Wine flies when you are having fun
“Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant, unless of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine.”
Joan Collins
When I was 21 and dating my first husband (in an effort to be cool) we drank chardonnay as a way of being grown up and social. Who even knew that Red wines existed??? We vacationed in Napa and took day trips to Temecula. We discovered what we liked and didn’t like about Chardonnay. I learned that I am not a fan of oak! We were taught the meaning of words like “notes, fruit forward, tannins and legs” as they pertained to wine. If we were splurging, we were drinking Kendall Jackson, which was pretty pricey for a couple of 20 somethings back in 1990.
Fast forward 30 years…White wine had become passé. Red wines are for the more sophisticated pallet, don’t you know. My vocabulary had expanded to descriptors like “Full bodied, dry, and sweet” I had learned how to pair a nice red wine with a meatloaf and mashed potatoes as well as fine filet or chateaubriand.
Funny how someone writing a blog called Cocktails with Connie would admit she has no real formal education or knowledge about wine. I know what I like and don’t like. In general I can chose from a well appointed wine list, if it costs more it must be better; right? I have learned I am a fan of most Petite Syrah’s, and Malbec’s from Argentina. I find cabernet enjoyable for the most part and I have a few regulars I turn to when stocking up, like Decoy, Joel Gott and Daou. I couldn’t tell you by looking at a bottle or it’s label whether or not it is going to be a good one, unlike my friend Traci, who had lived in Napa for nearly 30 years. When shopping for something new it’s all about the packaging for me! Yep, I am a sucker for a pretty label!
When I met Connie and Mary, one of the first things I noticed was that they were always drinking white wine….with ice! Perhaps this was a new trend I was not aware of. Wasn’t white wine passé? Was it making a resurgence? Obviously I needed to learn more about this white wine with ice thing going on every afternoon across the street from my new home.
Connie and Mary have been friends for more than 30 years. They have worked together, played together and been drinking white wine with ice all that time. When I met them back in 2020, I had no way of knowing how incredibly important these women would become to me. Having lost my own mother many years ago, long before I should have; Connie, has become a bit of a surrogate Mom to me. It was only natural, as her daughter and me are about the same age. Connie is one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I have ever met, a lot like my own mother. Connie is young at heart. She loves all dogs, most people, socializing, and white wine with ice. She is a beautiful women with a larger than life smile. Connie is a great cook, a loving wife and mother and a very good friend and neighbor. I feel like I won the neighborhood lottery for sure.
Every afternoon Connie and Ray and a variety of neighbors can be found hanging out on and around the front deck, enjoying the view and a cocktail while watching the dogs play in the front yard. Ray can be heard yelling at Squirt (Connie’s dog) to get off the wall and to stop barking at passers by. The conversations center around local news, neighborhood gossip and who will bring what to the upcoming neighborhood get togethers that usually revolve around the next holiday. This has become a great time to connect with neighbors. I believe if more people knew their neighbors and spent time with them, catching up, the world would be a more loving and friendly place.
It didn’t take long for me to jump on the white wine with ice bandwagon, After all, when in Rome…I have always been a fan of cold, refreshing drinks, a very cold white wine fits that bill most days. It turns out white wine never went out of style and red wine is not en vogue. All wine is good. A real wine lover can appreciate all types of wines. Each type, of wine has it’s place and should be enjoyed to it’s fullest. I have learned that it is not the cost of the wine that makes one better than the other, it is the consumer’s love for one wine over another.
Here are just a few of my favorites; for the chardonnay lovers who can’t stand oak you can’t go wrong with the Daou Chardonnay. If you are a red drinker but don’t like the heavy full bodied cabernet’s you might want to try a Petite Syrah, or a Malbec. One of the best blends I have ever had comes from California’s Paso Robles Calcareous Vineyards. Their 2022 Très Violet is a beautiful blend of 37% Grenache, 32% Syrah, 31% Mourvèdre, I promise you will not be disappointed! For a more moderately priced red wine you may want to try the Decoy Cabernet (which I usually find at Trader Joes for the best price), also you can’t go wrong with the Joel Gott Cabernet. Let me know what you think. What are some of your favorites and why?
Here is to all wine lovers.
“Wine and friends are a great blend.”
Ernest Hemingway
