A one-day ride-with in Atlanta this week gave a beleaguered wine blogger a jolt of hope for our trade this week. (For laypeople, a “ride-with” denotes a “supplier’s” day “working in the market”; in other words, when a visiting winemaker, wine ambassador, or “supplier rep” spends a workday with a locally based distributor visiting clients.)

He was accompanied by the dynamic Niklas Foradori, above, winemaker for J. Hofstätter (his importer is the scribbler’s client) and the wonderful Wynn Pennington, a longtime veteran of the Atlanta wine scene, an ex-rocker and rave promoter, and one of the coolest dudes you’ll ever meet in the biz.

The tone was high and the speed was fast. Said wary content creator felt energized by the frenetic pace and the newly found camaraderie.

And then a chance encounter with a wine industry legend felt to him like a meeting with a sage Obi-Wan.

The wine industry is facing steep challenges, he conceded in a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the industry.

“It’s a matter of finding the wines that fit,” as he put it, the key to success in a rising sea of obstacles. It’s no longer about selling the wines you simply want to sell. It’s about finding the wineries that have a great product and are ready and willing to make the sacrifices needed to excel at this — let’s just say it — scary moment.

Thanks again to Niklas and Wynn. And thank you Obi-Wan! Stay tuned for a post about an amazing musical experience we had in Atlanta, one of my favorite cities in the U.S.

In other news…

A warm shout-out and congratulations to our friend, neighbor, and colleague Steven McDonald, wine director for the swank Pappas Bros. Steakhouse here in Houston and winner of the first-ever Michelin Texas guide’s top sommelier of the year award.

That Steven, above, on Monday, with my old friend Silvano Brescianini from Franciacorta.

Steven is a beloved Houstonian and a revered wine professional and mentor here in Texas. On Monday, at a lunch with Niklas, a leading Houston sommelier recalled how Steven helped him present his first wine dinner and launch his career as a top Houston buyer.

Steven is a family man (our kids play in the same middle school orchestra) and an extraordinary musician as well.

We all appreciate greatly that he brought this first-ever award home to Houston, the foremost “wine scene” in the state imho.