In Vino Veritas, for Real

Breaking news from Montalcino...

Italy's treasury department has named the 5 wineries found guilty of Merlot-ing their Brunello. Please read DoBianchi's summary of a report published today in Florence.

Evviva la tradizione!

Love Born in the Blogosphere, or How I met my DoBianchi

Here's a story of two people who somehow managed to find each other in this big wide world (as Alice said) with a little help from Blogger and Wordpress. Read his version here.

Recently returned from my 4 and a half year stay in Italy, I started a new life in my old town, Austin. On March 17, 2008, I began my job in wine sales and was enjoying the ease with which one can "do things" in this country.

I spent a few months reconnecting with family and friends, helping me ease back into the different rhythm of life here. It was good! I was home! And happy.

And then it got better.

*cue going-back-in-time harp*

Over the previous year, I had visited a blog called DoBianchi, written by a musician-wine-guy-writer-Dr. Jeremy Parzen...who was this guy? I couldn't understand exactly what he did, or more specifically, how he did all of those things, but I liked his blog.

Last June, I had a conversation with my friend, mentor, and fellow wine blogger Alfonso Cevola (a.k.a. "Italian Wine Guy" whom I also met via blogging) about Jeremy. Alfonso had met him in January, becoming fast friends. I was intrigued, I asked, "What does he do? What is he like? People seem to hold him in such high esteem...WHAT IS HIS STORY, ALFONSO?!"

Actually, I was a little more discreet, but inside I was curious! Very.

After some not-so-gentle nudging at the hands of IWG, I joined Facebook (end of June, '08). Two weeks later, on July 15th, 2008, I got a very fateful friend request from Jeremy. I accepted right away and noticed that it was the day after his birthday. I wished him happy birthday and went straight to his blog. Read here what I found.

There was a post about his bday dinner, the wines they opened, and a very lonely comment section. I wished him happy birthday again, on the blog, the first to do so, thank you very much!

And then, it happened. Jeremy sent me an email. "Thanks for the comment at DoBianchi. Tracie B, I'm intrigued...what made you come back from Italy?"

I was flattered by his curiosity...I responded, and thus began our story.

One email a day quickly turned into 20. Twenty emails a day quickly turned into song dedications and mixed CDs in the mail and that turned into Jeremy flying from San Diego to Austin to meet me for the first time.

His visit was brief, but quite enough for me to know that I had found what I had always wanted. If you don't know, my Jeremy P is a kind, handsome, creative, intelligent, dynamic, interesting, musical, devoted guy.

AND he speaks Italian! Yes, we certainly share "an acute case of Italophilia," as he wrote in his first email.

After that initial visit at the end of August of last year, he went away for 5 weeks. I was under the impression that 5 weeks consisted of 35 days, always. But this 5 weeks lasted exactly an eternity.

The end of September came and his visit lasted a week--a week that lasted .073 seconds.

There was pining, pining, and more pining between trips, but he came back again every month. I went to visit San Diego once too. (F.Y.I.--Crying on a Southwest flight back home gets you a free drink from sympathetic attendants.)

Every time we had to part, my heart broke right down the middle, then into a million pieces. But on December 15th, 2008 my sweet DoBianchi drove his old Volvo across the country with all of his belongings. He came to Austin to live. He moved across the country for this country girl, can you believe that?

*back to the present*

That's the short version...it has now been a year and here are some of our special memories:

Me and 2B at Ginny's, his first time. We brought Premier Cru Chablis there that night!

Surprise tickets to the Willie concert in October for my birthday!

Lisini Riserva, Tracie vintage ('75)

Borgogno Riserva, Jeremy vintage

Xmas with my family

New Year's Eve

France! Nous Non Plus (Jeremy's Band) mini-tour

My first trip to San Francisco (with Kermit Lynch!)

Last weekend, having fun with my (our) family :) Isn't he handsome?

So you see, it's been a good year. Our story doesn't end, but now begins...on Saturday May 9th, this fairytale became even sweeter when that Jeremy P asked this Tracie B to marry him.

I said CERTO! Of course I will...it has been a stellar vintage, after all. He has made me the happiest Texana this world has ever seen and in January of next year, we will celebrate the best pairing yet.**

Here's to my DoBianchi! You jumped out of the computer screen and into my life with courage and purpose. So glad for the internet, and so glad that we were both just crazy enough to believe that love could happen, even in wine blogging.

**Sorry for the cringe-inducing wine-analogy cheesiness, but that's what love does to a girl.

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

Once upon a time, not so many years ago, in a land far away from Texas, Jeremy was born. He grew up to be a kind, generous, sensitive, erudite and creative man. He lived here and he lived there, until one day he came to Texas to be with Tracie B.

Please stay tuned for our story tomorrow, the anniversary of the day we met.

Happy Birthday, 2B...can you believe on this day last year both of our lives were about to change...and we didn't even know it!

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Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.

Why do stars fall down from the sky
Every time you walk by?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.

On the day that you were born
The angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue.

That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around.
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.

On the day that you were born
The angels got together
And decided to create a dream come true
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold
And starlight in your eyes of blue.

That is why all the girls in town
Follow you all around.
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you.
Just like me (Just like me)
They long to be
Close to you.

Wahhhhhhhhhhh, close to you.