A little wine with that physics?

Photos: Donna Hernandez

A little wine with that physics?

Friends and colleagues of particle physicist Bill Wisniewski know him as a wine connoisseur. When Wisniewski announced that he was stepping down from the BaBar experiment's management team, it only made sense that his farewell party would feature his favorite beverage–but with a distinctly BaBarian spin.

Wisniewski's enthusiasm for wine began 30 years ago, when he moved to California to work at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Two or three times per week, he would meet with colleagues over wine and cheese to discuss the construction and commissioning of the MARK III particle detector. Wisniewski became the resident wine expert. Later, working on the BaBar experiment at SLAC, he was often asked to select wines for off-site collaboration meetings. He estimates that his personal wine collection has held as many as 1000 bottles at a time.

As his farewell party approached, fellow BaBar scientists casually asked Wisniewski what his favorite international wines were and began scouring their home countries for highly prized bottles. When the big day arrived, Wisniewski says he was surprised and genuinely touched to receive wines originating from most of the 12 countries represented in the collaboration. Guests sipped whites from Europe, Asia, and North America, and reds from the Middle East and Europe.

A few bottles were bestowed on Wisniewski for his personal collection, including a bottle of Chateau Rayas 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve. It was from the last vintage made by the winery's founder, obtained after an extensive search by a BaBar member in France.

Wisniewski says the wine is famous because its details can change from season to season, yet it never seems to have a bad year–qualities it obtains from the many different grapes that go into it. He plans to drink it on his 65th birthday.

Calla Cofield