The Elixir of Life

“Wine is, perhaps, the closest thing the planet has to an elixir of life.” - - Thom Elkjer

I don’t know if that’s true. But I did have an experience with wine last evening that’s definitely worth writing about.

My mother in law provided some lovely chilled white wine to go with our Thanksgiving meal for those who desired it. My daughter and her husband brought an alcohol-free red that they purchased at Hopscotch Bottle Shop which is near to where they live in Baltimore.

Daughter: Have you tasted this? You need to taste this.

Husband: Takes a sip. Eyes widen, eyebrows go up.

Daughter: It’s salty!

Husband: No, its cherries.

Lively conversation bordering on argument ensues.

Daughter: Maybe it’s curry.

Two other guests, now curious, decide to try some. More lively conversation. Is it salt, is it cherries? Is it curry?

I should point out that daughter is a restaurant manager and son-in-law is a sommelier. This was a rather elevated conversation. It was witty, informative, fast-paced and absolutely none of it made me want to try what they were drinking. I did suggest they should host a podcast together.

Finally, they got the bottle and read the ingredients.

NON # 7 - - Wine ALTERNATIVE

SOUR CHERRIES, COLD BREW COFFEE. GARAM MASALA, ALLSPICE. NUTMEG, PINK PEPPERCORN. MURRAY RIVER SALT. VERJUS

Oh my word. I don’t know if they would ever have guessed all those ingredients. In some ways it was like those Halloween games where one wears a blindfold and tries to guess items by feel alone.

My son-in-law explained that this was not regular wine that had been “de-alcoholled” but rather an alternative which had been concocted to mimic the combination of flavor notes one senses when experiencing a glass of wine. It was an impromptu lesson in what goes into creating a signature wine flavor and how that is achieved.

Interestingly enough, I was never able to ascertain if any of them actually liked it. After a while that didn’t even seem to be the point.

I don’t know if Non #7 merits “elixir of life” status but as a conversation starter and a party game all rolled into one, it reigns supreme.

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