An open letter to E. Carl Speros

Greetings from Auckland, New Zealand.

I have taken the very unusual action (for me) of writing directly to a fellow contributor to alt.food.wine.

I have contributed to this newsgroup since 1997 and have seen many people come and go - there are also quite a few "originals" who have been around a lot longer than I.

I would respectfully like to make a couple of points.

alt.food.wine is a very active group, set up for the friendly discussion re matters of wine appreciation, and as has been often noted, it is international in both it's scope and contributorship.

Whereas, obviously the majority of contributors hail from the US, significant numbers come from Britain, France, Austria, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and many other places.

Of course, for many contributors, English is not a first language - therefore there exists, by necessity, an element of tolerance.

On the other hand, this means that no matter which geographic area may be under discussion, there will be someone with encyclopedic knowledge of the wines of that area.

Further, in alt.food.wine there is a wealth of international tasting experience - some of it from people involved in the hospitality industry in various capacities (chefs, wine buyers, journalists, sommeliers; retail and trade representatives etc) - as well as many extremely knowledgeable non-professionals.

I count myself somewhat in both groups; I was (in a previous life) the marketing manager for a small winery in New Zealand (I am conversant with many of the intricacies of international wine marketing having spent many years in both Australia and the UK - but have travelled extensively pursuing my personal passion for all things vinous (whilst I live in New Zealand, but have visited Australia, South Africa, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, South America as well as the US over a period of 25 years).

So, I know a little a about wine - but compared with some of the others within a.f.w. (some of whom I have hosted as they travelled downunder and toured NZ vineyards with me) - I am constantly in awe of the vast reservoir of experience and knowledge others have accumulated and chose to share.

Usenet is an amazing phenomenon - but remember Carl, virtually everything is archived - it is nigh on impossible to escape ones musings once "published"

Thus, before I started this correspondence, I took liberty of checking out your posting history by doing an Advanced Search for E. Carl Speros - and this is what I came up with.

You are around 70 years old; live in Lancaster County, Pa., you consider yourself an atheist; you made your first posting on Usenet (via webtv) on 31 December 2001 - and for the first twelve months of so, restricted your postings to the subject of the US civil war on the (moderated group) soc.history.war.us-civil-war.

You have further interests in bass fishing and boxing (remember, I am in Auckland, New Zealand - and have ascertained this in a few minutes of "research")

In fact, on the 11 July this year, on soc.history.war.us-civil-war you posted thus "Bravo, Mike Anyone with an agenda or here for purposes of proselytizing shouldn't be made welcome on a friendly discussion NG"

Carl, I compare this statement with some of those you have made onto a ng, about which I am passionate.

You regularly write of "wine snobs" - you may know some people you describe thus, but your barbs are nonetheless insulting.

You have made some simply erroneous statements, which when respectfully corrected by a knowledgeable national (do you recall writing about Muscadet from the Rhone Valley?) you arrogantly retorted a single word "Wrong!"

In of your very first postings to a.f.w. on 31 Mar 03, you expounded that "healthful esters & aldehydes (chemical compounds) help lower LDL" yet when an esteemed contributor (a Chemistry Professor from Purdue University no less) respectfully asked you to elucidate, you simply ignored him.

If you are going to publish contentious statements, have the fortitude to defend your position, or retreat gracefully.

More recently, you took issue with a longtime contributor, saying "I could buy & sell you in wine kowledge" (your spelling mistake, not mine!) - and this to a man with a 3,000+ bottle wine cellar, and who has posted over

Bill Spohn lives in Vancouver, Canada, geographically, a lot to the State of Washington than Pennsylvania. is !!! - I have never met the man, but, his contribution to my wine education has been immense - his is an opinion to be respected.

If you are going to disagree with a statement or opinion of any ontributor - which certainly is your right, then argue the issue; demonstrate your knowledge and experience with specifics, rather than vilification.

There is one MAJOR issue which is getting up many peoples noses - and that is the Signature which your affix to your postings.

Convention has it that in the alt. hierarchy, signature lines should be limited to three or four lines.

The charter of s.h.w. us-civil-war asks that signatures be restricted to six lines.

Like many others, I pay for my internet usage, not by time spent on the net, but by the volume downloaded.

Your insistence on affixing a signature line half the size of "War and Peace" costs me (and many others) money - and all for something which may have some relevance to those with an interest in the Civil War, but no relevance whatsoever to a wine enthusiast in Mbabane, Swaziland, Wooloomooloo, Australia or any other place in the wine drinking world.

Whereas, alt.food.wine is not moderated, there are published standards, which appear at

May I respectfully suggest you take a quick perusal, at your convenience.

In conclusion, Carl, I like 99% of others who regularly tune into a.f.w. do so simply for education and enjoyment, and to enjoy sharing our knowledge and passion with like minded people from around the globe.

You have a choice Carl.

You can take part in a knowledgeable and friendly manner, respectful of those with greater knowledge than you, or you can arrogantly continue on the know-it-all manner you have demonstrated to date.

I truly hope you chose the former path - elsewise I, (and many others) will simply killfile and/or ignore you.

I do not much believe in "constructive criticism" - really, it is just criticism, isn't it?

Which is why criticism (and particularly from a total stranger) it is always hard to accept.

However, by posting within the open forum which is usenet, you open yourself to criticism.

I do hope that you accept this in the respectful way it is intended.

Seasons Greetings,

Alexander Andrew St.Helier-Bourke a.k.a. Lord St.Helier Auckland, New Zealand.

"It is often better to remain silent, and have people think that you may be a fool; Than to speak up - and remove all doubt."