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.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

F ³: Who Belongs at the Library?

One of these things is not like the others One of these things doesn't belong Can you tell which thing is not like the other By the time we finish our song?* Did you guess which thing is not like the others? Did you guess which thing doesn't belong? If you guessed this thing is not like the others Then you're absolutely right. Our library promotes equity. Our library promotes literacy for adults who have come here from many places. Our library promotes accessibility to materials and opportunities. Our library is hosting multiple Harry Potter themed events? Tell me this isn’t so. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, has and continues to use the profits from those books to advocate for laws that diminish the rights of trans people. She has and continues to use her fame to influence public opinion to view and treat trans people negatively. In short, Ms. Rowling is using the Harry Potter book series to make transgender people around the world less safe....

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog