This long weekend I went to a friend’s house for dinner and I brought a bottle of Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, France that I purchased last summer while I was on vacation. When I picked out this bottle to bring to the dinner party, I remembered going to the winery, my discussion with the person in the tasting room, the scenery, and the overall general good feeling I had that day tasting wines.
But then I thought, when I pour this wine for my friends, to them they may say, this is a very elegant, dry wine, or something to that effect. To me, there will be the aromas and flavours, but also the experience will make tasting the wine even more special. I thought how sad it is for my friends to not be able to experience this wine in the same way as me.
How can I help them enjoy this Chenin Blanc even more?
Through telling a story about buying the wine. Bring them in vicariously into this virtual winery in their mind. I brought the wine over, and did just that. Told them about the day, the winery, my discussion with the tasting room host. We toasted the winery and tasting room person, and I hope made the wine even a little bit more special.
If you haven’t told a story, the backstory, behind the wine you are pouring, whether the wine is from the Loire Valley, France, or from Abbotsford, BC, give it a try, and see if your friends and family enjoy that bottle of wine a drop more.
Cheers.