Whines for Difficult Times

Within the last two years, I have become a fan of wine festivals. The laid back atmosphere and camaraderie is enticing. For a couple of dollars you are given the privilege of walking around a cow pasture with a glass in your hand for the better part of a day, trying to avoid bumping into someone crowding the wine tasting tables or stepping in something that the cows left behind. All the while a variety of bluegrass and folk musicians try to entertain you in between your sampling of cheeses and salsa dips. Those of you that have been to the wine festivals know exactly what I'm talking about.


But it's the people that really fascinate me. I've always had images in my mind of events I've never attended. Wine festivals, I thought, were for the economic uppercrust of our society. I pictured the genteel segment of society, with the men having their sweaters strategically placed over their shoulders and impeccibly tied around their neck. Their pinky fingers raised to just the right angle, so as to denote their proper training. What I found was a combination of bikers, wannabe cowboys, and leftovers from the sixties mixed in with of a few of the properly attired stepping out of their BMW's and Mercedes. It didn't matter where you came from or whom you knew, there was a common thread that was woven through fabric of diversity that transformed the patchwork into a thing of beauty. Even those that didn't care for wine became connoisseurs by the end of the day - or maybe it was just the fact that they had tasted so many wines that everything was appealing. A shared experience has a tendency to distract us from those things that divide us.


There is another festival that many others are sharing in today. I like to call it a "Whine" festival. Everyone has been impacted in one way or another by our recent economic woes. Everyone has an opinion on how we can find our way out. But more importantly, everyone is sharing the "whine" that is appropriately paired with the meal placed before us. For those that are dining on the red meat of the former bull market or even the red meat of the current bear market, I would suggest a hearty full bodied red whine. One of my favorites comes from the "Now I Can't Vacation in the Islands This Summer" Vineyards. On the other end of the spectrum we are serving a lighter vegetarian fare for all of the government employees who are dining on the pods of a cost of living increase without the protein of their merit increases. Might I suggest a fruity whine from the shores of the Potomac called "Even Though My Job is Secure, I Feel Really Bad for All of the Unemployed Folks" or possibly "Let's Just Tax the Wealthy" from the well known "Ain't Got A Job and Don't Want One" vineyards. The labels are attractive but I must warn you that they all have a bitter finish.

But actually I am partial to those that have chosen to abstain. Not that I am a big fan of prohibition, but I admire those that having grown up in a toxic environment of heavy consumers, have chosen the road less traveled. These are the "glass half-full" folks that see the positive in something that needs to be scraped off the bottom of their shoe. They're like the kid whose parents were so fed up with his "cheery" outlook they gave him a pile of manure for Christmas. He was ecstatic Christmas morning and immediately dove into the pile and began digging his way to the center. When his parents asked him what he was doing, he said "With all this manure, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere."

I have encountered those that having lost their jobs are responding by saying that now they have the opporutnity to pursue a different career path that they couldn't before because they were stuck in a rut and afraid to break free. Others have joined forces with persons in similar circumstances and support one another while they struggle their way forward. My favorites are those that, having retained their employment and their stability, are seeking ways to share their abundance with those that have lost everything. I don't know, I think I might give up the reds and the whites for a while and take a sip of the clear liquid for now. Maybe even from that well that never runs dry.


Bottoms up!