In chatting with a close wine industry friend over dinner the other evening I found myself reminiscing upon my early days in the industry……. The excitement of the discovery of it all. The thrill of traipsing through the cellar of our winery before open hours, with the winemaker and oenologists and comparing barrel samples. Walking through the vineyards and discussing cover crops, pruning techniques, and picking off samples of grapes as we passed each lot, to test their sweetness while Chance the playful retriever bounded after the wild turkeys fluttering their way around the vineyards (huge pests wild turkeys just in case you wondered).
It was during those early days that I developed an enduring love….. not only for wine, but for the connection with the earth it reminds me of. For it’s simple, humble, agricultural roots yet also for the indulgent pleasure it brings in it’s maturity. For me the thing I loved most about wine, when I first started really loving wine, was how it awoke all of my senses and inspired in me a conversation, a story, a question…..and then after a glass or two, a complete surrender of all thought. Just a feeling of pure sensory enjoyment.
My nostalgia reminded me of how much the memories I attach to my wine experiences, give me almost as much pleasure as the actual experiences. I’d like to get back to the simplicity of those early days…to claim back that passion that I had. To make new memories.
Everyone has memories they associate with certain wines. The first time you drank a glass of wine that was truly spectacular? That great weekend spent in wine country? The wine you served at your wedding, or drank on an anniversary?
Would love to hear some of others’ memories.