Quick quiz: Which LAT columnist describes himself today as "both romantic and obsessive?" Why, it's bloggah-hata David Shaw, who in his 'Matters of Taste' food column, discusses the travails of stocking up on a particular vintage of wine he and his wife drink on their anniversary. Prices fluctuate:

I picked the '71 Barolo for our wedding lunch because Barolo is my favorite Italian wine and 1971 was a great vintage in Piemonte. On our wedding day, the wine cost $100...

The next year, when we went to Valentino to celebrate our first anniversary... [e]ureka - there it was... for "only" $75....

Over time... I managed to acquire a couple dozen of them, paying between $45 and $55 a bottle...

The auctioneer opened the bidding at $220, and I instantly stuck my paddle in the air. The bids whizzed by - "$240," "$260," "$280." At $300, I grit my teeth and stuck my paddle up again. Hah. "$320." "$350." "$380." "$400." $420." "$450." "Sold at $450" - and not to me...

What an emotional roller-coaster. Ultimately, Shaw is forced to switch to another vintage for his anniversary, and he tells us he now has 22 bottles of it "nestled comfortably in [his] cellar." House party at Shaw's this weekend!