Post #51598 by pablus on Tue, Sep 16, 2003 8:03 PM

I recently enjoyed a visit to Jim Walter's private wine cellar in Florida... his collection is about to be auctioned by Christies in New York.

I believe this is the date:

http://www.christies.com/auction/calendar/auction_calendar.asp?scid=&month=11&year=2003&location=43

The wine merchant who's job it is to assess and commend the collection for auction said it was the highlight of his career... a true find... trophies everywhere... worth a lot of money ...(relative - but let's just say over a million).

What does this have to do with TIKI?

Well, I was able to lift some of the bottles off of their 30-40 year resting places and there were truly some incredible chateaus and vintages... BUT... many had a label on them that read something interesting.

One 1959 vintage of La Tour read:

This fine wine selected and purchased for the Mai Kai, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida by blahblahblah.

Another 1960 Margeaux read:

Bottled exclusively for the Mai Kai.

I mean - what the hell is happening when TIKI follows me into the basement of a venerable, yet deceased, wine collector who had wealth untold? Why must it torture me? Is there a mystery here that needs sleuthing? Is there a wine here that needs drinking? I'm going to the Mai Kai with one of those bottles that I'll surely be able to purloin, and I'll just see where it leads me from here.

And where are the 45 year old rums? THAT'S what I'm talkin' about.