Drinking Sancerre While It Snows

I am thankful for my work. The world is in my wineglass every night.

Hi Everyone.

As I begin to write this, it’s the day before the day before Thanksgiving. Or more accurately, the night before the night before. I’m in a cabin in upstate New York, drinking Sancerre while it snows urgently outside. Sancerre and snow. Cold on cold. Wild on wild. Not exactly right for each other, but when it comes to wine, “not exactly right” can be delicious anyway.

And snow! In Napa Valley where I live, we don’t have snow. We do have excellent Blanc de Blancs Champagne at the local market and in my world, that’s pretty close to tasting snow... 

I have felt bad about starting a Substack and not writing more frequently. But it’s been a hard fall. I will endeavor to mend my ways.

I suppose, given Thanksgiving, it’s inevitable that each of us thinks about what we are thankful for. All the predictable things come to mind. But I am thankful for something else. I am thankful for my work. The world is in my wineglass every night. Wine is there with me, and I am there with it. Drops of God, indeed.

I wrote recently in WineSpeed about how much I hate the idea of “Dry January.” And for the record, I won’t be participating unless it’s—as Tiffany, one of my staff, says—dry Finger Lakes Riesling and its delicious super dry cousins.

Dry January strikes me as one of the most self-righteous social movements ever in the U.S. It misses the whole point of wine. It attributes evil to something that has been communal and life-enhancing for 8,000 years. And frankly, that’s a lot more dangerous than my glass of Sancerre.

At my office, we taste wines about three times a week. We sit at the same table, with the same glasses, with tasting sheets, for at least an hour, maybe two. We discuss each wine. And I feel sometimes as if the wines know we are talking about them. The ones that are most alive shine even more brightly. They beam out their specialness. They carry centuries in their DNA.

So Dry January? Not me.

Today is Black Friday. Our present to you is 20% off The Wine Bible, third edition, which came out last fall. I’m not kidding when I say I agonized over every word. Just go HERE to get one (or more for gifts). Signed and personalized if you like.

I’ll write more soon. Promise.

Karen

TODAY ONLY! Looking for the perfect holiday gift for your family, friends, and colleagues who love wine? How about 20% OFF of the best-selling book that has inspired wine lovers everywhere? Personalized, signed, and gift-wrapped. Get it HERE. Use code WB20SUBSTACK at checkout.