Dear love, I wanted to let you know how much you mean to me, and how there aren’t enough words to express this. But I am a flawed human. I may not always be on time with the flowers, helping out with the chores, keeping places tidy and neat, or quick to understand what you need most when you’re busy.
Despite all that, there is one thing I am good at: picking out the wine for our evening.
Because wine is, after all, my love language.
If you find that I pick out a bottle of sparkling wine (such as Champagne or Cava) for our evening, it is because tonight is a night worth celebrating. We are celebrating us together, and celebrating you as my partner. The pop of the cork is like fireworks going off for us.
If you find that I pick out a bottle of lean and zesty white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Assyrtiko) for our evening, it is because it’s been a hard week and we need something that’s refreshing to wind down. I know you’re very tired and probably don’t have much energy to do much, and honestly neither do I. So, why don’t we just simply unwind at home,
If you find that I pick out a bottle of fragrant and elegant white wine (such as Chardonnay or Riesling) for our evening, it is because I am looking forward to a night spent doing our favorite activities together, such as playing board games, watching movies, or reading books. A wine that is fruity and complex is a great way to enhance our evening, allowing a virtuous cycle of enjoying the activity because we are enjoying the wine because we are enjoying the activity.
If you find that I pick out a bottle of delicate and soft red wine (such as Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo) for our evening, it is because I want to listen to you talk about your day / week / month. Things are getting busier and busier for everyone, and it is rare that we both get to sit down with each other without distractions. A red wine like this is great on its own AND with dinner, it doesn’t overwhelm us so we can easily talk while we drink, and we also get a chance to share our thoughts on the tasting notes!
If you find that I pick out a bottle of smokey and rustic red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, or Sangiovese) for our evening, it is because it is cold outside and you told me we are entertaining a few friends as well. The food will be rich and shareable, requiring a wine that has the structure and body to withstand strong flavors, while also being something our guests will enjoy without exhausting their palate. We usually can’t finish a bottle of these bold red wines ourselves, but with the help of some friends, it’ll be the perfect amount.
If you find that I pick out a bottle of sweet wine (such as Sauternes or Tokaji) for our evening, it is because I saw you bring back some cheese and hams the other night for a charcuterie board. I don’t know if I’m invited to your little ‘party’, but hopefully I have gained myself an invitation with this beautiful bottle. I feel that a good bottle of sweet wine has enough acidity to balance the sweetness, which complements the saltiness of cheeses and ham. Don’t worry, I won’t eat too much!
I hope you know that I find it hard to express myself outwardly. So, next time when you see me bring home a bottle of wine for you, what I really am trying to say is, “I love you”.
Because wine is, after all, my love language.
This article is inspired by the customer who has been returning frequently to purchase the Nature’s Revenge Pet Nat for his wife over the past month.
Nature’s Revenge Pet Nat is a sparkling wine crafted by friends/winemakers Pierre Caizergues & Antonin Bonnet, in Montreal d’Aude, west of Carcassonne in southwest France. It is made from Chardonnay, with ripe green fruit aromas such as apple and pear, with some toasty biscuit aromas in the background. It is a tart, refreshing, and thirst-quenching sparkling that has a long finish, great on its own or with your loved one.
A Pet Nat (as we have previously written before) is the oldest way of making sparkling wine, developed in the 16th century. Unlike the ‘traditional method’ made famous by the Champagne region, where still wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle with added yeast and sugar, Pet Nat is simply a wine that is bottled before completing fermentation, completing the fermentation in the bottle and trapping the released carbon dioxide as well.
