Good Morning!

Why do I drink wine? This was the question I was ask by my neighbor kid. He is 8 and was begging for something to drink and I am sure to him it looked similar to Kool-aid. He was hopping all over the patio begging his mama to give him a taste, after he took a healthy swig, he said why would you drink that? He spit out the mouthful and I went inside to get him a Popsicle to cleanse his baby taste buds and also, keep him busy while his mom and I are chatting about the national debt ceiling.

Later that night, I had taken my patio back and I was thinking of the little guy and is question. The first time I had wine or alcohol for that matter, I did not like it and I started on “sweet” wines and how did I get on the dry wine? Is wine even refreshing? My head was spinning and I thought I better write out my thoughts and see if I was crazy or not…the verdict is still out on my sanity.

I thought, most people drink to quench a thirst, water during a workout, a icy lemonade after mowing the yard, Gatorade when you are trying to restore the vitamins and anything else that your body had burned through. I don’t find my lovely dry wines to be particularly thirst quenching. But, I will say on a warm day a light, chilled wine can be quite refreshing, but if the alcohol by volume is higher than you expect, it is not really going to make you say awwwww.

If I don’t drink wine to refresh, then I might do it for recreation, But I don’t drink to get hammered. Though, I have been known to have a glass or two too many; but that’s not the main purpose. So, do I drink it to unwind, maybe…Life can certainly be challenging and I can say wine does make me rethink my own drama, but that is still not it. I drink wine because it is like a great friend who stops by and when you open the door you connect instantly. It is like a favorite song, when you are driving down the road and it is the first great sunny day of the season and your “jam” starts and you are grinning and singing along without a care in the world. Wine is like the wonderful aromas coming from your Grandma’s kitchen on the holidays, wine is like when you hear little kids giggle or you see a really clumsy puppy.

It is one of life’s surprises that just makes you smile and enjoy the journey. Not to say wine is simple…seriously wine is all about chemistry, fermentation, soil, weather, area of the world it was grown, wine making techniques and a million other factors that make this amazing drink what it is in the glass.

When I thought of what wine is to my world…Wine is that piece of art you found that no one else has. For me I have an original Supreme’s concert poster from 1963 and I had matted about 20 years ago, if my house was burning, I would grab my family albums and Diana Ross. It might not be worth a dime but I love it. Never have I lived in a place where I did not see this art everyday. This piece tells me I am home.

I have ranted about this subject long enough, wine means something different to everyone and to me it is just a part of me, like my DNA, my religious beliefs and my family. It makes anything I do better….from housework to reading, to washing the car, to hanging with friends, wine makes everyday experience even richer, it’s like having a really loyal dog who will always be in the room with you and sometimes sits on your lap or sometimes he hangs out across the room, but he is always right there.

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi