An unexpected development . . .

It was in my fortieth year that I discovered (seemingly from nowhere) my passion for wine. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that I discovered my passion for the culture of wine. Lisa and I had carried on both of our families’ traditions of zero alcohol for our twenty years of marriage (a tradition for which I am still thankful, even though our personal choices have changed).

We celebrated our twentieth anniversary with an extended trip to Italy, the first half of which was spent exploring Florence . . . consuming the art and architecture, dining under the incredible Tuscan skies, wandering the cobblestone streets, picnicking in the famed Boboli Gardens (where picnicking is supposedly disallowed) . . . and the second half of which was spent in a cooking school housed in a thousand year old Tuscan “castello” from which we discovered the hill towns and picturesque villages more incredible than we had ever imagined.

We learned many things on that trip about Italian art, Renaissance history, and Tuscan cooking. We also learned that in Italy, wine was not a commodity or a “recreational beverage,” but a way of life. I was entranced by the entire experience . . . the idea that, despite significant technological advances, the same basic processes have been part of winemaking for thousands of years.

My preconceptions were challenged while wandering through the vineyards of Italy, visiting with the local producers, and finding them to be anything BUT the pretentious, egotistical snobs I had always imagined wine people to be. These folks were hard working farmers whose generations-old connection to the land was palpable.

Not only did I have to correct my thinking about the producers, but the drinkers of wine as well. Despite the fact that wine was consumed with every meal and also as a social activity, I don’t believe on that trip (or in any of our subsequent trips to Europe) I encountered a single person whom I would describe as “drunk.” Any intoxication at all was only evident in the congenial conversation and warm hospitality of the Italians (which I would later discover to be true of the French, as well).

After being introduced to the complex sensory (vision, smell, taste) and social (long, slow dinners with incredible conversation and camaraderie) experience that was wine on that trip, it was clear that both Lisa and I would be adding wine (in moderation) to our dining experiences back in the United States.

Since two of our kids were still at home at the time, we continued to maintain our alcohol-free home, deciding that we’d rather wait until they were old enough to decide on their own approach to wine before confusing them by making an “about face” in our home. So for the next few years, all of our enjoyment of wine was reserved for travel and time away from home.

Because we were living in California at the time, our initial foray into domestic wines was, naturally, in Napa Valley. After moving back to Texas, we felt obligated to at least “check out” the Texas wine culture, so just before our last daughter graduated from high school, we visited the Hill Country for the “Wine and Wildflower” tour. As we stopped at winery after winery, we’d discover a wine that we liked and we buy a couple of bottles. At the end of the weekend, after visiting several Texas wineries, I discovered that we had packed the car with five cases of wine!

And so began our “collecting.” Over the next few years, we’d visit Italy again, covering several wine regions in that most enchanting of wine countries. We’d also visit Croatia, Greece, Turkey, and (of course) France. In all of these countries we’d find wines to be appreciated, bringing home what we could carry or ship. In fact, returning from France, a couple of years ago, we had thirty bottles in our luggage! But that’s a story for another time . . .

Much of our wine we have shared with friends and family, which is a major part of our enjoyment. Through the years, our collection has evolved. For example, Texas wines only make up a small percentage when once the entire collection was from Texas!

Our total bottle count hovers around 150 depending on how much we’ve been entertaining or what new bottle has caught my eye somewhere. Many of our bottles we’ve had for some time. We don’t drink them as frequently as you might imagine. And none of them are terribly expensive. In fact, my favorite “go to” wine (of which I always have a couple of bottles on hand) is an $8 wine available at Costco.

Since we’ve spent the last six months or so in a sort of “limbo,” I’ve been separated from my collection. Last week, when we moved into our new place thirty stories above downtown Dallas, I enjoyed unpacking most of my bottles and racking them in our apartment. As I was unpacking each bottle, I was reminded that each and every one of them represents a story. And that’s the fun part.

I’m really not a wine snob. I don’t spend a lot of money on wine. In fact, I LOVE to find a wine that Lisa and I and our friends enjoy at a really low price. But what I really love is the stories.

And so, I decided to start writing them. Partly because I’m getting older and might forget them. Partly because I like telling them. Mainly because they’re just good stories. Some better (more eloquent) than others, it’s true. But all good. And some even have pictures!

I’ll be sharing them here from time to time. Probably at the rate of one every week or so. Nobody may ever read them but me. But that’s okay. The joy is in the telling. And if you’re ever at my table, you’ll probably hear them anyway.