There are things that we take for granted during our day. For instance, talking!

I know! I know! Many of us would be shaking our heads and arguing that we don’t take talking for granted but…

What if, you had never heard a voice while you were growing up? What if, you never had the verbal guidance of your parents, teachers and your life’s experiences? What if, you couldn’t talk? Life would be just a little bit different, wouldn’t it?

We talk all of our lives, and unless we screw up a sentence, we are just, well, talking. No big deal, right? What about all the other things in our lives that talk to us and we don’t pay attention to them?

I visited Talking Waters Brewing (Montevideo) one day and wondered why the brewery was named Talking Waters. During a discussion, it became clear there was an honoring of the Native American’s ability to listen to the talking waters of the Minnesota River.

As I sipped the breweries very nice Farmers Tan cream ale, the beer talked to me about many things. First it was telling me about the importance of the river — both from a heritage and a present day perspective. It was also talking to me about its low hops and sweet malt. And, finally, it was talking to me about its name — Farmers Tan. For those of us who grew up or are growing up now on a farm, we know what a farmer’s tan is, right? No more needs to be said — do you see how much talking that one little beer did to me?

But, and this is big, you must listen to the talking!

Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday, we were able to spend time with family in Minneapolis. It was a greatly appreciated time: so many delicious foods to sample (In full transparency, I did a touch more than just sample some of those outstanding culinary delights.), so many interesting and tasty wines and beers to sample (They were all pressed upon me — I am completely innocent!) and so many good conversations filled with … talk!

Any opportunity I get to listen to the voices of our children, I grab it. And I did a lot of grabbing last week! We played many word games and we tried to beat each other to name a descriptive phrase, and again, in all transparency, I believe everyone in the family is smarter than I am. Isn’t there an old phrase that goes something like, “self recognition is the beginning of wisdom?” Well, I sipped a glass of Shooting Star Pinot Noir and kept trying to salve my ego by saying I will be wise one day. Ha!

Shooting Star Pinot Noir is a very fine wine from the north coast of California. It tried to make me feel better with its medium body, light cherry and fig tastes. Thank you Shooting Star for trying…

Our talking continued into the night and began the very next morning. We talked about so many subjects — it was good to hear those voices and how they have such good adult perspectives. They make us very proud of them. And then, the cork was popped from a bottle of Slovenian bubbly named Kobal Penina Rumeni Muskat. I’d never tasted a Slovenian bubbly and I listened to it as I sipped it. It told me about its soft melon and peach flavors and didn’t forget to mention the outstanding minerality of the liquid. Such a treat!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about wines, it is to listen to them. I enjoy a wine that talks in the background of my experiences, and in doing so, increases the pleasure of the moment. Like any conversation, the wine has a first word — its first taste. Then, it fills you with the body of the discussion, and finally it stops talking in the finish flavors.

It’s a learning and pleasurable experiences if you listen to it talk to you.

The family’s final meal (That almost sounds not good, doesn’t it? But, I think you know what I am talking about, right?) included a glass of Béton Oregon Red Blend Wine.

The wine told me about the many wines in its blend — from Cabernet Franc to a Syrah — and I enjoyed the red berry tastes with a touch of some pepper. We had a good discussion.

I keep thinking about those Native Americans who sat by the Minnesota River and listened to it. What did they hear? I expect the full gamut of nature.

When’s the last time you sat in nature and carried on a conversation with it…as you talked with your favorite wine in hand?

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

Cheers!