(post, Barry Martin)
In the early 90's my next door neighbor was a fella who kinda got started along with the Oregon wine business. He was best friends with David Bruce when Bruce was still a doctor in Portland. And his family grocery store, Strohecker's in the Porltand West Hills, was probably the first real wine store in the area. When a wine maker came to town he'd often end up at Wayne's house around 9pm and son/chef Tommy would whip up amazing meals with what always seemed to be an endless supply from Wayne's ersatz wine storage celler - his garage. One evening we started earlier than usual and I opened up a bottle of some amazing champagne - poured both Wayne and myself a glass and then said "Do you have a champagne keeper?" Wayne said: "What's that?" to which, albeit a bit surprised I replied: "You know, maybe I'm calling it the wrong name - that little hinged thing you put on top of an open bottle of champagne when you don't drink it all." He just smiled and said: "Huh...never done that!" RIP Wayne...