Joe Rosenberg

Just saw the same post on Squires. Joe last posted here about a week ago. His posts were usually a welcome diversion from the norm. He obviously had long and significant experience in 'the biz'. I'll lift a glass with you Dale.

I never met Joe, but I have read his posts here for many years. He had a very good knowledge of the US wine trade, going back many years, and had interesting stories about well known critics and wine producers. I believe Joe was born in Europe and moved to the US as a result of problems caused by WWII, as did many people. Joe was perhaps younger that many I met who likely moved for the same reason he did. When I was in college, I was taught by several professors who moved to the US as a result of WWII. They included a physics professor from Prague, a math professor from Hamburg(he was very Prussian, but his wife was part Jewish), a Japanese chemistry professor who had worked on the Japanese atomic energy project(yes, Japan was studying atomic energy, although not as many have heard about it as the German project). There were several others. Although these people were quite different, they all had great drive and dedication in what they did. Most also could find some time to enjoy the arts, vacations, a hobby, or some other non-work related interest.

I think Joe's Murray humor could be related to the Yiddish theatre that was once quite active in New York. I never saw any of this, and I am just guessing from what I have read about it.

Terribly sorry to hear about Joe. I never met him personally, but we corresponded a few times. Yes, he was a very nice man.

-- Ken Blake Please Reply to the Newsgroup

I knew Joe for the last 16 years of his life. The last 6 of those years were not kind to Joe. Just before he retired from the Social Security Administration, some one tried to get him fired. He survived it but it hastened his retirement. He retired without a plan and was pretty much lost. He jumped into a very hasty marriage that lasted less than 2 months. His departing wife demanded alimony and Joe agreed to pay without a court judgment. As most of you in the group know, he had several major car accidents as a result of his failing health. Last August he took over the management of a vetrens group. He was in Psyops in Viet Nam and the group of guys that shared that experience were very good about reunions. Joe also headed up the Maryland chapter of National Association of Retired Federal Employees. He was an ombutsman for Social Security employees with complaints against their agency. Joe and I attended many wine shows together, mostly with me being the guest. We got together for lunch frequently and when he still had some accounts, he would bring along 3 bottles, most of which I drank along with the restaurant owner. Joe studied character. He was always seeking the best way to deal with customers and friends. I think Joe is survived by one sister who lives in the Tampa area. I think Joe was born in Brooklyn which he really hated. He told me stories about how hot is was in the tenement houses in the summers there and how it shaped his life. Bill Loftin

Joe's knowledge of wine was prodigious and he shared it with us in a generous spirit. Murray was a loose cannon, but he kept us laughing. I will certainly raise a glass to the memory of Joe, as well as to his alterego, Murray.

I was assuming that Joe was born in Europe and left at a very early age because of the war. I based this on one of his posts long ago that mentioned bad things that could have happened in Europe to him if he were there during the war. However, you could well be right that he was born in Brooklyn. His parents could have come over from Europe before he was born, and the bad things that could have happened to him in Europe were in reference to what might have happened if his parents remained there after he was born.

If he was brought up in Brooklyn, that perhaps helps explain his Murray jokes. Brooklyn in that era was a melting pot of many kinds of people, many who came from Eastern Europe. Among Jews who came from many countries, it is likely that more understood Yiddish than say Polish, German, Russian, Hebrew etc. That perhaps helps to explain why Yiddish theater once was popular in that region. As the next generations spoke good English and were not taught much Yiddish, the audience for Yiddish theater had to become much smaller.

Joe was a really nice guy. I met him 2 times in past when he would travel to North Carolina for a POVA event at the base in Eastern NC. He would drive over and stay here for a weekend. We would cook and drink some wine even though he moderated as we both had a blood sugar issue.

He was always positive and maintained a good outlook while his personal life was difficult with divorce, health, and bad driving.

I will lift a glass to him.

Note to Dale: the Murray humor was sometimes hard for me to understand too. He just thought Joe was a very nice man that loved to entertain.

Hi Bill, Joe was a very nice man and 2 years ago he shared the marraige failure with me when staying at my house in Charlotte. I thought he knew her a long time before marraige. I could have been wrong. I beleive he told me she was a multi racial gold digger but was not going to find the gold mine this time.

He was always funny I guess that was better than depression.

Thanks for posting that, Dale (and thank you, Bill, for your mini-obit for Joe). I was a bit disappointed that RMP himself didn't pitch in at least a word or two since he did know Joe those many years ago, but perhaps he's incommunicado somewhere.

The timing of his death, just as he was contemplating a move to S. Florida, seems to be of a part with the sadness of his last few years. I hope that wherever he is now, he is surrounded by good food, better wine, great stories and lots of humor. He deserves no less.

Having once shared a dinner with him and Bill Loftin, I can say that what we got here on the newsgroup was who he was: wacky, offbeat, generous, enthusiastic and totally one of a kind. Whether his humor stems from the Yiddish theater or his '60s experiences in 'Nam I couldn't say, but I've never encountered its like elsewhere.

I too will raise a glass, and several more, to Joe. I'll have to open a bottle of the '98 Allegro Cadenza, a Pennsylvania wine that he loved and considered a better claret than many classified growths from Bdx. When I do, I'll post my notes.

Mark Lipton

Like many others, I never had the pleasure of meeting Joe.

A few years ago, when Mark Lipton and Ian & Jacquie Hoare visited New Zealand, Joe really wanted to make that trip.

He phoned me several time to apologise for messing me around - and he promised that he would get to NZ.

Just a couple of months ago, he emailed, saying that although he was moving to Florida, he still planned on coming down to stay with me.

When I was struggling with my own health issues, notwithstanding his own troubles, he would often phone (in the early hours East Coast US time) to cheer me up - I have beside me the book "Angels' Visits" (The Mystery of Zinfandel) he sent to me when I was trying to fathom why every US correspondent on afw was writing about California's mystery grape.

Now the shock is wearing off, I have searched through my meagre collection, and found a solitary bottle of 1990 Castelgiocondo Riserva which I had been waiting for an excuse to open.

The passing of Da Beppe sounds like a bloody good excuse - This community of ours has lost a friend.

Cheers Joseph !

Sad news indeed. Beppe will be missed by those fortunate enough to know him, but also those like myself who read his meanderings with delight but only occasionally corresponded.

Glasses shall be raised, and jokes told.

-E

Sad news. Da Bep was trying to arrrange a trip to this part of the world, and I had a couple of lengthy phone conversations with him. He knew italian wine and the people in the business, but most of all he was someone who could make you laugh at a lot of the crazy things that happen in this world. Sorry to see him take leave, we'll miss you Joe

Mike

Thanks Dale for the news A glass will be raised tonight in the UK to Joe

JT

DaleW wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

#post169086

For the most part I enjoyedthe travails of the stalwart wine merchant and felt a kinship with Joe , well we do share a name afterall and we both served in the 4th PSYOP Group in Viet Nam

Verbum Vincet (though I confess, "In Vinum Veritas" makes a better motto)

innews: snipped-for-privacy@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

I met Joe once a few years back at a trade event and he was as funny and charming in person as he was here in this forum. Joe was legendary in the wine biz and I coresponded with him from time to time with questions about issues or personalities. Joe was always very giving with his knowlege and opinions and I will certainly miss his insight and input.

Will miss Joe's musings. Did not know his history but sorry to hear that the last years of his life were not pleasant. I'll lift a whole bottle to him this weekend.

Hi all, I'm a "rookie" in this NG, but over the years I've enjoyed Joe's informative, humorous and sometime strange postings. I never met him but I'll miss him. :-( Wherever he is, I hope he can enjoy some fine wine.

Dick R.

thanks for the info, Bill (I saw your posts recently, didn't realize it was an AFW veteran, recognize the name). If you hear of a place we could make a donation in his memory, some cause(veterans?) that meant something to him, I'd appreciate you posting.

Did his brother die? When I met him first time, he had a brother that lived in NY.

RIP, Joe. Never met you, but you were always one of the more thought- provoking members of this bunch. I don't have anything fancy to raise to your memory, so I hope you are OK with locally-made Calvaresi Baco Noir, a fun little pizza/pasta wine.

Dan-O (remembering Joe each time I get a funny e-mail)