There are some things in life that make me ridiculously happy, among them: snow, dogs (particularly my dog), and a good glass of red wine. Today was full of a few of my favorite things.
I’m one of the rare breed of humans who genuinely likes snow. Loves it, actually. I wake up early in the morning and jump out of bed and open the blinds, desperately hoping I have a snow day. It’s pathetic.
As a dog owner, I’ve learned to appreciate snow in an entirely different way. My dog (a Shepherd-Retriever mix) loves the snow as much as I do, especially going for long walks in it. But the way she leaps through it makes you wish you were eight years old again and could enjoy it just as much as she is. Do you remember what that was like as a kid? Man, snow kicks ass.
But here’s the thing. As much as I love snow, and my dog loves snow, and I love walking in snow… I have zero interest in participating in massive crowds of adults throwing snowballs at each other.
After several long walks in the snow today, I enjoyed a bottle of red wine. Here’s a secret about me: I’m impatient. Even though I know the wine will be infinitely better if I let it sit and breath, I rarely have the patience to do so. So imagine my luck when I opened a bottle today and got distracted by something for the next hour and a half. Man, was that an awesome bottle of wine (if you’re curious: 2008 Five Rivers California Pinot Noir from www.wine.com).
At a typical DC dinner party in December, a wine snob quizzed me mercilessly about the wine I drink. What grape do you prefer? What wineries have you visited? Don’t you despise the local whites? Then, when I admitted I prefer pinot noirs, she clucked her tongue in disappointment and told me that choosing that red was like choosing to drink regular coffee instead of a latte (apparently that proves I’m a Neanderthal). Look, I have friends who are happy to spend hours pouring over wine reviews and learning about the acidity of soil compounds and the difference it made in that 2006 versus 2003 Chardonnay — it’s fun for them. But as I’ve already told you, I’m impatient. Teach me while we drink and I’ll be happy. I believe in life long learning, I swear! But please, don’t make me listen to you explain about tannins and the importance of holding the wine on your tongue before I can enjoy it. Please? Also, if you want people to continue to invite them to their dinner parties, chill out.
Smile. Sip. Enjoy. It’s wine!
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