I’ve been so immersed in wine lately, (figuratively and literally) that I almost don’t even know where to start writing.  Today, I read a post by a fellow blogger, who quite honestly, inspired me.  SAHMmellier is an amazing mom, writer and lover of wine…and I don’t even know her first name!  I wish I did, because I know we would have some amazing conversations! As she is writing a blog called Transitions, I am easing into the Wine Chronicles, Part 3. Her posts not only talk about wine, they really talk about life, and how it’s OK to sometimes just live life and be the person you need to be in the moment…I love that.

Being in Vancouver has been an absolute blessing!  Wine is a journey, not a destination, and as I’m finding, a constant moving target!  Just when I think I might have “arrived” and KNOW about a particular wine or region, something else comes up, and I go…”no…um…noooo, I have SO much more to learn!”  But, bring on the learning!  As I study and digest all the information of what I’m learning, I’m discovering this:  I am embarking on a journey of knowing what is inside the wine before I even open the bottle.  How cool is that???? For ANYONE who is hesitant to spend the money on a bottle of wine, I now have the additional knowledge to educate them and assure them (not 100% though) of what they will find within that bottle.  Outstanding!

I had the privilege of attending this unbelievable Italian wine tasting just the other day.  Italian wines from literally every region of the country!  And some, not even available in Canada!  I met this sweet, young little Italian wine maker, who humbly accepted my thanks on how good her wine was.  And then, she personally invited me to her cellars!  THAT would be worth a trip to Italy for sure!!  And after I visit her in Basilicata, I could hop next door to Campania…to get a few samples of this next wine…..

The Greco di Tufo..

Ok..show of hands…who has heard of this grape???  Haha!!  One of the countless Italian grapes, yet I went looking for it specifically today.  Grown in Campania, it’s not the most famous grape there.  Actually,the most famous is the Aglianico grape from Taurasi.  They call this the “Barolo of the South”, because it rivals the famed Nebbiolo grape of the Barolo region in Piemonte (NW Italy, or, left side “cuff” of the boot!) The Greco di Tufo is a white grape grown in the same region, and has the full DOCG status, which means very specific rules on what grape is grown there and how it is vinified.

Anyway, enough of the technical jargon…I’m here to tell you about the wine.  So….back to the Greco…I wanted a white wine that could stand up to almost anything.  I knew what should be inside this bottle:  lighter alcohol (12.5% abv) with medium-high acid and spicy floral notes.  Medium finish and medium body.  It stood up quite nicely to the Chicken Parmesan my sister-in-law made for my birthday dinner…quite nicely indeed.  But…I knew it would, and THAT’s why I went looking for it.  Know what?  I was right….loved by all the adults at the table, and THAT is why this bottle is empty…and why…I’m just living for the moment here….Happy Birthday to me…