What Wine, What Wine?
There’s white and there’s sparkling,
And something pink called a ‘rose’,
And many red wines as well,
What should I choose today?
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Even though at my age, I am now not able to tolerate the amount of wine I used to be able to enjoy, I still love to have the opportunity and take the time to discover and enjoy a new wine. When I moved to this beautiful wine producing area a couple of years ago, I feel blessed to have been offered the opportunity to help out at a local winery from time to time as a wine tasting host. Right away I then had to 'up my game' in the world of all things wine. Today, I am delighted to have grown and experienced so much more now since I stepped into the local wine industry here.
As part of this new learning curve I think back to the days when I used to have such a narrow focus with regards to my general knowledge of wines, and I certainly had a rather narrow and uneducated palate when it came to tasting wine. It is almost embarrassing to admit that I stuck to that limited world, ordering mostly the same white wine for years, and, almost 90% of the time, ordering and sipping only a Chardonnay. I stuck to the same labels, often from the same wine regions, and often kept myself to a reasonably narrow price point. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy fabulous sparkling wines, roses, and champagnes now and then during celebratory moments over the years. I adore sipping on a good bubbly! I think its effervescence seems to translate to such good vibes and fun times with friends and family! Don't you?
Since I started working in a winery, I put a tremendous effort in and studied a lot, and I tasted and learned not only from the winery that I worked in, but all the local wineries around this fabulous wine-producing area. I can see at least 3 vineyards out my window right where I live... and there are a dozen more within a few kilometers from my home.
I continue to enjoy and learn about all things wine, even though I can no longer drink copious amount of it, because my system lets me know I can't! (Sigh!) However, I can certainly enjoy an outing to do a tasting or two, or break out from time to time and buy a new bottle of wine that I haven't yet tried.
Today I'd like to share with you a poem I wrote some time ago, back when my knowledge and tastebuds were still rather raw and unsophisticated. Just like the card games I regularly like to play, I know the learning curve never ends, everything, pretty much, just improves with time and age...
What Wine, What Wine?
What wine, what wine,
What wine should I drink?
So many, many choices,
I can hardly process and think.
There’s white and there’s sparkling,
And something pink called a ‘rose’,
And many red wines as well,
What should I choose today?
Do I search through the labels,
And see what looks interesting on the shelf?
Do I head for a specific country?
It’s tough to choose by myself!
Do I just buy local?
Or from some place far away?
I know that I’m hankering,
To make a good wine choice today.
It is probably best,
That I get some help over here,
One thing is for certain,
I like my wines over beer!
“Tell me, nice sales rep,
What do you think?
Can you help me find,
Something perfect to drink?”
“Well, what do you like?”
She asks me, with a smile,
“Do you want something sweet,
Or possibly, something more dry?”
“Do you like things that are fruity,
Maybe fresh and light in its taste?
Or something heavier and more bold,
You’ll sip for a while not in haste?”
“Are you just going to sip,
With light appies and friends?
Or dine with a hardy meal,
With many flavours and blends?”
“And what will you spend,
As we check what is here?
What is in your budget?
What will you pay for your cheer?”
“I can tell you what’s popular,
I can tell you what sells,
But your tastes are unique,
With lots of choices on the shelves.”
“Why not do a tasting,
That’s the best way to test,
To see what tickles your fancy,
To see what you like the best.”
“Because what really is important,
Is what you like to drink,
It certainly matters not,
What I really think.”
“You might just have to decide,
To try one or two today,
Buy one and then come back to test others,
On a completely different day.”
“I am sure you will find,
Something you’ll like to drink,
It’s simply a learning curve and a process,
As mind and taste buds get in sync.”
By Lise Parton
* photo courtesy of Manuel Torres Garcia on unsplash
