Today is National Wine Day in America—that’s every day in our household. Holiday, or not, you should choose your 600-800 grapes thoughtfully—that’s how many, on average, are in a standard bottle of wine.
My Dad, Winery in France, 1974
Though 10,000 varieties of wine grapes exist, the most widely planted is Cabernet. One of Stephanie’s favorites is Caymus. described as a wine “with rich fruit and ripe, velvety tannins.” As for me? Make it a coupe filled with bubbles, preferably Billecart-Salmon, but I’m happy, on any given Sunday, or any other day of the week, with a nice Prosecco or any of the Schramsbergs—Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noir, Brut Rosé, or Crémant Demi-sec. All effervescent, all celebratory, plus--as Winston Churchill once said, “ a single glass of champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced; the imagination is stirred; the wits become more nimble.”
Since Covid waylaid our plans to travel to Italy in 2020, we still haven’t made it to Dora Sarchese the winery in Abruzzo that’s located near the end of the Cammino di San Tommaso, a 196 mile pilgrimage route from Rome to Ortona and the reliquary of St. Thomas the Apostle. A few miles before the end of that pilgrimage is Dora Sarchese’s fountain of wine available as refreshment to pilgrims worldwide. When Stephanie becomes a board member of our local neighborhood association I’m going to suggest she lobby for a wine fountain at the end of our street.