Sitting on the shelf in the wine store, two bottles of wine were having an intense conversation.

The red wine believed it was a better wine because of its strength, deep red color and hefty spicy taste.

The rosé countered it was a better wine because its color was soothing, its aroma was soft and its finish was so satisfyingly crisp and thirst quenching.

The red — getting more and more red-faced –shouted back that its complexity beat the heck out of the other weakling wine.

The rosé — getting more and more excited — replied it would be happy to go toe-to-toe with the red at anytime and prove it was better than the over-hyped red.

The heated debate continued until the red called the rosé a loser and a sad excuse for a wine and, the rosé screamed that the red was a completely narcissistic and ego inflated blow hard.

The argument took a time out at that point.

A human being entered the wine store seeking a couple bottles of wine for an upcoming dinner party and, in his search, came upon the two bottles of contesting wines. After many hot and humid days, he was looking for a wine to sooth his discomfort and a wine that would be refreshing to his guests.

He liked his usual red wine and, also noticed the enticing bottle of rosé across the aisle. Why not get a bottle of both wines and see how they paired with his planned dinner?

So he bought a bottle of each wine and soon they were all going home. He noticed some clinking of the wine bottles and thought that maybe the store clerk should have put the two bottles in separate bags. If only he knew that the clinking was a continuation of the argument between the two bottles of wine.

Upon arriving at the man’s residence, the rosé was placed in the refrigerator to cool and the red was placed on a shelf to rest. Both bottles immediately felt at home.

It wasn’t long before the guests began to arrive and the party to began. The man took the rosé out of the fridge and placed it on the table beside the rested red. Almost immediately, the argument began again.

“Everyone will adore my superior color,” boasted the red. The rosé — its patience chilled — retorted, “My nuanced beauty is superior to you any day!”

The red — getting redder and hotter with each passing minute — fired back that it came from a better part of California than did the inferior rosé. Not to be outdone, the rosé released a stream of invectives toward the red’s home place and ended its tirade by stating how its homeplace was situated by the shining sea and majestic mountains — a brotherhood unknown anywhere else in the world.

Meanwhile, the guests were seated at the table and the host pulled the corks from the two bottles of wine. What followed completely caught the two wines by surprise.

Among the smiling guests, there were words of friendship and admiration — words that soon found their way into the descriptions of the two wines and something began to be noticed by the wines.

The sipping guests talked about the attributes of both wines and didn’t delve into negativity. There was talk about how the red named — OVR, Old Vine Red Lot Number 67 — was noticeably earthy and spicy. All the guests sampled both wines and even the white wine lovers, found something pleasing in the OVR.

The host explained OVR is made primarily from Zinfandel grapes with a smattering of Petite Sirah and Syrah grapes that come from old vines in California. The wine is produced to honor the long tradition of red wine making in the state and, with its luscious full mouth feel and honest dry finish, the guests fully admired the red.

Their attention then went to the Dark Horse Rosé and, since it had been sitting open for awhile, it was at the correct temperature to taste. As the guests sipped it, they were taken to its slight watermelon taste and everyone enjoyed the wine’s slightly sweet, yet, crisp finish. Listening to the guests comment positively about each wine, the two wines began to realize “something.”

That “something” was their shared commonness — a similarity that can be recognized in the midst of a heated conversation when we stop to realize how similar we are in our differences.

As the dinner ended and the bottles were emptied, the memory of the wine’s taste stayed with the guests as they bid the host a fond adieu. They praised him for providing such good and tasty wines.

Later that evening, the host, who had bought two more bottles of the same wines, set them together on the shelf. It was peacefully quiet as the two wines enjoyed the presence of each other.

Next week, what is character?

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

Cheers!