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Lorenzo Accomasso, Commandatore of the Italian Republic, is a celebrity who enjoys wine. Accomasso, at 89 years old, is a celebrity in the same manner that J.D. Salinger was a literary celebrity: despite himself. Accamasso, a loner, is famed for opposing all types of fashion and, having withstood all fads impacting winemaking in the Langhe, has continued to make wine the same manner he has since he was a young man.Or so we think. Walter Speller, the chief critic of Italian wine for jancisrobinson.com, has met Accomasso several times and writes: "It is difficult to learn anything about Accomasso, not least because he does not allow anyone to see his cellar." There's nothing like a little mystery to spark interest.I'd never tried Accomasso wines. I am not sure if they are even available for purchase in Canada. An internet search indicates that they are not. But I was familiar with Accomasso because I had seen him featured in chef and winemaker Joe Bastianich's 2014 documentary film Barolo Boys and heard him speak on top New York City sommelier Levi Dalton's podcast I'll Drink to That. Here was an opportunity to try what I had seen and heard. I would not be the first or last person to select a wine based on this type of mediated information.

I placed my order to our server, but the wine was delivered by a young and attractive

sommelier. I regarded this as a positive indication. Had I had this wine before? No, I hadn't, but I knew about the manufacturer. He grinned and looked at me thoughtfully and kindly, making me feel as if the world had turned around and I was twenty years his junior. I was relieved to learn that I had made the right choice and that this was one of their last bottles.He was correct. The wine was great, but it was unlike any Dolcetto I'd had before or subsequently. It was more like an old Barolo, unusually full of tertiary or third-order flavors such as leather and smoke, but with a crystal pure crimson cherry accent that lingered. I would have been smugly pleased with myself for impressing Alec across from me, but after the first drink, all I could feel was humility and a desire for another bite.I was reminded of that glass of 2020 Dolcetto this week when another glass from the Langhe was placed in front of me at the end of a "master class" presentation at the annual Italian Trade Commission tasting in Toronto. This glass was likewise really nice. However, context is crucial with wine, and 11:30 a.m. at a desk in a row of wine trade colleagues isn't as spectacular as 10 p.m. in the piazza on a father-son trip to Northern Italy.

In any case, the 2018 Borgogno Barolo Cannubi was very wonderful and drank

exceptionally well for a rather young wine of this nature. Light but also deep; reminiscent of dark crimson berry, which the English may term "hedgerow." If I had an expense account on the piazza, it would have left a lasting memory, just as it did under much better lighting.The Borgogno was the sixth and final wine in a flight designed to demonstrate the concept of the master class, "Geographic Precision: Understanding Italy's Latest UGA's, MGA's, Contrada's, and Pieve's." Master Sommelier John Szabo delivered the presentation and chose the wines, deftly guiding his audience of several dozen wine professionals through the complexities of Italian wine label requirements. (Those familiar with Italian wine may not be surprised to learn that describing where a wine comes from in that nation is difficult to do on a label.)Cannubi is a well-known (among cork dorks) hill near Barolo, and wines from it have been celebrated for their superior quality since the nineteenth century. I'll save the story of my Maserati morning in Barolo for another column, but the 2018 Borgogno wine reminded me of the 2020 Accomasso Dolcetto because I recall looking out the backseat window of a speeding car on my way uphill from Alba to Vergne and catching a glimpse of the distinctive Borgogno typeface on a sign announcing their Cannubi vineyard. Oh, I thought I must be passing through Cannubi; now I know where it is.

That sign will serve as a touchstone and landmark for the wine for some time

and perhaps so will the seminar. The mediated idea of Commandatore Accomasso will serve as a touchstone and drive to seek out more of his wine, but the rawer memory of dinner with my son will take precedence moving forward.It's amusing that there are arguments over what can and cannot appear on a wine label when the true power of the words lies in the memories they evoke. May we all have many more nice moments across the table from family and friends. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information's (CIHI) National Health Expenditure Trends 2023, health spending in Canada remains characterized by the contradiction of simultaneous feast and famine. Total health spending in Canada is expected to reach $343.8 billion in 2023, a 2.8% increase from 2022. The pandemic's residual impacts contributed to an increase in hospital expenses of 11% in 2022 and 4% in 2023. Meanwhile, physician spending increased by about 10% in 2022 and nearly 7% in 2023. Health spending's expected share of GDP in 2023 is similar to the previous year, at around 12 percent, which is still higher than the pre-pandemic average of 11 percent.