makes wine great? Karen McNeill, in the The Wine Bible, says “One of the most insidious myths in American wine culture is that a wine is good if you like it.” Liking a wine has nothing to do with whether it is good. […]
An Introduction to Wine (Part 1)
I believe every person can be knowledgeable and comfortable in any social environment by understanding the basic aspects of wine. For the next six days I will write posts, each of which will cover a different aspect of this sacramental drink. Here is the introduction. […]
Three Days With My Father
The last road trip my Dad and I took was when I was fifteen. That would be over thirty-four years ago. To put the year 1973 into perspective – Nixon was President, Ms Billy Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in a tennis match billed as […]