Spit Happens #50 – Drink Your Good Stuff

After being in the wine business since I was in my mid 20’s I have noticed a trend that happens to occur among people who have wine cellars. They often buy too much and end up drinking wine that’s over the hill or don’t drink them at all. There can be a tendency among humans as they age to have a change in how they process smells and flavor profiles. IE the older wines are too subtle to be enjoyed as the tannins and aromatics are muted by age. There is also a tendency for wine drinkers and collectors to say “I bought Wine X for 25$ a bottle years ago and now it’s worth 500$ now it’s too expensive to drink.

I’m here to make an impassioned plea to you that you should drink those wines. First of all, life is precious. I have been asked to inventory cellars of deceased wine collectors and they often have only Blue Chip wines ( a lot of them ) and tended to drink the lesser wines first to defer ratification. What are you waiting for? I know the wines you select are special to you but you likely have only 6 or 7 special occasions in a year. How many special occasion bottles do you have? I bet a lot more than you need. Now I hear you saying it’s too good I need to save it. Chances are those super duper special occasion wines might not meet your expectations as you build too much into it. How about a nice dinner on a Tuesday night and just open it and share with someone special. Notice that I said someone… I’m not in favor of the idea that you need to get 10 people together and everybody gets 2 ounces. Savor the whole bottle over the course of an evening. Enjoy it’s development and don’t think of it’s value. From an economic perspective it’s a sunk cost, just drink it… Hell drink it with take out pizza but don’t fetishize it and collect just for the sake of it. A well known collector in Vancouver once gave me a bottle of 61 Parce Banyuls as a present. I thought WOW that’s generous but 2 days later I drank it with a few friends. Why? Because tomorrow is only a promise… not a guarantee.

I have been fascinated by a singer named Laura Pergozzi. She has a song called Lost on You. The line “Smoke ’em if you got ’em “ is never more true when it comes to your wine.

Lost on You
LP
When you get older, plainer, saner
When you remember all the danger we came from
Burning like embers, falling, tender
Long before the days of no surrender
Years ago and well you know

Smoke ’em if you got ’em
‘Cause it’s going down
All I ever wanted was you
I’ll never get to heaven
‘Cause I don’t know how

Let’s raise a glass or two
To all the things I’ve lost on you
Oh oh
Tell me are they lost on you?
Oh oh
Just that you could cut me loose
Oh oh
After everything I’ve lost on you
Is that lost on you?
Oh oh
Is that lost on you?
Oh oh
Baby, is that lost on you?
Is that lost on you?

Wishing I could see the machinations
Understand the toil of expectations in your mind
Hold me like you never lost your patience
Tell me that you love me more than hate me all the time
And you’re still mine
So smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em
‘Cause it’s going down
All I ever wanted was you
Let’s take a drink of heaven
This can turn around
Let’s raise a glass or two
To all the things I’ve lost on you
Oh oh
Tell me are they lost on you?
Oh oh
Just that you could cut me loose
Oh oh
After everything I’ve lost on you
Is that lost on you?
Oh oh
Is that lost on you?
Oh oh, oh oh
Bab, is that lost on you?
Is that lost on you?
Let’s raise a glass or two
To all the things I’ve lost on you
Oh oh
Tell me are they lost on you?
Oh oh
Just that you cold cut me loose
Oh oh
After everything I’ve lost on you
Is that lost on you?
Is that lost on you?

Songwriters: Laura Pergolizzi / Nathaniel Campany / Michael Gonzales

Thanks for your time.

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Remember Spit Happens, tell your friends, drink great wine and eat great food.

Cheers
David Lancelot