Why Wine

Why Wine
by Michael Topol

I have never really enjoyed drinking alcohol (even if I sometimes indulge), but ever since I can remember, I have always enjoyed drinking a good glass of wine. Growing up, I always associated wine with family. Family holidays, family celebrations, large family dinners. At each of these occasions, my grandfather and father would produce numerous bottles of great wines (mostly old world then). As a child, I wasnt allowed to sit at the grown-ups table (I still dont), but I was allowed to have a little bit of wine. Although not as sweet as grapefruit juice, I very much enjoyed the complexity and the taste of wine, even then. As I got older, I started to earn responsibilities - first pouring the wine, then learning to open the wine, and finally, I earned the high honor of being selected for the "special trips" down to the wine cellar where we selected the chosen bottles to be drunk.

In the process, I learned to love wine, white, red, different grapes and regions, even the history associated with the wines, and grew to appreciate the hard work that went into making each bottle of wine. While definitely not an expert, I enjoyed trying to discern the different types of wine and guess at the subtle (or bold) flavors that I tasted,. Even more than that, I loved the passion that the great wines elicited, and how you remembered those wines, both for their innate value and for their ability to bring back the memories of the occasions celebrated. More than anything, wine means family, something important and special, and a way to make great connections over subtle issues. Why wine? Why not.