DEAR READER,
Let’s get down to it!
Dear Sommelier Ferdinand,
I respect your point of view, but I must ask: don’t you think worshipping wines is partaking too mightily in the past? Wouldn’t you rather create your own memories than indulge in nostalgia?
-Ethan
Ethan, thank you for your letter. My editor told I’m obligated to thank all who write in—but to you, I mean it heartfelt. I get your question a lot, and it’s something I should hammer home again. I don’t see any contradictions in my beliefs; but in yours, I do see an aversion to history.
To me, the famed Sommelier Ferdinand, nostalgia is a pointless exercise. To waste time in the past, desperately chasing old feelings… that’s no way to live, Ethan. And it’s good that you recognize that much. Rewatching television shows, rereading books for the umpteenth time… it only leads to worn VHS tapes and crinkly old texts.
Nostalgia has diminishing returns. And that is precisely why I work in wine. I do not work in repetition, Ethan! I work in aged nuance. I shall repeat that again: were I a Coca Cola critic, or a Budweiser enthusiast—that’d be a different story!
But me—but wine—is new! Old wine is new wine. Has it been in a bottle for a while?—sure! But it is a unique, curated scoop of a terroir so fresh, so vivid, that it may as well be around you. Like virtual related in your mouth! Plus, the buzz can be sorta nice…
Sipping wine—a truly beautiful wine—is to walk through a museum, find the richest watercolor, and taste it.
Like this sweet, Portuguese red by Quinta Do Vallado. This long-awaited wine, the ‘Adelaide’, is a light, youthful blend of fruity notes. Brush strokes of cherries, tones of blueberries, patched with careful touches of vanilla—harvested from the rare vines of Portugal. These vines are a fruitful piece of history and have been working in the marvelous terraces located along the tributaries of the Douro River. In fact, these grape vines have been a part of the Quinta Do Vallado brand for generations. The family-owned company was founded in 1716, if you can believe that. Trade secrets run along a family tree and get harvested from the vine—you tell me that’s not touching!
You see—this isn’t a Mars company factory, pumping out peanut, pretzel and mini M&Ms, Ethan. Those candies are great for scooping by the handful—but the crisp, exceedingly rare Adelaide (Watch our Youtube Video here), is a stunning, curated gem. And it doesn’t last forever, Ethan. It is quite valuable indeed.