Wine Whine Revisited...

Last evening I had the strange pleasure of attending a pairing of alcohol and money. The idea was to combine short explanations of a particular investment strategy with the tasting of several different wines. The hope, of course, was that guests could absorb both without falling asleep, and I must say that the idea worked quite well. My son was the financial presenter; his complement on the wine side was an Ottawa sommelier named Sean.

I recently wrote a poem entitled "Wine Whine," which pooh-poohed the notion that there even is such a thing as a wine expert. I paraphrased the old Duke Ellington quote - "If you like it, it IS good." Well color me foolish. Here, after last evening's experience, is a revised version of that May 3, 2006 poem. Thanks, Sean!

Wine Whine Reconsidered (For Sean)

The wine snob swirls, sniffs and sips the item,
Thoughtful-faced till it’s inside him,
While we (the peasants) fake knowing stance,
Waiting impatiently for our chance,
Hardly caring if it’s white, pink or red -
As long as it’s plentiful and we’re soon fed.

The “wine snob” (we learn) is called a sommelier
As he passes us brie crepes paired up with a chardonnay,
Then sushi with sake, and shiraz from "Down Under"
With cutlets of lamb – Oh Lord, it’s a wonder!!!
Bring on the pheasant with pinot noir!
Enlightenment strikes us, awakened we are!!

So consider the food when removing the cork:
A wine is much better when used with a fork.