Wine

I don’t remember learning to play Bridge, but I remember playing every chance I got. I was living with my Aunt Maryanne and cousin Debra down on the Bay, and I’d play two-handed Bridge with Aunt Maryanne when Debra was at work, three-handed “voodoo” Bridge when Debra came home, and we’d play Bridge a couple times a week when we could get Gran-Gran to play.

Gran-Gran was sharp as a tack and she would lean in when she was going to steal a trick! Our Bridge games represented both genders and four generations, and there aren’t many activities that bridge the generation gap so effectively.

I find the enjoyment of wine to be another gap-shrinker. The restaurant business is a proving ground for communication amongst members of different cultures, affluences and ages. The people we pass on the street with a mutually shared indifference suddenly become significant. We find ourselves staring across the gap at each other, searching for some common ground.

Usually the topic of conversation will drift to weather, weekends or holidays. I hate to say it, but that is usually the best we can do. Thank God for the wine enthusiasts out there! If someone likes wine, we are suddenly old friends. By the end of the evening I know the names of their kids, all of the sordid details from the vacation in Italy and the fact that his toes are webbed and she can’t burp. The power of wine as a communication base is unparalleled.

You may be thinking that any mutually shared passion would suffice as a conversation starter, and to some extent I agree. Anything is juicier than the weather. I’m convinced an earnest fascination with wine opens up lines of interaction on multiple levels; it speaks of one’s capacity for insight, the ability to transform elemental senses into words and an awareness and appreciation of unseen beauty. Wine is a thought-provoking medium that creates an instant bond between like-minded admirers.

This isn’t to say we will want to instantly bond with every wine enthusiast, or that they will share our sentiments, but using wine as a primary point of discussion drastically reduces the number of ships passing in the night unseen. In a restaurant full of people, we are rarely afforded the luxury of a glimpse into each other’s souls. Usually discussion of any kind (amongst guests) is reserved to eye candy of either sex, and this generally leads to a discussion of weather, weekends and holidays.

Using the commonality of good looks is a great start, but it is rather presumptuous, and rarely leads to a meaningful relationship.

The discussion of wine is a therapist’s best friend. Name another topic that allows un-perverted strangers to comfortably discuss the texture of a substance in their mouth, the kaleidoscope of flavors and smells or the often sexually linked images conjured from a well-made wine. In the first two minutes of conversation you will know if this person can listen, if they can communicate and if they are worth spending two more minutes with. Wine cuts away all the crap and leaves behind the essence of a person. It is for this reason that some people love it and some really hate it!

I’ve met some of my favorite people through a shared interest in wine. These are folks who, without this mutual interest, I would never have met. You may know Ed Bushaw from Vino e Grappa or the Faulkner Culinary School. I’m appreciative of his razor sharp wit, ability to teach and learn and his friendship.

Another friend that I’ve met (who you may know from Red or White Wine Discount Center) is Randy Williams. Once again, I’ve come to appreciate his dry humor, intellect and ability to listen as a friend. For wine to introduce possibly life-long friends and still taste so good, it is without a doubt the best beverage on the planet! Merry Christmas!

Contact Matt Devan at wineguy@lagniappemobile.com.

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