BRANCHED ANEMONE GARDEN BY CHRISTINE AND MARGARET WERTHEIM, AT MUSEUM FRIEDER BURDA. PHOTO COURTESY MFB BY NICKOLAI KAZAKOV.
Damn. My rental wasn’t going to be able to hold all the bot- tles. I decided to break up all the cases so a little of everything would survive. I laid the refrigerator on its side and packed as much wine as I could into it, strapping it closed and nailing the straps into the pristine kitchen wall. I got in my car with my overnight bag and $65,000 worth of wine and hit the road.The highway heading east was jammed, so I figured going north then finding another way out of the path was my best play. When I got to Fort Myers I realized my luck had run out. The rain was torrential, the winds apocalyptic. I pulled into
the sturdiest looking motel I could find, parked my rental against a wall and went looking for someone to let me in. The place was wisely abandoned, so I kicked in the door to the room farthest from the beach and began shuttling the cases inside. There was still power. The TV showed Channel 14 report- ers in their custom weather gear being pummeled by the storm. Instinctively I found the ice machine and filled the tub, thinking I would need cold beverages soon. The power went out and the sky blackened. I finally felt like my luck had run its course. I grabbed a bottle of the Burgundy and slowly drew out the cork. Hasta La Vista.
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