One of the wines we enjoyed was Raffaldini's, Oenotria. A deep, flavorful red wine whose title blends a viniferous prefix and a little "ia" at the end to say "ciao!" to the Italian roots of the wine maker.
What made the evening even more conversationally fertile is the fact that we were a part of Raffalldini's Bella Blending last year, where yet unnamed wine blends are born. It seemed to be as natural to talk about that event as it would be to reminisce about going to a wedding, or graduation or birthday. It was a philosophical, human conversation provided by the proverbial grape and brought to bear by the hands that turned it into magic juice.
My point is a simple one. We were connected by friendship but also by the wine. It is as though a good glass of wine is the extra person at the table, displaying traits worth discussing, color, structure and flavors worth remarking and a story worth retelling. It's a simple metaphor; wine brings people together. But it is a sentinel to a core human exchange that is repeated thousands of times a day by wine lovers everywhere.
Indeed, the opportunity to pop a cork, slice bread and partake under the moon with friends is and always will be one of my favorite subjects.
