All of us see the big “trees” of life but, how often do we notice the “leaves” of life? We see the tall trees and, naturally, we now see the colors of the leaves but when’s the last time you actually picked up a fallen leaf and studied it?

The leaf tells the story of the tree.

Growing up on the farm, both of my parents urged me to see the little things of life. The reason? Because if one sees the little things, you’ll see more of life and appreciate our environment even more.

When wine came into my story, it was befuddling. Sure it was easy to memorize the big names of wine — Mondavi, Blue Nun, Beringer, Louis M Martini among many others — but so what? Do the names tell the story of the wine? Well, yes and no…

We know marketing is important in selling any product and it’s that way in the wine industry. Big names attract people because their popularity generates income that allows the maker to make a diverse price line of wines. However, I soon discovered the story of the wine in the fine print.

The origin of a wine is important information to know because it’ll tell you what to expect when you pull the cork or twist the cap off the bottle. The country tells you if the wine is Old World or New World in origin and that somewhat informs you of the history of the product. Whereas the country and the state — it’s the “tree” — tells you a bit about the wine, the wine region is critical to fully understanding the wine — it’s the “leaf” of the wine.

Look at the bottle carefully and you’ll notice the wine region or even the city location of the vineyard. Look at a map and you’ll know if it’s a warm climate, cool climate or a combination and that ‘leaf’ of information will immediately tell you what to expect from the wine.

Another important piece of information is the wine’s alcohol by volume (ABV) content. This “leaf” tells you where the wine taste is situated on the taste spectrum — from sweet to dry. The higher the ABV will normally mean a dryer wine with its tannins and firm finish. The lower the ABV, the sweeter the wine with its lovely soft sweetness and pleasing finish.

Let’s say we pick out a bottle of Barton & Guestier Beaujolais — it’s the “tree.” So, is the wine made from Beaujolais grapes? No, Beaujolais is the wine region in France that produces Beaujolais but the wine is made from the Gamay grape — the “leaf.” By the way, this is a nice pleasing wine and it seems to enjoy making you comfortable with its soft cherry flavor and medium tasting finish.

Corbett Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon is easy to read on the wine’s label — it’s the “tree.” But, upon further investigation of the label, one discovers the grapes are sourced from Chile — the “leaf.” Corbett Canyon is located in California and they think enough of the South American grape to have it brought to them for making this very nice wine. Purchased in a box, the wine stays fresh for over five weeks, is less expensive than the same quantity in bottles and is enough of a Cabernet Sauvignon to satisfy anyone.

Segura Vindas Cava from Spain is a wonderfully fizzy sparkling wine with subtle tastes of stone fruit. But then as you hold the “tree” bottle, you notice the “leaf” word — Brut. What? This wines a brute? No, not a brute but a Brut! Brut equals dry and this fine Spanish wine is so delicious to see, smell, taste and swallow you’ll think of it for your next big celebration. It’s a winner!

I enjoy having a cup of coffee at a neighborhood coffee house patio. One can sit in the shade of trees that line the area and, yes, I’d look at the tree and think it’s nice to have them shade me but…

Then I noticed the leaves turning yellowish and within the leaves there are bunches of little red berries hanging on the branches. It was the first time I saw the ‘leaf” rather than just the “tree” and the colors made me forget about my coffee — just for a minute or so!

When walking with my family, I always tell them to see the blade of grass and not just the yard of grass. Sitting under those trees with my coffee I finally took my own advice.

Let’s not miss the “leaves” in our life during the “tree” journey of life. Next time as you pass a tree, stop, pick up a leaf from the ground under the tree and spend sometime with it. Right now there are getting to be more and more opportunities for such study as our trees shed their leaves.

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

Cheers!