Back on October 1st, the weather turned cool. It was the beginning of fall and I was all t0 happy to get away from the HEAT! With fall comes full bodied red and white wines and I was soooo ready. Then I saw it; ALL the wine I had in my wine fridge, wine cabinet and refrigerator. I had a total of 60 bottles of wine, in my two bedroom apartment. I could not believe it! I did not realize that I had acquired all of this wine and the crazy part was I had no idea, what kind of wine I had. It all starts with me going to a tasting and picking up a couple of bottles that I like, going into a wine store and having a friend recommend a great bottle or eating out and having a great glass, which I then go out and buy. I was a little bit stunned. So, I made a decision, I was not going to purchase anymore wine to have at home for the entire month of October. I had to get through some of the wine I had, before I could start buying some wonderful fall wines. There were caveats, I could still receive my wine club wines, go to tastings, purchase wine at restaurants and wine needed for dinner parties. Here’s the funny thing, I found myself going to tastings and drinking wine that I never had before, only to find that when I got home, there was a bottle in my wine collection! It was crazy. I had no idea why I was holding on to so much wine. Then it hit me; I was waiting on people, that’s right; people. Wine is not just about the living thing it the bottle, it is about the experience, the people you share the bottle with, what you are eating, where you are physically and mentally. It is all about the experience. During the month I found myself talking more and more to the distributors and wine makers and I was hearing the same thing I was thinking. I was waiting for an experience, not focusing on the fact that every time I opened a bottle it was an experience. I was taking a breath after a long day at work, opening a bottle while I was talking to a loved one on the phone, having a glass when I had no idea what to say on our blog on Facebook or twitter, enjoying a glass or two while watching Scandal or a movie. These are all experiences for me and even though they are more often that not, those that I have alone, they are still enjoyable experiences. So through my wine collection clean out journey, I learned about myself and more about what I like when it comes to wine. I learned that I enjoy my time alone just as much as I enjoy spending time with the people that I love. I learned that I love big reds with savory qualities and those with pronounced fruit. I learned that I love obscure white wines, specifically those from Austria! I love, love, love tasting new wines and love the comfort and familiarity of a Barolo. The pictures above are a sampling of the wines I enjoyed during my 30 day wine buying hiatus.
The moral of the story is, stop waiting for a special occasions or unique experiences. The special occasion or unique experience is when you open the bottle, take a breath and enjoy.
Cheers
Leave A Comment