What’s [really tasting] good?

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Lately, I have not felt the bug for writing any articles or stories for an assortment of reasons, but today I started getting the writing bug back. Though it wasn’t in regards to wine, for some reason I thought of a couple of unrelated things from the past two weeks and something came to me. 

The first was partaking in a Mark West Pinot Noir that Chef Al gave me for Christmas.  It was done in a truly traditional French style, which left me extremely lacking for flavor and body that I have come to expect from either New World styles (Oregon, Washington, South America) or more expensive French wines.  The second was an old friend asking me the question of whether she was good in bed, which prompted me to have a sit down with her versus being able to simply text back an answer.  The third was eating some chicken that was too spiced, not just by the combination of spices, but by the amount of spices used.  I also had a bottle of Kila Cava which was just entirely disappointing, but every other review of it I saw said just the opposite. 

What brought this altogether was watching the interview of Melissa Harris Perry on the Colbert Report, talking about her new book “Sister Citizen:  Shame, Stereotypes and Black Women in America.”  It’s probably that I felt the writing bug in regards to writing about the realities of being a man – you’d be surprised at what we truly deal with – but something else in the interview made me think of The Color Purple, and having a man just “do his business” without any enjoyment happening on behalf of the woman. 

And yes, this brings it altogether in the fact that just drinking a wine [that others rated highly] does not necessarily make the wine taste any better.  You see, I’m one of those men that can’t be fooled by a woman making all sorts of lustfully decadent noises, trying to stroke my ego, if she’s not enjoying it herself.  And if the wine is just doing its business as it tries to sate my palate but in turn it does nothing for me, then is it really good. 

But hold on, I know you’re thinking of my answer to the woman’s question, and it goes something like this:  Having a woman [or in reality her body] that you can turn and twist every which way, poke here and there, and release into does not make that other person a good lover, as it really is just you [and to some extent your creativity and imagination as well as whatever perceived pleasure that you get from actually doing the do with her] doing all of the work. It’s not her taking hold of you, and playing you like a fiddle, having you sing and hum some damned great tunes.  It’s just one-sided.  And as enjoying wine for the most part [for some of us] is like enjoying women, sometimes the look (the packaging, the face, the figure, the voice) has nothing to do with how satisfying it is to us. 

And there are a ton of people that would rally behind French wine and be it’s biggest cheerleader, simply because it is French and of all of the years of the idea that France is the king of wine and food the world over.  And at the same time, there are people that will simply believe that the sex that they are having is the best because they are in love, or the other person is so beautiful, or simply because they really haven’t enjoyed anything different. 

I chuckle when I am out in a restaurant, or somewhere buying wine, and someone that looks like they could make my toes curl swears by their White Zinfandel, or Moscato [the new thing in certain circles], or drink a sparkling wine, believe it’s Champagne and because of that, are now on cloud nine.  I laughed after drinking the Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir, which didn’t taste like Pinot Noir to me.  In fact, as it turns out, most of it wasn’t Pinot Noir, but if you read the reviews [and were easily beguiled] then you would have rationalized – meaning lied – to yourself that that’s what a quality Pinot Noir should taste like.   

On the flip side, I have come across some phenomenal wines that have been under ten dollars, or didn’t have the most attractive label, or in some cases were even in some sort of jug.  Correspondingly, some of the best lovers that I had did not fall into the category of being rated a ten, or having perfect bone structure and/or unblemished skin.  Some were older [and more beautiful in their wrinkles] and/or more experienced, like a great Amarone or aged tawny Port.  And some were wide in the hips and then some, bringing life the concept of full-bodied.  And some more were even more average looking, like that staid bottle with the label that doesn’t jump out to you, but still gives you quality and zest where it counts! 

People can tell you that one style of wine is the de facto standard of what a certain varietal should taste like, and that just might not suit your liking.  There is a reason why winemakers choose to blend different grapes together, or use different methods for aging and fermentation, or to even source grapes from different areas, and that is usually to produce a certain taste or to produce something that doesn’t taste like what other people are making. 

Anyway, it’s something to think about in the new year and maybe you should look at some Old Spice commercials on YouTube for understanding what I am saying.  Lastly, I have happened onto Gruet sparkling wines from of all places, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  They make a decent brut and a nice blanc de noirs.  I haven’t tried the demi-sec yet, though I gave a bottle to my mailman. 

Side note: 

I was watching the new season of Unsung which started with an episode on Vesta Williams. Several months ago, someone in a Facebook group that I belong to posted a video of hers to the song “Don’t Blow a Good Thing.” As I watched it, some of the old feelings that I had for her came back. I always thought that Vesta was beautiful, whether big or small. In fact, at one point in time when relationships weren’t panning out, my best friend suggested why not write her; what’s the worst that could happen? Well, I did and don’t know if she ever received it, but I actually included it in my first book. I have several of her albums and have to get the ones that I am missing. It was just surreal watching the story of her life, knowing that she passed not long after the initial filming and then wondering what would have happened had she got it and we actually met.

We can wait around for our dreams, or we can go and make an effort to achieve them. But while we wait for an answer, we still have to move forward with our own lives. While some people believe in the concept of soulmates, the reality is that there are perfect times for two people to meet and in most cases, that time is not recognized and taken, for one reason or another. In the end, if and when they meet, what once could have been just might not be because of what they each now bring to the merging.

Such if life.