A dark horse Chilean sauvignon blanc won the most votes at the 11th annual International Wines for Oysters Competition at the Old Ebbitt Grill Monday night, but what many will remember most is that they witnessed one man save another man’s life.

The victim, Ronald Kessler of Potomac, a best-selling nonfiction author and chief Washington correspondent for the right-of-center NewsMax.com, fell to the floor from his barstool with no apparent warning while chatting with the judges after the competition. Dr. Michael Apstein, a gastroenterologist and James Beard-nominated wine writer from Boston, was standing nearby and jumped to his aid.

Dr. Apstein checked Kessler’s vitals and began performing chest thumps and mouth-to-mouth on him right there on the cold, white tile floor of the bar while waiting for the emergency response team to arrive. Kessler miraculously came to after a few minutes, and the ambulance took him away on a stretcher with surprisingly little disruption in the noisy and crowded restaurant.

A visibly shaken Apstein later said Kessler appeard to have experienced “sudden death,” i.e. his heart stopped. Had it not been for the resuscitation, he would not have survived, Apstein said. Kessler was admitted to George Washington Hospital and is reportedly recovering.

UPDATE: Kessler left the hospital Tuesday after experiencing vasovagal syncope, when blood rushes to the feet after too much drinking, causing the heart to slow. Kessler attributed it to taking his judging duties too seriously. Next time, he said, he will spit like the professionals!

Kessler filed this article on a post-election Bush today. Good thing specialty docs maintain their basic skills!