I’m now back at work, more slowly than expected after getting a new knee (I underestimated the fatigue factor). The convalescence time reminded me how much we can enjoy life even when our horizons shrink considerably.

I’m excited about finally having time to share recent wine trips and discoveries with you as I catch up. On the list – Galician treasures, north of north Rhone Syrahs, southern Rhone Chateauneuf-du-pape harvests, the wilds of Sardenia and more.

Just be patient; the knee comes first, I’m afraid.

To make my point that life can still be pleasure-filled when you’re stuck in a small space, here is a quick photo show of highlights from surgery to one month later. Wine represents two things to me: a source of pleasure that helps us keeps the highs and lows of life in perspective, and a never-ending storytelling opportunity. Here is a very small story about one wine writer’s briefly shrunken world. I couldn’t resist two wine-tasting events the week after surgery, and they did set me back a bit, but that was offset by the wonderful wines I enjoyed. Stay tuned for those reports.

Cheers!