Diversity: A gift to be embraced!

If you were given the choice of only one emotion for the rest of your life, would that be fair? Imagine you picked, or were given, happy. On first blush, awesome, right? Meh? Don’t think so. If you saw your bank balance at zero, would you not want to feel sad? If you saw something bad being done to someone, would you not want to feel angry? If your kid did well in school, would you not want to feel proud? If someone schools you in something, would you not want to feel humbled? I think you get the drift.

My point is it would be hard to limit your life to one emotion. Hold that thought.

I’m often asked, what is my favorite wine? Sigh!! I don’t know. I don’t have one. I like so many. I find every wine interesting. I see the beauty in diversity. I find it easy, almost seamless, to appreciate and see the best in a lot of different wines, varietals, regions, etc. I’m always open to trying a new varietal, a new region.

I’ve reached a point where my mind is like a sponge. It absorbs everything it can about the wine. The sight, the taste, the feeling, the emotion, all this in relation to the environment. Whether I’m with someone, I’m at this special place, or just slouched on my couch, or then lost in my zen zone (my backyard) watching the sunset. It takes root in my brain somewhere, and then I can recall it whenever I want.

For example, I’m having a pensive day, I’ll probably pick a Grenache-based Rhône blend—balanced, easy, slowing me down, like having smooth jazz in the background with my close friends. In harmony, like conversations with my closest friends. Nothing pushy, nothing too loud, just there, present, listening, absorbing, advising when needed.

It’s a summer party; we are celebrating with a birthday bash. I can easily see a mix of smooth, introverted, easygoing Chenin Blanc, interrupted by an extroverted Viognier, a warm, buttery, bubbly California Chardonnay, and the multifaceted rhythm of a Mosel Riesling. I’d also throw in an earthy Pinot for good measure and a feisty Zin as the day winds down to embrace the fireworks of a spectacular sunset.

Assume the same birthday bash were an evening celebration with friends who love Rock and Roll. I’d have the mighty Zeppelin fill our ears, and the choice of wine would be a bold Cabernet Sauvignon or a mighty Barolo to keep the lively evening company.

My point here is life would be dull if we were forced to a single emotion, a single friend, a single type of weather, a single type of music day in and day out. So why should the wine we consume be limited to a single choice?

Embrace the day, embrace the diversity in friends and opinions, embrace the beautiful varieties of music from soul to jazz to rock and roll and pop. Similarly, embrace the beauty and joy that each sip of a different wine can bring, that different winemakers can bring with the same grape, that different regions can contribute to the taste and feeling, and that different environments can bring to the enjoyment of different wines.

When all is said and done, the evening winds down, night falls, the moon rises in the sky, it’s time to slow that tempo down, switch to some Pink Floyd or Sade, and crack open that bottle of Sauternes you’ve been saving up. Reach for that warm blanket. Feel yourself ponder the dark side of the moon, or the smooth operator you wish you were. Cheers!