How not to get free wine

Friday is Wine Club around these parts and for February we are featuring Cabernet.? It just so happens that there has been this talk all over town about a new vintner opening up “shop.”? Funny thing is his first wine out of the barrel is Cabernet.? Despite the fact that this Cab is not from Paso Robles (our chosen region) nor 2006 (our chosen vintage) we decided that it would be fun to throw it into the mix.? The trusty husband made an appointment with the vintner, Phillip Cotes, to purchase 6 bottles of his wine.? Phillip’s cellar is in the basement of an old building on 21st Street in Tacoma.? Our appointment was for 5:00 and we arrived a little early.? We saw Phillip arrive and gave him time to set up shop.? We entered the door to the stairs and here is where things went terribly wrong.

First (not uncommon) we took the child with us.? We’ve taken the child into many a beer and wine shop without incident.? Second, Phillip’s cellar is situated at the bottom of a very steep set of stairs.? Tricky for this woman in 2″ heels.? Even more so for a short 4 year old who can’t quite reach the handrail.

Derek went down first and reminded the boy to use the hand rail.? I followed the child.? In the blink of an eye I watched my small child tumble ass over tea kettle down about 10 stairs.? Litterally.? The child went head first, flipped over and over again landing face down at his father’s feet.? Derek picked up the now stunned and wounded child.? I have no clue how I got to the bottom of such a flight of stairs in 2″ heels but before I knew it I was there with my husband saying, “he split his lip.”? Well shit.

Lucky for us there was a small powder room downstairs and a chair in the little foyer area.? I grabbed the boy and upon further inspection (and sopping up of blood) we noticed that his lip wasn’t split open, but rather his upper gums.? And we all know how head wounds bleed.

Phillip asked if there was anything he could do.? We hadn’t even introduced ourselves and I was horribly embarrased.? I feel for the guy.? Here are 2 strangers come to buy his wine and their kid falls down the stairs.? How do you react to that?? Like a true gentleman.? He offered to run over to the pub across the street and get some ice.? The boy screamed NO!? If I had been a little quicker on the uptake I would have said, “no, but you can run over and grab me a shot of Vodka.”? However, I had other things on my mind like my screaming bleeding child.

Derek and I finally agreed that he should call the doc’s office to find out if we should bring him in.? Of course the child does nothing but associate the doctor with needles so that wigged him out even more.? Here I am left alone in the basement of a strange building with a wounded child and a stranger while my husband calls the doc.? I think I handled it pretty well.? Hell, the child mustered up enough strength to let me carry him into Phillip’s cellar to see the big pink barrels and he even gave us a demonstration of how bottles are corked.? Had he not just taken a header down a flight of stairs the boy would have loved that.? I thought it was pretty cool.

In the end the doc suggested we bring in the child to get him checked out.? We didn’t get a chance to chat with Phillip, but will do so (hopefully) Friday when we actually get around to buying the wine.? In the mean time he sent us away with a free bottle of Pont 21.

Word on the child:? He’s fine.? No stitches needed.? He has a nasty bruised gum line and no loose teeth.? I’m calling the dentist tomorrow for a follow-up.? We gave him a milkshake and oatmeal for dinner and let him watch Horton Hears a Who and didn’t make him brush his teeth.? We’ll see if he throws himself down a flight of stairs in the future to receive the same treatment.