Once In A Lifetime

View from Melnik Castle 45 minutes outside Prague of the junction
 of the Voltava and Melnik Rivers--an area which has
been producing wine for the past 800 years

I love wine for many reasons, but perhaps most importantly, I love wine because of the memories I associate with particular wines. When I buy a wine at a winery that I have visited or when I buy a wine that I tasted at a special event, I’m buying it as much for the opportunity to relive the experience as because I liked the wine itself. 

Whenever I drink Roederer Estate Brut sparkling wine (a real deal at $20), it takes me back to my wedding.  Whenever I drink Ravenswood Vintner’s Cuvee Zinfandel (another bargain at $10-12), I fondly remember the weekly “girls nights” I had in San Francisco with my school friends, dining on salad and talking about the challenges of transitioning from school to the real world.

Wine can transport you to back to past places and times. I was never so aware of this as during the recent Christmas holidays, which fortunately for me included an extra-special wine excursion.  In this month’s column, I wanted to share with you my experience, in hopes that it will inspire you to seek out unique wine-tasting experiences of your own.