55+ Living Guide 55+ Living Guide Fall 2017 | Page 20

EXPANDING YOUR
Wine
Drinking
Horizons
By Rod Michael
of life and so is it, with wine drinking.
Ok, I’ll admit it, I do love Chardonnay!
It’s my go to varietal. It could be a
Californian or Washington or Chilean
or French, yeah all of them, but I try
not to get locked into one producer.
Your palate should tell you when it’s
time for a change. Why, who would want
day? Not me and I’m going to try to
convince you, that change is good.
-
-
CHENIN BLANC PETITE SIRAH
Chenin Blanc is versatile in style
and sweetness, and has the ability
to adapt to a wide variety of tastes.
There is a Chenin Blanc wine
for every occasion. Exceptionally rare Petite Sirah
is loved for its extraordinary
deep color and full-bodied
flavors of blueberry, chocolate,
plums and black pepper.
N
It’s been said that variety is the spice
to eat the same old jelly sandwich every
sparkling wine glasses and a universal
set for both reds and whites. You can
vary the glass size but make sure there
is a stem so your hand doesn’t impart
some heat to the glass. The stem will
make it that much easier to swirl the
wine for that important first taste!
And hey... please don’t forget to clink
for cheers! I’d like to leave you with
one more thought about one other
piece of wine paraphernalia that few
people have heard of, better yet, used.
It is a port pipe and in my humble
opinion the only way to drink port
wine. The glass stem directs the fluid
in the right place on the tongue and
will make for the most pleasant of
experiences. So, if you are so inclined
to drink port wine, I invite you to
check one of these out.
Chenin Blanc, it’s hard not to love
this varietal. It is also known by the
following names: Vouvray, Steen,

othing is more serendipitously rewarding than

when a wine drinker is sto pped dead in their

tracks by the sheer beauty of and sense of wonder
that can be found in a new and different glass of wine.
Seeing that someone experience the vinous nirvana,
never grows old. It seems foolish to me, for one to deny
themselves of such an experience. So, I ask you, please add
a little variety to your life. Wine is always meant to bring
pleasure and lift the mind of the imbiber.
If you’re a wine lover wishing to expand your horizons
or just someone dipping their toe into the world of
wine drinking for the first time, nothing is more fun
than joining the company of like minded individuals to
explore what this world can offer. I love the thrill of being
transported to a different time and place and welcome
all that can come from some friendly cheer with friends.
We are going to explore a white and a red that will surely
delight, but before we go on our journey, I would just
like to impart some friendly advice. Do you really need
expensive stemware? Not really. If you’re so inclined, go
for it, but, for the average quaffer, one will need a set of

20
Fall 2017 | 55PlusLivingGuide.com
Fall 2017 | 55PlusLivingGuide.com
21