So let’s have some fun with this “wine-life” analogy and brush up on our Sommelier skills along the way and maybe even apply it to our living.
1. Creating our own “wine cellar”.
The wine we put in our basement requires some planning. We check our budget. We make decisions on white, red, rose, sparkling wines, and even throw in some after dinner liqueurs. There are many types of wine categories but our wine stocks usually contain table wines (with meals and Hors d’oeuves) as well as cooking wines, Sherrys, and Ports. Do your homework and know your wine terms. Go here to know your wine types by region, grape, and type. The things we put in our “life cellar” will also require some planning. Our relationships, our career, our spirituality, our lifestyle, and our health style all contribute to what we do to and for ourselves. We can make our life as purposeful as our wine cellar.
2. Creating our meal to pair with our wine.
The wine and meal pairing can be done either way. Do we reverse engineer the meal by picking the wine and then designing a meal around it? Or do we decide on our meal items first and then go find the perfect wine pairing to compliment the flavors of our meal? Well, go ahead and try them both! Either way, you need to know what you want (and what you have) to create the result you desire. The life pairing requires that you also know what you want (and what you have) to create the desired result. But the challenge is to stop reaching for other people’s goals and dreams. They are not you. Our genetics and environmental experiences make each of us a one-of-a-kind creation requiring a one-of-a-kind life-plan. Our decision needs to be our decision!
3. Let the wine “breathe”.
Our wine needs to breathe so decanting it allows the oxygen to bring the wine alive. For older wines it also allows the sediment to “settle”. Then by pouring it into a glass half full, it can continue to breathe and will unlock the aroma and bouquet that hints of vanilla, berries, nuts, roses, or countless other earthly delights! Our life needs to breathe as well. Our day-to-day life is full of saying “yes” to too many things that suck the oxygen out of us, so that we can’t breathe and fully live our lives. Maybe we need to plan each day half full and leave room for the rest.
4. Enjoy the pairing and take in the experience.
The wine (if paired correctly) should connect everything during and after the dinner. The food, the wine, the company, the conversation, and the experience are many times the beginnings of great memories. Our life (if paired correctly) can also connect ourselves to our passions and dreams. Having space and purposeful planning can create the right environment for you to thrive and “breathe”.
5. Design your future menus with the key learnings of your past wine pairings.
What wine discoveries did you experience? What pairing ideas do you now have for wines and foods to prepare? And who do you want to include on your journey? What life pairing discoveries have you learned? Are you becoming the person you want to be? Are your dreams yours? Does it feel right? Make room for the good stuff such as more wine, aromas and bouquets, and even swirling the wine to enhance the flavor. My French-born father, Roger Voisin, many times took peaches, raspberries, strawberries, or pears and dropped them into his half filled wine glass after dinner. He cut up some Camembert or Brie (he loved the soft cheeses), added a piece of French bread and had that for his dessert. The conversations that usually followed were full of life, love, and reflections on the good things in life. He made room for the good stuff! Do the same with your “life-glass” – unexpected experiences, conversations with like-minded people, reflections of the moment, a sunset cloud formation, anything you might discover in your day-to-day life. Keep working and your future will mature into a life half-full! Featured photo credit: Wines glass half full via farm8.staticflickr.com
