Non-Rant: Family, Friends, Wine & Food

Though it is Monday, this is going to be a glorious week so I don't have a Rant in me. Instead, I just want to emphasize one aspect of wine drinking which is deserving of far more attention than it may receive. It's fine to read a wine review, to learn the history of a grape, to understand the life of the winemaker, and similar such items. However, when it comes down to it, nothing tops sharing wine with friends and family.

For example, last week, I spent the day with Adam, of Wine Zag, and his lovely wife, Liz, at their summer house on Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. We drank wine (from an Alsatian white blend to a fine white Burgundy), ate some delicious grilled foods (plus Liz's excellent potatoes), and just had a great time together. It was the experience which elevated everything we drank and ate, just being together with such good friends.

This week will also be special, and it will be the family and friends that I spend time with which will make the drinking and dining experiences even better. And I am sure that is the same way it is with most people, that our food & drink experiences are so much better when shared.

Starting on Thursday, I will be attending Readercon, a convention devoted to imaginative literature, such as science fiction, fantasy and horror. I will get to meet writers in person that I have previously known only online. I will get to share meals and drinks with these writers, and those experiences will be even better because it is with cool new friends, like Zachary Jernigan and Wesley Chu.

On Saturday, I am having a festive birthday party, for a milestone birthday, with plenty of wine, beer, homemade Sangria and plenty of food (though my official birthday is on Friday). What will make it most memorable though will be all my friends who will be there to share my special day. Though the food and drinks will be good, it will be the friends and those memories which will remain with me the longest. And that is how it should be.

Don't fret over selecting the wine so much. Instead, fret more over who you will share the wine with, which of your friends or family will best elevate the experience for you. That is the most important thing to know about wine.