It seems that lately there’s been a lot of talk about talking.

When the subject of talking comes up, it’s expected we are referring to the discourse between one person and another person, correct? Of course, in today’s environment, there are plenty of talking heads, but I wonder if talking doesn’t go much deeper than this wordy exchange between people.

Yes, we talk a lot with some folks but there are different kinds of “talking” that bind together the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of life.

A number of years ago I got introduced to Word of the Day from Dictionary.com. Everyday I get a Word of the Day and the etymology behind the word — Lord knows I can use both. Learning a new word — or being reminded of an old known word — is good for the mind and public discourse. It’s fun to use a new word when talking with someone but, as usually happens, the other person already knows the word, and I once again seek comfort in knowing another new word will be in my inbox tomorrow.

How do we bind together the afore-mentioned aspects of life by talking? Well, let me use a new word to demonstrate.

Recently, the Word of the Day was susurrous and it’s pronounced su-ser-ous. It has such nice hissing sounds to it and I was pleased to discover it meant something filled with whispering sounds. Oh, the imagination went wild coming up with things that are whispering to me during the day.

Yes, it’s enjoyable to talk with other people — that socializing is critical to our mental and physical well being. But isn’t it nice to just listen to a soft breeze whisper through the trees? Or, to listen to the soft whisper of a wave coming to shore? How about that soft whisper as a room full of people slowly brings their attention to the speaker?

Of course, there’s the whisper of wine, and nope, I haven’t lost it!

One of the reasons I like to socialize with friends over a glass of wine is to hear the whisper of the wine pour out of the bottle and then to listen as the wine talks to me. Again, nope, I haven’t lost it!

I can hear the skeptics saying to themselves something like this: “The person who hears wine talking to him/her has had too much of the stuff!” Not so…

Think about your favorite food for a minute. Is it pizza, steak, shrimp, chicken pot pie, apple pie or a chocolate bar? As you think about your special food item, what is it whispering to you? Maybe something like: “Come on! You know I’m your favorite food and I know you love eating me. Can you smell me? Come on — taste me!”

In a manner of speaking, your fave food it talking to you. So it is with wine.

I walked into Tall Grass Liquors the other day and “heard” an old friend whisper to me. I hadn’t tasted it for awhile so a bottle of Estanica Vineyards Pinot Noir found its way into my basket. The 2017 vintages were good and, as I picked up the bottle, I could mentally taste the whispering soft raspberry flavor of the wine and its very soft spicy finish. It’s good to talk with old friends.

But, suddenly I was caught up in the Chardonnay aisle and a bottle of Pomelo Chardonnay soon sat beside the Pinot Noir in my basket. The Pomelo talked to me via its label which pictures bright yellow lemons. Guess what the crisp and refreshing wine tastes like? It’s almost a tart lemon scent and taste — so glad it got my attention.

I’m always seeking to support our in-state wine industry and this time another old pal of mine was talking to me as I viewed the Minnesota wine shelves. Hinterland Vineyards is located by Clara City and it’s a beautiful site to visit. It doesn’t have a wine that’s not likeable but on this day, I was called to the vineyard’s La Crescent. I expect grapefruit and pineapple from a La Crescent and Hinterlands offering doesn’t disappoint me. It has a sharp crispness to it and is filled with citrus flavors and aromas. It’s not a whispering wine — it will talk out loud to you!

I like a Brianna wine. It’s one of Minnesota’s great north county varieties and I was pleased to receive a bottle of North Shore Winery’s Boundary Waters White Wine. Its base is Brianna and it exhibits the nice tastes of apples and pears one expects from the variety. The winery is located in Lutsen and I certainly recommend their wines. Who would expect a winery that far up the North Shore? Let this winery whisper to you constantly — you wouldn’t be disappointed.

Yes, these wines whisper to me and so, I sip them and let them susurrously talk to me. Talking is more than just spoken words. Talking is feeling, sensing, listening and responding.

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

Cheers!