Have you ever sung while walking through rain?

Yes, I know it’s winter in the North Country, but to ensure you’re not thinking about me in a questionable way, it did rain here about 10 days ago. OK, moving on…

Let’s try this question. Does music influence your choice of spirit, beer or wine? Take your time before answering that query, and ponder your imbibing sessions.

I ask these questions because of a recent experience after a long day of meetings followed by a long walk. I poured a glass of Giesen Sauvingnon Blance — a wonderful wine from New Zealand –and began to listen to some Brandi Carlile instrumental music. I enjoy her music because it makes me think, feel and relax. However, there was something wrong. The wine’s nice acidic citrus flavors were pleasing, but they didn’t match what I was hearing.

And then,the revelation hit me! The wine didn’t match the mood of the music.

I switched to a Dark Horse Merlot, and, bingo! The pleasure tasted in the wine’s soft cherry taste was matched with the soft pleasure I heard in the music.

Now, I don’t pretend to be the first person to ever pair music and wine, but I did unexpectedly learned another lesson in life. That lesson? One’s mood, music and the liquid you’re sipping go hand in hand.

Well, I thought, let’s continue this research. I brought up Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” to see if the Italian composer’s music would send me to Italy for a bottle of wine. It did. It so happens there was an open bottle of Bolla Valpolicella sitting on my shelf, and the spicy black cherry flavors matched the classical music’s four seasons — the quiet of summer, the beauty of fall, the harshness of winter and the sigh of relief of spring.

The following day I continued my research. I brought up Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” My nodding head and tapping feet told me to grab an IPA. Enter Fulton’s Sweet Child of Vine — a marvelous Imperial Pale Ale. When I first tasted this ale, I was hooked on the pleasing balance between the ale’s hops and malts. I think Metallica would agree — maybe?

I must continue my studies by making a Manhattan and learning what music that cocktail calls me to listen to. It should be interesting.

We humans are complex animals. We can be so intelligent and so ignorant. We can love and hate at the same time. We can laugh and cry in the same moment. We can be very social, yet very private. We can hear and taste things for a long time and not realize how intertwined the elements of life are. Yes, complex and interesting — guess that should always give us hope.

I urge you to listen to what your taste buds are telling you, and you might discover “Nothing Else Matters!”

By the way, if you’ve never sung in the rain, try it the next time you are walking through a gentle rain. I think you’ll be amazed at what you discover.

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

Cheers!