I've gotten a few interesting questions recently, so I thought I'd answer them this week. It's a good way to get to know what you are interested in and a good way for you to find out things about me as well. So, let's get started.

What are the essentials for stocking a good bar?

I've written about Cognac at least twice in previous posts, but Remy Martin Louis XIII is no ordinary Cognac. According to the Remy Martin family, Louis XIII is not a Cognac. Put simply, it's a moment. That sounds very cool, but what is Remy Martin Louis XIII really? Let's take a look.

The Remy Martin family has been making its famous Cognac for over three hundred years. However, it's not just one Cognac, but a blend of at least 1,200 Cognacs that range in age from 40 to 100 years. According to their philosophy, if you start with fine grapes from the best vineyards, sift through the proper and best eaux de vie, and then blend them artfully, you will get a fine Cognac. This is done by blending eaux de vie and then aging the blend in tiercons, barrels that are several hundred years old.

Last Saturday, September 19, the 4th Annual Vineyards by the Fountain Wine Festival was held at City Center in Newport News. I was pretty excited to be able to attend because these events are always held on Saturday, which is usually a day that I have to work. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I've been able to take advantage of having Saturday's off from time to time. For those of you not in the restaurant business, this is a rare and unusual occurrence and I couldn't wait to see how everyone else spent their weekends.

Although this was a wine festival of sorts, it also featured a beer garten and it was my assignment to check it out and report my findings to those who decided not to attend. It was a tough job, but I managed quite nicely. What made my job easier was the fact that after browsing the wines that were available to sample, I realized that I'd tried more than 80% of them before, so I could try the ones that I hadn't tried at my convenience, leaving plenty of time to sample beer. As I mentioned, I get all the tough assignments.

Last Wednesday, September 9, 2009 was the ultimate in blissful experiences for numerologists everywhere. Not only was the date, 09-09-09, significant, but just as noteworthy was the fact that September and Wednesday both have nine letters. To many among us, this was not a coincidence, but something much much more. I'm a numbers guy myself, so I was also mesmerized by the occurrence of all the nines that appeared last Wednesday, but I was far more excited at 9:57 AM on September 9, 2009. That was the exact moment when I received the phone call from the owner of the Hidenwood Cheese Shop to inform me that this year's Stone Vertical Epic had arrived.

So, what is Stone Vertical Epic anyway? Let's start at the beginning. Stone Brewing Company is located in North County San Diego, California. I discovered it in 1999 while visiting San Diego on a business trip. I asked the bartender at a local dining establishment if he had any cool local beers and he introduced me to the most delicious ale I had ever tasted. It was called Arrogant Bastard Ale. I immediately became a fan , but was disappointed to find that it wasn't available in Virginia when I returned from my trip. I never forgot about it though -- it was that good. In time, Arrogant Bastard Ale began to appear on the shelves of local beer outlets so I was able to enjoy it and other Stone offerings again.

It's that time again. I've gotten quite a few questions recently, so let's answer a few.

Who is your favorite TV and/or movie bartender?

I really don't have a favorite movie bartender, but I have three favorites from TV Land. First, there's Moe. For the Simpsons impaired, Moe is the owner and bartender of Moe's Tavern. Yes, he's a cartoon bartender and yes he has a short, violent temper coupled with homicidal and suicidal tendencies, but he's still one of my favorites. Second, there is Coach from Cheers. He was such a likable character. When the actor who portrayed him, Nicholas Colasanto, passed away, I didn't think that his character could be replaced. This brings me to my third favorite bartender -- Woody Boyd. When Woody Harrelson joined the cast of Cheers he immediately stepped into Colasanto's shoes. It was uncanny the way that he picked up the baton and finished the race that Colasanto started. It's hard to describe why I like these bartenders. Part of me sees bits of their characters in what I do. Part of me just enjoys the entertainment. You'll just have to accept it and debate with me over which bartenders you think are better.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the great wines from the Rhone Valley in southeastern France. If you recall that particular post, then you'll recall that Syrah is a significant part of the blend of grapes that are used to make Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas in the southern Rhone and an exclusive grape in the wines from Hermitage and Cote-Rotie in the north.

Research done at the University of California, Davis has determined that Syrah is the offspring of two grape varieties: Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. Dureza is a dark-skinned grape from Ardeche while Mondeuse Blanche is a white grape from the Savoy -- which are both regions located in southeastern France. Both grapes are considered rather obscure since they never quite achieved anything near the popularity of their more famous offspring. This fact is important because one legend about the origins of Syrah suggests that it was brought to France from the Greek city of Syracuse.