PIs are real people too: stem cell edition

If you're looking for a simple unbiased recap of Wednesday night's wine-tasting, look no further than your trusty DMS bulletin. NRS, however, has the real analysis (we give you what the people want), as a result of an exclusive (albeit randomized) invitation to this event. We will not be providing wine lists here. For that, look to Mr. Dandy and the always-by-his-side-small-black-leather-notebook-with-an-attached-elastic. Want to know years (I hear 2005 was a good one. Or was that 2006?), regions, or food pairings? Mr. D has got you covered. We, on the other hand, will divulge the secrets to becoming a combination HHMI stem cell scientist AND a wine aficionado.

How does a bumbling scientist become a refined wine expert? Why, by going on "a speaking tour of Europe after graduate school." We'll pencil that in. Especially since, "science is great because you get to travel around so much!"

How should scientists practice the art of wine-tasting closer to home? By belong to an organized group of "professionals" who taste wine, preferably in a blind manner. Also, by going attending Saturday afternoon tastings a la pub crawl, "4 or 5 wine shops and by the end of the afternoon, I'll have tasted 30 wines!" This is especially necessarily if you are a combination scientist-clinical fellow of some sort.

If a scientist wants to drink more wine but isn't HHMI or into stem cells, so is therefore poor, how should he/she budget the stipend? By buying a cheap car (Toyota Corollas are highly recommended, we hear) but then making a "cellar" out of your basement, consisting of rare wines (help me out here, Mr. D) from the 1950s. Because, "there's something about drinking a $4000/bottle wine from a $150 glass."

Learn the proper head shaking to tasting: "It's like mouthwash!"

Learn some European languages for when Mr. Dandy asks for your opinion on recent wine "trends," questions consisting of >50% of words that are not English.

Very important tip: what ethnic group should you beware of when tasting wine? Obviously, the one with certain polymorphisms in ALDH because they/we become "cheap dates."

Now go get "soft" on 16oz of 8 highly recommended wines: we'll be oenophile/iPS cell generators before you know it! How potent is your wine? pluri or multi?