. Vite Vinifera De Vino's Blog: January 2009

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

In Vino...

Usually that phrase ends with veritas and is Latin for 'in wine there is the truth.' The Romans who coined those words, used to use the god's nectar like a truth serum.
As human beings, even after a couple thousand years, we still rely on a glass of wine for several healing reasons. Scientifically proven to be good for your health, in moderation, wine has also an effect on the soul. If you believe in the existence of it. The Romans already realized that one of the effects of the fermented must was to lower the inhibitions of an individual and put them in a state of relaxation. Thus, leading to being comfortable and speaking truthfully. So to connect to my previous post, I will say that probably in a period like this people will naturally seek some comfort in a bottle of wine more frequently. Recently I had quite a few bottles of really good wine, my friends and I are opening good vintages, Champagne is flowing in glasses and some of those special bottles hidden in the back of the cellar were popped. Other than the physical pleasure of tasting the flavors, I had emotions!!! I felt joy, love, excitement and shared moments. I traveled trough time and space and I lived the moment. Being inebriated, which I believe is different than being drunk, has lead to inspiration for many writers and artist for thousand years. Virgil loved his wine, sipped under the tree, while asking his muse for an idea, and the same emotions is what I long for in a bottle of wine. Now I don't think all wine is capable of that, I believe good wine is capable to inspire an emotions, that is actually one of the parameters that need to be satisfied when I judge a wine. For example, I opened up a bottle of Colin Delenger Santennay Ville Vignes 2002 with Edoardo, an old friend that is getting the wine collector virus, it was perfect, great spice, in the nose the ethereal notes of violet and roses where dancing in the nostril, filling the brain with magnificent images, the red liquid almost massaged the spine while descending the esophagus like a small electric charge passing through the discs. Not many wines give that kind of emotion and definitely not always the same one, it depends on the situation, the state of mind, the weather and every external factor that interacts with our life. In a way that's the beauty of wine, every bottle, even from the same wine same year from the same case has a different story to tell you and you are a different listener as well. You have to admit that is a level of complexity that not many recreational drinks have. Emotion, inspiration, soul soothing that's what wine should be about; as it has been in our history as human being.
Buona Bevuta a Tutti

Friday, January 23, 2009

The State of NY feels I can close the business for a few days

That is the answer I got from the Juror office this morning when I called to see what option a sole proprietor and single worker of a business has!!!
When I said to the gentleman on the other side of the phone that closing for few days will actually put the business in jeopardy considering the economic slump. I couldn't believe his answer when his suggestion was; "well if you feel that the state of the economy is so bad why don't you just quit now?"

I felt like I had been slapped in the face! I am left speechless with declining sales and increasing expenses. My property taxes raised by more then 50% from last year like every other expense related to the business. So, I would like to know why exactly the State of New York feels that I can close my shop for few days!

Buona Bevuta a Tutti!!!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Do People Drink More During a Recession?

I have heard it many time in the past few months and to tell the truth I don't know if it is an urban myth or there is some truth to it. In my experience people in general have been spending less for wine. However, I have been selling more or less the same amount of bottles as prior years. The big spenders are more rare and my private clientèle is a bit shyer. The axiom bad financial times and more drinking does not convince me completely. The only benefit for the wine retailers is that probably now the trend is to save money; so the first thing people cut is eating out in restaurants. Thus, the retailer's of wine and food, sales should go up. I did see that happening to a certain extend but that benefit has been leveled by the drop of the average bottle price. The so called 'big spenders' probably are not acquiring as many bottles as in past years, also because their cellars are most likely filled. So in such a time they are drinking what they have put away. This is what I find myself doing as well, drinking wines from my cellar, the weird part is that I am opening more great bottles than in the past. It's almost like Nero fiddling while Rome was burning down. I'm drinking Grand Crus while the world financially melts down. Maybe this is because in times like this, the trust in the future is kind of low, so that quote 'life is to short' is more valuable. Or is it just a reaction of a very bad economic slump, drinking good bottles is somewhat a reassurance that life is not that bad? Among my friends I see that happening, Piers is taking out of the cellar the good stuff, Michael is drinking vintage Brunello like there is no tomorrow and I'm sharing more great bottles like I never have before with my love. Are we just reacting in a foolish way to a critical period? Who knows but I would like to hear your opinions on this, so for now and now more then ever...
Buona Bevuta a Tutti!!!!