Once upon a time, I learned the value of a good laugh.

My maternal grandfather was a character. I say that with all affection for him because he taught me the importance of laughter. He was hard of hearing, had lost a leg and was the victim of a heart attack. He couldn’t hear without his hearing aid, he couldn’t move without his wheel chair and he was very challenged in other areas. But…he could laugh!

And, laugh he did — that’s what I most remember about him. He made me laugh at things around him and he could find humor in everything. Being a little kid, I would ask him why he laughed at so many things and he replied because it’s better than being bitter about things. That philosophy raised its head recently during a doctor’s visit.

I was at the doc’s for a checkup and I had a very nice chat with the nurse just before the doctor came into the room. I asked the nurse to tell me the story of a turtle tattoo she had on her arm and we had a lot of fun talking about her adventures. Then, the doc entered the room.

Before I go further with this, I want to give a huge shout out for all of our health care people — they are saints among many sinners!

Back to the doc — he entered the room and noted this was my second visit with him. He asked me to sit on the table and, as I stood, I looked directly into his eyes and said I would only follow his commands if he had been behaving himself since our last visit. Behind his mask and at first, his eyes grew two sizes and then noting the grinning crinkles around my eyes, he bowed his head and said he would have to leave the room because of his past behavior. The entire staff broke out in deep belly laughter and the stage was set for the rest of my visit.

We did the necessary business along with an ongoing humorous exchange about the Navy, hockey and wine. It’s amazing what one discovers through laughter!

As the nurses came in and out of the room, we carried on a conversation about our favorite wines. One nurse was relatively new to Minnesota and asked for some recommendations on Minnesota wines — I suggested she began with a nice Marquette and a cool La Crescent. Another nurse asked me if I was familiar with Meiomi wines.

Oh yes, I know them. She was nice enough to recommend I try Meiomi’s Pinot Noir and, following my visit, I just happened to go by the local wine store — amazing coincidence! There I found a bottle of that Pinot Noir and later enjoyed reflecting on my doctor’s visit and the uplifting conversation.

I enjoyed the bit of aging taste in the Meiomi wine and the fine balance of cherry and nuttiness — a very pleasant way to end the day.

Another nurse had suggested I try Happy Camper Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately, it’s not distributed here but one day, I’ll find it and relive that belly laughter filled time at the doc’s office. In the meantime, I’ll savor the taste of Meiomi Chardonnay – such a nice pairing of two California counties ( Santa Barbara and Monterey ) Chardonnay grapes leading to an easy sipping and elegant wine.

Another nice wine I’ve recently tasted is an Italian Merlot. We don’t see a lot of Italian Merlots and it was good to see a bottle of Candoni Merlot from the Veneto region of Italy. Besides having a very ancient looking label – think Roman times -, the wine was nicely medium bodied with a terrific light cherry taste. The finish was there and, then, gone – nice and dry. A pleasure to consume and it made me chuckle as it tickled my fancy for Italy.

Another wine that makes me smile every time I encounter it is Donausonne Blaufränkisch from Hungary. It’s hearty with a nice tart aroma, lots of sweet fruit tastes but yet a good clean finish. I like these wines from Hungary and, to repeat, smile every time I see and taste them. I think you will, too!

You know, I could go on for quite a bit about these wines that tickle me but I’m going back to the doc’s office.

In no way did we disrespect each other during the business at hand. We just enjoyed each others company during our time together. At first, the doc was a bit surprised but he jumped on the fun bandwagon and I think we’ll always share a laugh – no matter the circumstance. Again, it’s amazing where we can find laughter.

Maybe it’s because laughter is good medicine for any situation – sometimes, it’s hard to laugh but I firmly believe it’s always there trying its best to help us through life.

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

Cheers!