We are almost done with January. How did that happen? Who knows! One thing I know for sure is that 2020 will be a great year for wine. More specifically, my relationship with it. So far, I have enjoyed wines from across France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy. Things have been grand! Exploring well rounded German reds and dry Tokaj has been eye opening. Not to mention, finding new grapes in France has been fun! Have you heard of sweet red wine? Neither had I! I’d recommend giving it a taste though, not bad. It’s these new discoveries alongside honing in on my faves, and assessing why they are my faves, that really excites me. The world of wine has it all going on. Fun for everyone ha! Thank goodness I have found my passion. Not only will 2020 feature a commitment to better wine habits, but I will also be actively studying the stuff. Fuck yeah!
Anyway, I just wanted to take a moment to lay out my wine intentions for 2020. As with any set of intentions, these tie into who I am (or want to be) and what is important to me. If you know me, you know I give a shit about magical moments. They are what I live for. This is where my wine intentions stem from. This is part of the reason why I am starting out in wine. I want to be grateful for each glass. To know that it is a gift for myself. As I write this I am enjoying a heavy Languedoc. You might be able to sense the 14% alcohol already #sorrynotsorry.
Here we go.
- Try something new. You never know. The next glass could end up being a new favourite. Before I moved to France I had no clue about Beaujolais. Now it is my wine spirit animal. I am one with Beaujolais ha.
- Learn the human story behind the wine. The who, where, when, what and why and… the how. This wine did not magically appear in my glass, but came from blood, sweat and tears. I may not be able to help with the process, but learning about it and sharing with other people spreads the word and hopefully the love. It might even make the wine taste better?
- Don’t be a wine dick. Y’all know I don’t like oaked chardonnay, sweet rose, or stuffy Bordeaux. They suck. However, I aim to keep an open mind. This year, I promise to never turn my nose up at any wine. I’ll try it all.
- Be a wine communicator. Hear me out, I know it sounds wankery. I hope to be the opposite! My intention is to share info, thoughts and questions with friends and family. I want to start conversations about wine and make people feel comfortable. By just having a chat about all things wine, I want to take away the BS.
- Have no shame. I know myself. I know when I am doing something bad. I know I am a good person. In 2020, I refuse to feel shame about loving wine. If people feel the need to judge my regular drinking, then that is on them. Drawing that boundary is a big deal for me. I am here one time, have to enjoy it.
- Learn, learn, learn. This year I am leaning in to my ignorance. This change in perspective means that my lack of wine knowledge will be used to my advantage. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the world of wine, I choose to embrace my thirst for knowledge. You know I mean it. Bring it on!
- Travel to and support wine regions. The wine community lives all over the world. I’ll try to visit ‘em all ha! Seriously though, supporting the wine industry wherever I go is a major goal for 2020. Whether it be France, Mudgee, Yarra or even Kent, I aim to get amongst local wine communities and to learn more about their beautiful products. Also, wine regions to all happen to be pretty darn lovely. The grapes have quality real estate. I’d love to visit!
- Last but not least, I am making a promise to myself to be engaged, present and grateful. It’s not an easy task, but someone has to do it.
Alright 2020, let’s do it x
Magical Moments. 