Santa made his list and checked it twice. Now, it’s time for the rest of us to make our annual list — of New Year’s Resolutions — and try to stick to them through the entire… month of January.
(Through the years, I’ve learned that it’s best to set reasonable goals!)
The wonderful world of wine is so wide ranging and dynamic that there is no shortage of potential resolutions available. I’ve made my share and, amazingly, managed to keep a fair number of them.
For 2014, I’d like to suggest three potential resolutions for wine lovers. Go through the list and select one — just one — that you believe you’d have a reasonable chance of keeping. Here’s the deal: Since these resolutions involve wine, how painful could they be to keep?
On behalf of all of us at the wine clubs of Vinesse, I’d like to wish you a happy and healthful new year — filled with wonderful wine experiences. Perhaps… one of these:
1. Resolve to attend a wine dinner.
Most large cities and many smaller ones are home to restaurants that occasionally host dinners focused on a single wine estate or perhaps a specific wine-producing country. In some cases, they’ll even bring in a winemaker to talk about his or her bottlings. But even without a “special guest,” a wine dinner can provide not only an evening of culinary entertainment, but also the motivation to try new and different food-and-wine pairings on your own.
2. Resolve to try a wine variety you’ve never had before.
In the wine world, the initials “A.B.C.” have come to stand for “Anything But Chardonnay,” or “Anything But Cabernet.” We love Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but they are only two of literally dozens of varieties that are widely available for people to enjoy. Make 2014 the year that you drink Chardonnay and Cabernet on a regular basis, but also expand your horizons by embracing the “A.B.C.” philosophy.
3. Resolve to visit “wine country.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Napa Valley or Sonoma County, which are California’s two most famous wine touring regions. Today, there is no state in the United States that does not have a winery — and that includes Alaska and Hawaii — which means that “wine country” may be closer than you think.
