Question: Is it me or does red taste better in the winter and white in the summer?

Answer: For me, and understand tastes are different for each person, but red tastes much better or should I say tastes almost ”warming” in the winter and white is almost “refreshing” in the summer. Ok maybe no surprise to many of you and a bit of a ”well, duh” moment.

But why does this matter to me?

Many years ago I never knew one thing about wine. I actually disliked it with a passion. One day, I chose to let go of these firm beliefs and allows myself to be open to tasting wine and seeing if maybe there was one I would enjoy.

Till that point, I had only known the ”wedding wine” that was served on each of the tables and varied from almost ”concord grape wine” to some sparkly white beverage that resembled wine. In my early 20s, I wondered what all these mature adults saw in this grape juice in a plastic glass. “No thank you!”

I can’t remember when exactly I allowed myself to let go of my beliefs, but I remembered suddenly finding a glass I enjoyed. I think that first glass was a shiraz and may have been the Little Penguin brand. Finally, I said, something that tastes a little fuller, has some smoothness to it, and went well with my food. That first moment that your taste buds appreciate the blending of wine and food is heaven. I both suddenly felt like a real adult (funny that) and reacquainted myself with my taste buds.

Today, after a few wine tasting courses and events, I can tell you which grape and blend I enjoy the most, generally know which countries are better for certain grapes and blends (or at least which ones I prefer), can tell you which wines go with what kind of food, and can walk into a wine store and not be completely intimidated.

Bliss Reflection #12

I would not call myself even close to an expert, but I have gone from ”no way” to appreciating the comfort a nice glass of full bodied Shiraz in the winter to enjoying my favourite Sauvignon Blanc as I sit by the backyard fire in the summer. So as predictable as the change in season, I tend to switch between red and white as the seasons change. I may even find white unappealing in winter, and red far too warm in the summer.

But I think my joy comes from the reawakening of the taste buds. Even better, I think wine was the first adult thing I did where I didn’t use it to “get drunk” – I wanted to learn more about this thing called wine.

I wanted to know how these were made, who made them, what the heck is a chardonnay, how to pair these with foods, and on and on and on. Wine was my first hobby where I allowed my curiosity to keep going and allowed myself to explore.

I went on a hunt to discover what wine was ”me”. (You could this was part of me discovering myself but I will leave that deep of analysis to the professionals). And I finally found not just one type of wine, but a few grapes that I enjoy! Shiraz, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon tend to be my “go to”. Chardonnay, and Malbec not so much. And then there are those ”blends” that are a safe bet when you just want to sit and sip the wine by itself.

I have visited several vineyards including in Sonoma Valley, France, Ontario and British Columbia (my favourite vineyard there is Quail’s Gate) and have tasted hundreds of wines over many years, I have allowed myself to be open and to try new things that got me out of my comfort zone. I allowed myself to express myself and not limit myself or my curiosity. There is a lot of joy in feeding that curiosity! Lots of fantastic memories with friends, food and travel…all around wine. (My friends and I may have also organized some fun ”galas” around it…and more on that in later blogs.)

And not till I wrote this post did I realize that the joy of wine was also being amidst nature and marvelling about how nature knows to do all of this. The scenery, the fresh air, the colours and the sunshine – all come together around this glass of wine. And maybe the ability to wander and just take it all in does a soul some good. So how often do you let yourself wander?

Bliss Finds and Facts

• Wanting to know more about wine? Many cities offer wine tasting courses (for folks who have never sipped a glass they liked to folks who want a deeper understanding about how they are produced). I’ve done them a few times and each time I learn more. For some basics, I found a good website called the Wine Folly.
• If you want to know more about Quails Gate – a wine I drink for some guilty pleasure – check out info about Kelowna, British Columbia and also the vineyard itself.