With great gusto and energetic enthusiasm, I have contributed to the growth and success of the wine industry because I enjoy meeting friends for a drink (or bottle) of wine. It’s a duty I willing accept as part of my mission to help stimulate the economy. I should receive a plaque from the local Chambers of Commerce, but a case of wine would be better.
My mother often shared a pot of Maxwell House coffee with her friends, and she would spatter the table with matching china and dainty napkins. A really special friend would be offered pastel mints in a crystal bowl. They would sip their drinks, share meatloaf recipes, and murmur about how the music of The Beatles came straight from Satan. I observed these rituals with a sense of wonder and confusion and never was offered any pastel mints.
I didn’t have time for morning coffee klatches when I was juggling young children and a career. Home-brewed coffee in a travel mug got me to work and the habit sustained me for several decades. Life got better with age and then the kids got older, I no longer worked full-time, and I discovered that no, I wasn’t Super Woman, and I’d rather lift a wine glass than a briefcase. Who knew? I’d been climbing the corporate ladder in heels when I should have been sashaying in perky sandals to meet friends at the nearest wine bar.
One benefit of being this old is that I have friends who range in age from their twenties to their seventies. We meet for a glass of wine to celebrate important events, such as if the sun came up again. Instead of swapping stories about meatloaf recipes we analyze a variety of topics from modern literature to midlife libido. Next week I have six appointments to meet different friends, including a 35-year-old with two small children and several jobs, a 40-year-old divorced woman with a court victory, a 50-year-old with teenagers and her own business, and a 59-year-old friend I’ve known since 1968. Another one is a bleeding-heart liberal and the other one thinks the president is the anti-christ. Still, we meet, share laughs, clink our wine glasses, and order another round. And, as I remember from the Maxwell House commercials, it’s always good to the last drop.
Today’s blog was fueled by a bottle of 2009 Ferrari-Carnano Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley. This tasty wine offers tastes of black cherry, mocha, vanilla bean and caramel. It’s about $28 and worth sharing with a special friend. No pastel mints required.
