Wine with David Battani

Some of you may know David Battani (on the right in this picture with his brother Brian) as a former track star at the University of Michigan. Others may know him as a small town, Fraser, Michigan guy who recently moved to Baltimore and likes going out in Federal Hill. Buy how many of you know David, the wine connoisseur?Recently at our monthly wine club tasting, I had the privilege of tasting wines with David. His refined palette and serious outlook on wines was evident on the first pour. We had a 2005 Bogle Chardonnay. While my notes showed oak, pear, apple, pineapple and caramel, David’s were much more interesting. “Juicy fruit and green starburst. A touch of sprite and maybe some grassiness.” Amazing.

As we progressed through the night, his notes were even more interesting…in a Borat voice, I heard him say “I taste a fruit loops” or “a fragrant aroma of grapes.” It was a special night.

David is a prime example of why wine is fun. Anyone can drink and enjoy it, without having to dissect it or give it much more thought than “wow, this is great.” To each his own in the world of wine.

May your next bottle remind you of your favorite morning cereal or candy!

David is actually progressing quite well in developing a fine-tuned wine palette and appreciates the subtle differences in good versus great wines!