Getting epicurious

Epic Curiosity

The sensible way to live in the North Bay

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus was a man after my own heart. Not only did he create the epicurean ideals those of us blessed to live in Wine Country live by; he was an empiricist, meaning he believed that the only reliable source of knowledge about the world is the senses.

As the aftershocks of “fake news,” “alternative facts” and the conspiracy theory du jour continue to reverberate through our culture, our own senses are perhaps the only thing we can truly trust.

But what about “deep fakes,” you ask, referring to the astonishing video fakery achievable with little more than an offthe-shelf laptop and the will to deceive? Fair enough—so that obviates “seeing is believing,” ditto “hearing is believing” (thanks, Autotune).

“Tasting is believing,” however, generally holds up. Sure, there will be the occasional fraudster—look no further than Rudy Kurniawan, whose nefarious, if convincing, blending of knockoff Burgundys was captured in the documentary Sour Grapes—but generally speaking, the tongue is seldom fooled. It evolved so those things we shouldn’t eat taste bad to us. This is precisely why taste is the most reliable sense—it’s the only one people are least likely to lie about (unless, of course, they’re being polite, but politesse so often gives way to the vicissitudes of politics that something inevitably becomes distasteful). A glass or two of locally-produced wine, however, usually restores any lost bonhomie. A bottle or two, and those of even the most disparate dispositions can generally come to a consensus, which is usually to get more wine.

Also, despite my byline, I speak no Greek, which liberates me to recklessly mistranslate Greek names to my heart’s content. To wit, I’ve decided that my man “Epicurus” must be a portmanteau of “epic” and “curiosity.” Combining these two concepts is the best way to live in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. I heartily encourage you to indulge your own epic curiosity as you peruse these pages. Use them to inspire your own adventures in the North Bay, and may your good taste be your guide.

EPIC Greek philosopher Epicurus had a taste for the good life.

—Daedalus Howell, Editor