A Journey with Wine.
“I think we can all agree that wine should taste good.”
— Sean Galloway, Travel Concierge Wine Advisor
Not much room for argument on this. And sometimes that’s all I ask of wine — just taste good.
But then there are times when wine casts a spell on me and transports me somewhere else. These occasions usually take me by surprise. Maybe they have to. Maybe my senses have to be “relaxed” and therefore not expecting the instantaneous journey that comes my way.
From Slovenia to Italy.
I remember the first time a wine told me, “Pack your bags. We’re going on a trip.” Many years ago my wife and I moved our young family from Slovenia to Italy. I wasn’t exactly a wine collector back then, but I brought some bottles of wine from Slovenia to our new home in Italy.
One evening around the table with friends, I decided to open one of those Slovenian wines. Logically speaking, I know that I was at home in Italy with family and friends, but another part of me was just as certain that I was suddenly back in Slovenia. The wine, made from Gamay grapes, smelled like the walks I would take in the Slovene countryside with my two-year-old son. There was sun-scorched brush, the air coming off the Sava River and more than anything else, the dirt. This wine from our old home smelled like handfuls of fresh Slovene soil. How did this wine capture that? And how did it capture me and take me back there?
Honestly, I’m not so sure I want to understand how wine works this magic. I know that science can explain how our olfactory system is wired to our brain and our memories. That’s fine, but I think I prefer a more mystical view of the experience. One that leaves me curious about the spiritual power of wine.
Back to our days in Tuscany.
Just last night my oldest son (same one, but now an adult) uncorked a wine familiar to us. It comes from the Chianti Rufina, about 20 miles from our old home in Fiesole. Simply breathing in the wine’s aromas was enough to take us both back to our days in Tuscany. The scents of dusty plum and blackberries, grilled rosemary, splintered cedar, and broken terracotta pots wrapped themselves around our memories and treated us to another evening in Italy.
As a sommelier, people count on me to help them find wine that tastes really good. I try to hit that mark each time I guide my clients, but I also want something more for them. What if the wine can also take them on a journey? I believe it can.
So, where do you want to go? Bordeaux? Tuscany? Provence? If you want the advice of this humble sommelier, let Jeff design your trip, and let me plan the wineries you should visit. . . then relive your experience with a well-curated wine collection.
If you are curious about how YourSomm can help provide unique, delicious wine for your home, email Sean for a free consultation at sean@yoursommwine.com.
Buon Viaggio.
— Sean, Galloway, Wine Concierge Advisor