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It’s special to you

We humans have a way of minimizing things. Is it just being Minnesota Nice or is it something else?

For example, I enjoy having conversations with people about wine. I like the way their eyes light up when we talk about the beverage and in the many encounters, I’ve noticed something quite interesting.

Many folks don’t believe they are wine lovers.

Maybe it’s because the wine snobs of the world have conditioned us to believe they have all the knowledge, answers and love of wine and the rest of us are just…customers. Maybe that’s being a bit harsh on the so-called wine professionals and I take nothing away from their expertise but don’t tell me I/you don’t know a special wine.

In my numerous talks with folks and when I ask them what wine they like, they’ll say they enjoy a Moscato or a Riesling. When I ask them why they like their special wine, they’ll often tell me it’s because it reminds them of a special someone, a special place or time.

Recently, I had such an experience while giving a blind wine tasting demonstration to a local service club. I’d brought two white wines (Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay) and two red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir) to the event and during the tasting, I asked each of the participants to tell what they tasted and if they could identify the wine they were tasting.

Their answers ranged from full bodied, to cherry tastes, to bland and honestly some simple said they don’t drink much wine and couldn’t taste anything but…wine! Well, that’s a starting point!

However, one fellow took a sip of wine, smiled, sipped again and his smile got even broader. I asked him what was happening and I’ll never forget his answer nor his look of contentment.

He answered: “A long time ago I had dinner in an Italian restaurant and it was there I tasted my first Pinot Grigio. The spaghetti was delicious, the company — well, let’s just say we spent a lot of time together — but the wine was special.” I asked him why it was special.

He replied: “Because now whenever I taste a Pinot Grigio, it takes me back to that Italian restaurant and my companion — they were terrific times. This wine I’m tasting is a Pinot Grigio and it’s special to me.”

So, I ask you. Is that fellow a wine lover?

In Minnesota talk, you bet’cha!

If you find a wine you enjoy and it becomes your go-to wine, you are a wine lover. It doesn’t have to have a high recommendation from a wine snob because it’s your wine and you love it — that makes you a wine lover.

However, a caveat — just because you enjoy a certain wine, don’t think everyone should enjoy it, too. That sounds simple but sometimes we get caught up in the excitement of our special wine and we want everyone else to love it as much as we do. That doesn’t always happen so temper your love for that special wine with a splatter of common sense!

A couple of days ago I was enjoying a glass of Painted Prairie’s Frontenac Reserve but my dinner companion wasn’t as enamored with it as I was. That’s alright — I poured her a glass of Barton & Guestier Vouvray Chenin Blanc and we were both in our happy place. The Frontenac reminds me of a beautiful vineyard and the Vouvray reminds both of us of the many good times we’ve had together. We are wine lovers.

But back to my service club fellow — the Pinot Grigio lover.

As I was getting ready to leave the meeting, he came up to me and thanked me for the special memory. I gently told the fellow I had nothing to do with bringing back his memory — it was the wine. It was his special wine that brought back a beautiful memory and although he hadn’t consumed the wine for a long time, the wine hadn’t forgotten him.

That makes him a wine lover. Thus, if there is a wine you like to drink, that makes you a wine lover.

Good for you — let’s talk!

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!

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