DEAR READER,
Thank you for the warm wishes following my initial post; it brings a tear to my eye. As a wine expert, I’m honored to inspire the next generation of drinkers, growers, and lovers (of wine, I mean!).
This week, I’ve selected a question that’ll give us some perspective:
“I’ve purchased a well preserved bottle of wine from 1913 Spain, and I can’t bring myself to open it. I mean, it’s practically a relic! Have you ever had this kind of trouble?” – Maria
Maria—you do understand a corkscrew is required, right?
Just kidding. I empathize completely. You feel as though you’re betraying the patience of past generations. I’ve been there myself, and I’ve reached some conclusions.
This may surprise you, but the man who bottled that wine cares less about it than you. Were that not the case—he would’ve consumed it in 1914 or 1915. He created that wine, then forgot about it completely. In fact, my money says that the bottle was only discovered in his attic when his grandchildren searched for valuables, just after his funeral service.
See, there are individuals that bottle wine—then those who truly appreciate it. They bottled it so well-cultured people—like Maria and Sommelier Ferdinand—can indulge. And, if you think your palate is stronger than the next person’s, then it would only make sense for you to enjoy this wine!
If you’re like me, your years were used meticulously developing a multi-layered palette that can truly comprehend this 1913. Other folks—like the grape farmer in 1913—probably spent his days on momentary pleasures, like “raising a family” or “growing old with ‘loved’ ones”. Yours truly, on the other hand, understood what it meant to work towards something—that is how you find true satisfaction in your life (I certainly have! Without doubt!).
Your kids will grow up, their kids will have kids, and their kidskifidkdfbfsdoudfnsgnblahblahblah… at the end of the day, it’s just more dirty diapers! But me: my enjoyment grows every day alongside my taste buds. No regrets from me—I’ve traveled the world and drank the best wines along the way.
Trust me, Maria: real satisfaction is when you look at the bottom of a 1913 bottle and say, “Nobody but me could’ve drank this”. As for the next generation of family-birthers—they can have the light beer.
In summary, my dear Reader: if you won’t open up that bottle—send it my way!
– Sommelier Ferdinand.
(This has been a rather airy post, wouldn’t you say? Next week, I’ll have a full-bodied story for you. About my eye-opening stint in Tuscany, circa 1986.)
In the meantime, if you don’t think your palate could handle the history, why not involve yourself in a quality, century-in-the-making IBO: Quinta Do Vallada – ABF 1888. www.altiwineexchange.com/ibo/