Hello.
It’s been a long time since I’ve sat down to write for my old friend Wine Woman & Song.
It’s been so long, it feels new again.
Which is where I want it to be.
The Google beast punishes the sin of inconsistency.
You must turn up, and act the right way. If you want to get in.
Writing, especially about wine, became a social charade. Like standing in cold midnight rain outside a club trying to crack a smile from the bouncer. Maybe they will take pity on the mascara running down your face.
Then again, why not go around the back? There we find the door wide open. Now that’s a way more fun way to get in to a club.
That’s how I felt when I first wrote this blog.
A night out. An adventure. Fun.
Where is the fun?
Friends and family are always shocked to hear I ever have a bad day at work.
But you work in wine? Isn’t that supposed to be fun?
And yet what I see is very different. Not just today. But my whole time working in wine. I find most people who work live with a level of maudlin.
It’s a combination of tiny tastings of alcohol with excel spreadsheets and the constant damp smell of cardboard boxes. Tiny margins. Good tastes. Disappointments.
Where is the pleasure?
I think about pleasure quite a lot in my work day.
And I make nothing from writing here. Nada. But I value the freedom. The space. There’s other ways to make money from writing but writing a journal on an unaffiliated WordPress is not it.
The party is over there.
Don’t look here.It’s on Instagram and TikTok. It’s fun but after a while, I find watching people dance boring. Or more to the point, striving to dance. The whole world is manically dancing like a malfunctioning robot with a rictus grins.
There is no benefit for me to write this other than to write this. I think that is exactly where I want it to be. Who will continue reading? Who still reads this? I might as well send out missives to the void.
I will wait and listen.
Back to pleasure (and wine)
What is the difference between pleasure and desire?
That may sound strange. But after working in wine for 20 years, hear me out:
I know there is pleasure in the great wines, and I’m lucky to have experienced more than my fair share. But was it the wine, or was it the company?
What is pleasure is the act of sharing in the wine together. At the table. With friends. Especially with people who appreciate the special glints and hints you find in wines.
This is what is left in the remote world. I look into the future. I want it. I desire it. Or do I?Like a long-distance lover, it’s without context, without everyday shitty reality. It’s better to keep it as a beautiful idea rather than messy real life. I don’t want to put down the toilet seat.
I have talked about wine all day for decades. Where do I feel pleasure in wine? When I’m on holidays.
The languid days, the long lunches, exploring new wines and food. The lack of pressure apart from the warm rock behind your back and the tide coming in.
My desire is for a holiday. A good book, and some wine. And if I am lucky, some pleasure to share the experience with friends.
And you?
Today’s featured wine is fun and highly desirable, anytime:
