Vintage ’47

It was a good year according to Wikipedia

1947
While the Kon Tiki was cruising across the Pacific to Raroia,
one of the first digital computers was turned on after a much needed memory boost.
Then Edwin Land gave us the Polaroid camera and the USA gave France a military base in Casablanca. The USS Newport News, the first air-conditioned naval ship, is launched from Newport News, Virginia and across the world Seaman Harold Dahl claims to have seen six UFOs near Maury Island. The next morning Dahl reports the first modern ‘Men in Black’ encounter. And if that wasn’t enough, a downed UFO is allegedly found in the Roswell UFO incident, written about by Stanton Friedman.


1947
U.S. President Harry Truman creates the CIA providing us with enough cold war spy novel materials for a lifetime while the first Edinburgh International Festival begins, with a post-war mission to 'provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit’- the beginning of the summer of love? Back in France, when the government lowers the bread ration to 200 grams, it causes riots but American test pilot Captain Chuck Yeager flies a Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound. Bread and speed.
1947
The Princess Bride Elizabeth marries the Duke of Edinburgh at in London and Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire opens on Broadway. and While King Michael of Rumania abdicates, in a cave in and around the Wadi Qumran several tall pottery jars containing leather scrolls are discovered, which later became known as the Dead Sea scrolls.

1947: All these guys and gals were born- David Bowie, Warren Zevon and Dr. Laura, Farrah Fawcett, Rob Reiner, Carole Bayer Sager, Billy Crystal, and Ry Cooder. Elton John and Kiki Dee were born so they could make a song 29 years later. And then Emmylou Harris, Tom Clancy, David Letterman, Iggy Pop, Salman Rushdie, Dave Barry, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Meat loaf, Hilary Rodham Clinton, and Ted Danson joined the crowd. Not necessarily in that order.

1947 presents to give...
There are a wealth of vintage 47 items for sale on e-bay. But nothing I could afford that I liked. or vice versus. It was either the vintage nude girl oil painting... or that great Omega watch that I would buy for you, if I had the bucks. I'd hold out for the watch.

But best of all was the weather reported from Europe in 1947 as related to the grape harvests and ensuing vintages…

1947 Vintage Report Ref: 1947 Bordeaux had perfect weather conditions and produced an outstanding vintage. It was very good for Red Burgundy and outstanding for White Burgundy. It was a very good vintage in the North and South of the Cote du Rhone. In Portugal, perfect weather conditions led to an outstanding vintage for port.

Ditto down here in Gascony as some of the finest armagnac was made that year. Still not sure exactly what makes armagnac... armagnac?

So as I thought back to that vintage bottle of 1947 armagnac that you and I, and a few lucky souls, drank ten years ago. I paid a visit to armagnac magician and distiller Guy Arrouy with visiting friends- Jackie, Ed, David, Roberta, K.C. and Peter. I picked up a bottle of his best—a 1973 vintage Vieil Armagnac. It’s good, very very good.

Oh, don’t worry there is another unopened bottle.

Keep your eye out for those good vintages. Good wine years come around a few times every decade, but 1947 was a lifetime exception. On September 14 1947, Jeffery Michael Hill was born. Best Brother, Loving Son, Great-Pa, Sweet Jeffy and Good Friend to many.

Bon Anniversaire, mon cher frère! Sister Kate