Wine As A Circumstantial Drink

Now what? Circumstantial drink? What's up with that!

Have you ever been disappointed by wine you spent more than you really wanted to, thinking it would be fantastic? Or, and, unfortunately, it you're like me, this happens with less frequency; you grab a low priced bottle of wine and it is up there with some of the better wines you've ever tasted?

There's a couple things to consider here: first, under what circumstances the wine was acquired and then, what were the circumstances when you drank the wine?

Wine is unique in that it is appreciated/enjoyed more or less, depending on the circumstances it is acquired and/or consumed. In other words, you can drink the best wine under bad circumstances and its not going to be very good, memorable. Conversely, consume just about any wine with a loved one in a fun, upbeat, situation and, chances are, it will be better than a wine you pay much more for.

Other beverages taste pretty much the same no matter when you drink them or where they come from.

We've found that if there are special, unique circumstances about your wine, the flavor of that wine will be affected. We will always enjoy Beringer's Alluvium Blanc because of the private room tasting we had at the Napa Valley Beringer Estate or any of Robert Keenan's great wines will always stand out on a menu or wine shop shelf because of our vineyard lunch there.

This is one of the best things you will bring back from the wine country; that is, a good feeling or great about particular wines that will allow you to enjoy them more than you would have otherwise. This, unique circumstances surrounding your acquisition and/or introduction to the wine, is "circumstantial enhancement of the wine for you and those enjoying it with you. The difference in picking up a bottle of BV at the wine shop and tasting a few vintages at the BV winery is really a quantum leap in ultimate appreciation/enjoyment of the wine.

We've been to the tasting rooms and toured many of the wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and elsewhere in the world wide wine country. Those that we can pick up a bottle of and tell a little story about while we pour it for our friends are those that we favor, naturally. And, enjoying a bottle of Gallo of Sonoma, 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, at sunset on a seaside balcony will bring those memories flooding back whenever you taste that same flavor and make that wine always taste better than other Cabernet's of the same vintage.

The point here is to remember the wines you acquired uniquely, i.e. at the winery, recommended by a friend or associate, given as a gift and tell that story when you serve it. It will make that a special wine. Also, when you have a great time and wine is there with you, recalling that label and vintage, later, whenever you drink that wine, you'll remember those pleasant circumstances. This is probably wine's most important asset; that is, enjoyment of it by association of past circumstances under which you drank it. It isn't likely you'll recall what you were doing the last time you had a Diet Coke.

Make your enjoyment of wine a matter of the circumstances associated with it. For you to really appreciate all the levels and nuances of wine, it should be a circumstantial drink, otherwise, stick to beer.