Wifey and I had a Holiday party for about 20 of our friends and neighbors last night. The theme was wine tasting, and Seth, one of the owners of a new wine shop in our area led us through a tasting of two flights of 3 wines each. It was a congenial way to spend a Friday evening during the American Holiday Season leading up to (and through) Christmas and New Year's. But being within walking distance of Duke University (Campus and Hospital) and a short drive from the Research Triangle Park (RTP), it was, appropriately, also a learning experience.
Seth's presentation was interesting and informative. And the most insightful advice for me was that wine is for drinking. Well, duh! No, really. Unless you have Jay-Leno money for a fleet of cars to collect, tinker with, and flaunt before an envious (or revulsed) audience, it is silly to purchase expensive (more than, say twice what you would spend on food at your favorite restaurant) wine, then tuck it away for years until it's been thoroughly corked.
If your passion is collecting, not that there's anything wrong with that, it makes sense to me that one should collect expensive things strictly for their rarity and/or their investment potential, like rare stamps, blue chip stocks, or legal-age virgins. Of course, some would say that certain wines qualify, and of course they do. But unless a wine has been specifically designed to masquerade as a collectible, its primary raison d'etre is for drinking.
Seth's presentation was interesting and informative. And the most insightful advice for me was that wine is for drinking. Well, duh! No, really. Unless you have Jay-Leno money for a fleet of cars to collect, tinker with, and flaunt before an envious (or revulsed) audience, it is silly to purchase expensive (more than, say twice what you would spend on food at your favorite restaurant) wine, then tuck it away for years until it's been thoroughly corked.
If your passion is collecting, not that there's anything wrong with that, it makes sense to me that one should collect expensive things strictly for their rarity and/or their investment potential, like rare stamps, blue chip stocks, or legal-age virgins. Of course, some would say that certain wines qualify, and of course they do. But unless a wine has been specifically designed to masquerade as a collectible, its primary raison d'etre is for drinking.
Yes, for drinking! Let the collectors collect. I will now go sip some Tres Palacios Chardonnay.
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