Thursday, June 11 2009
You Meet the Nicest People . . .
Rex Johnston and Barbara Bentley
Sometimes I have the best job in the world. Not only do I do something that I love, I also get to meet other people who love making and sharing wine as well. It's a community of folks who, while all different and so varied as to defy classification, all seem to share one thing in common: they're really nice. And every once in a while I hear something about one of my winemaking friends that's so good I have to share it.
Rex Johnston and Barbara Bentley are pretty famous in home winemaking circles. I know them from meeting them at conferences and enjoying their wines and their company. Not only are they active members of winemaking clubs in California, they (along with Rex's white winemaking partner, George Rammel) are also staggering under the burden of a mountain of medals, trophies and awards that their wines have won in competition, including six 'Golden Bear' best-of-show awards from the California State Fair. From the Bentley Cellars website:
What better way to celebrate retirement than to develop a wine making hobby. Rex makes wine in the garage and is known to have taken over the kitchen on more than one occasion. Barbara is the official taster (quality control) and label maker. We make wine of professional quality but cannot sell it because we don't have a license. Rex has been asked to be the winemaker at several commercial wineries in the United States, New Zealand and Australia but he's not interested. He says it would take the fun out of retirement. Rex has a white wine partner, George Rammell, and when they enter competitions they call themselves The Old Duffers.
Not bad for a retirement hobby, 'Old Duffer'!
Barbara's other duties include being a champion labelmaker, an author and advocate, and a motivational speaker.
I was doing my usual cruising around the Winepress forums last week when I noticed a post by Rex.
Last night at the Joie De Vivre charity fund raiser for STAND! against domestic violence, I donated eight 375ml bottles of We Chocolate Raspberry Port to be auctioned with the dessert cakes.
I placed (a) 750ml bottle in the live auction and it sold for $125. The chocolate raspberry port was so popular that people were disappionted when they found out that it couldn't be sold.
STAND! is not only an excellent organisation and a very deserving cause, it's also one that's close to my own heart. Rex and Barbara's gift and the money it generated shows that the openness of heart that so many winemakers demonstrate is matched by their generosity of spirit, and their service to their community and fellow persons. They also help other worthy causes (including volunteer fire departments, something else close to my heart) with donations of Rex's wine and Barbara's skills as a speaker.
Way to go Rex and Barbara: in my book you win more than just medals.
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