For a wine drinker there are times, places and wines associated with both that make up our Wine Experiences. Perhaps it’s a little over dramatic, but I’ll accept that critique. I think anyone who really enjoys wine and thinks about what it is they’re sipping from their stemware can probably share an experience… when, where and with whom they enjoyed an amazing bottle of vino. Wine is like that… no, actually I should clarify: Wine is exactly that- all of that.
I often refer to wine as more than a slightly alcoholic drink but until now I don’t know if I’ve ever quite went so far as to say that wine is an experience. An experience, after all, isn’t one thing. An experience is a collection of things. An experience is about time, place, feelings, sensations, emotion, people and activity. An experience goes well beyond things that are wholly tangible. As does wine.
I write this shortly after 9 days with boots on the ground in Oregon and Washington Wine Country. The trip, our second wine focused journey of the year, started with two days in northern Oregon visiting some of the great Pinot producers of the Northwest. We followed that short stint with 7 days in Washington – starting in Walla Walla and ending in Yakima. As such trips tend to be – it was wonderful! We tasted and toured and talked. We met many wonderful people with a singular mission: making wine – no, making experiences. Each of them spoke of their wines with matter of factness, sharing the “information” about the wines, talking of the vineyards and the barrels, the blending and the ageing, suggesting food pairings and speaking of what one should taste. All of this was the making wine portion of their mission. But lurking deeper in their discussion and the words they chose was the experience. It shown in their eyes and the corners of their mouths as they smiled a more-than-commercial smile. Each of them has had a wine experience. I’d bet on it. What else would drive them to this work? From the owners, winemakers, tasting room help, cellar masters, vineyard managers, tour guides and office staff. They’ve chosen the wine “industry” – or perhaps it chose them. This can be said about many occupations, but I’m starting to think it runs deeper when it involves a wine experience.
The trip was amazing – an experience in itself. During the trip we underwent several wine experiences and perhaps I’ll be bringing them to you within these pages. But the point to this post is not to rant about my wine experiences, but to inject a lingering thought to your wine psyche: relish your wine experiences… if you can’t name them off the top of your head- seek them out. Do something with someone somewhere and open a great bottle of wine or two. Make it intimate or make it a huge affair and make it more with the right bottle of wine. Lock the physical with the ethereal and your memory to your sensory. Like food, a bottle of wine will enhance all else. In addition, think about the wine and what it represents- not just you and your companions at that time and place you’re consuming it, but all those who strived to make the wine what it is… and the place from where it was produced… and the weather of the year… and the year itself. It is people, place and time in a bottle… being shared by people at a place and time. All of which will be remembered and discussed as one of your great wine experiences.
Until next time… keep thinking and drinking!
Ron
