A conversation I had with one of my female neighbors, who is a good friend and fellow wine lover: My neighbor; “What is the next article going to be about?” Me; “Well, it’s the women’s issue so…” I didn’t get to finish my sentence. My neighbor; “You need to write about how important it is for women to be able to order their own wine!” Me: “Okay…” The conversation expanded to involve the rest of the dinner guests and was very engaging! There were a lot of very strong feelings and ideas about what a woman’s themed wine article should be about.
Prior to the above conversation taking place, I had asked roughly 45 women from all over the place, including our own magazine staff, what they would like to read about in a wine article. Suggestions, like the women, were wide ranging, but there was a consistent top five, and I think it is important to mention them. Here are those top five women-requested wine topics: 5. Best wines under $20. 4. Best wine mixers/how to make the perfect Sangria/Mimosa. 3. Best dessert/sweet wines. 2. Best wines to bring to a dinner party. And the number 1 requested topic was Wine and Food pairing ideas, like best wine to have with _____. Those are all great topics, but we aren’t going to talk about any of them here! We are going to dive a little deeper. I kept going back to my neighbor and the discussion that ensued with everyone in that kitchen.
I don’t have any shortage of wine ideas to write about, but writing a wine article that is focused on a particular, singular, group is difficult for me. Wine is meant to bring people together, it’s fun, its experience transcendent and encompassing. Wine is not just inclusive, but a-political, and often the catalysis of dialogue and new ideas. When you start to make wine about a certain group it entails including one to the exclusion of the other, very limiting, the opposite of what wine really stands for. At least that is how I think. Therefore, why would anyone want to talk about a topic that only pertains to a certain group, limiting wine’s full discussion potential? Well, here’s why. That discussion about women and wine in my neighbor’s kitchen highlighted issues that our society is still working through, mainly the inequities that women continue to face. For my neighbor, a woman having the knowledge and courage to successfully order her own glass of good wine is a prelude to being independent and successful in many other ways. This, of course, ignited a passionate conversation between everyone, men and women, in that kitchen.
We know, scientifically, that women are more likely to be better tasters than men. So, it probably behooves the men in the crowd to let the lady taste the wine choices first before ordering, but obviously this topic goes much deeper than what we can taste and who might be better at tasting it. In the end the discussion boiled down to this for everyone; Striving for knowledge, in an effort to better one’s self, leads to greater self-confidence, opportunity, and higher levels of success. I took it one further. Striving for that knowledge naturally leads to greater curiosity. In wine that can mean not settling for your usual Chardonnay, or always reaching for a Chianti when going to a dinner party, but having the courage to try new and different things, then sharing, not just the wine, but the EXPERIENCE with everyone! My neighbor’s passion for the betterment of herself and all women was stirring and inspiring! So, take a chance on a wine that you have been looking at, try something new, order without fear and have a conversation about it. Cheers to that!
Article by Alex Boykin
Photography by Provided
Originally published in Pensacola City Lifestyle