As I look back over this week and forward to the weekend, I reflect on how wine has made my life better. It started last weekend by reading several books on wine and philosophy and making me think about how wine fulfills all five human senses. I have always been curious about which senses are the most important and how they effect our enjoyment of life in general and wine in particular. (Separate blog on this to follow.)
Then Monday after work, I met with a work colleague and client at deVine, one of my favorite wine bars and restaurants. They client had asked a favor and I was glad to help him out which was why I brought my other colleague along. Then after that meeting, my colleague and I caught up on his project status and a few other things. And upon leaving, I saw another contact who is a Partner at a Big Four advisory firm, waved and later that evening received an email from him asking to meet to discuss a large project we may consider doing between his firm and mine. In 90 minutes, that was quite a good amount of business to get accomplished made more enjoyable by a good glass of wine!
I did not drink wine Tuesday or Wednesday as we were going to a Riedel wine glass masterclass Thursday evening which would include tasting, and then out for a big birthday lunch on Friday at our favorite restaurant in The Hunter Valley, Bistro Molines, where we would be drinking some of my wife's very favorites wines.
Both the Reidel masterclass and lunch were brilliant and among two of the finest events I have ever enjoyed. Georg Riedel, 10th generation glass maker took us through a brilliant dissertation and tasting on the pleasure of drinking different varieties from different types of glasses and the very noticeable difference in taste and pleasure involved. I have written on this previously (in total in about seven different posts as I am so impressed with Riedel glassware and their impact on improving the wine drinking experience) and will certainly do so again in the very near future! Georg also discussed how the shape of the glass effects our smell and taste senses and reinforced what I had been studying over the previous weekend. It was an amazing two hours spent with a master in like company and was both educational and entertaining.
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| Birthday wines at Bistro Molines |
We then drove this morning to our place in The Hunter Valley and went to Bistro Molines for my wife's birthday lunch. A pure delight and treasure! As usual, the food and service were impeccable and the wines we drank (too much of!) were my wife's favorites and truly outstanding. I will be writing a review on the dessert wine, the 2006 Chateau Rieussec very soon. And while Bistro Molines certainly has fine glassware, including Riedel to serve from, I was insistent on bringing our own Shiraz and Montrachet Riedel glasses to make sure the wine was served as perfectly as it could be.
And now onto the remainder of our four-day weekend in The Hunter Valley. I will be reading on wine, writing on wine (I have about 15 ideas for posts and I want to build up an inventory for the next month as I will be otherwise quite busy and it is always good to have a number of posts in reserve), studying a wine appreciation and tasting course and of course, drinking wine.
While my life does not revolve around wine, it certainly is enhanced because of it! Wine helps me with business, friendship, and fuels my thirst for continuous learning.
Steve Shipley
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