In my last post (where I discussed how a decision to start
exercising with a trainer had put a serious dent in my wine consumption), I
mentioned that I had picked up a bottle of red wine that I was very excited to
try. The wine I was referring too was a Harding Estates 2006 Merlot. According
to our old friend Wilfred Wong (wine rating guy), this wine was a 90 pointer.
As he and I don’t always agree, I thought I’d see how our opinions would
compare on this selection.
Back to the wine.
So one of my closest friends from Toronto was visiting this past weekend. He
enjoys a nice glass of red (he tends to focus primarily on Italian offerings), and
so I thought he would be the perfect person with which to cr
ack open the
Harding. As we sat on my couch, reminiscing about our University days (or
College as is often referred to here in the US), we let the wine breath. After about
20 minutes, I poured two hefty glasses. As I hadn’t had any wine in a couple
months, I got giddy with anticipation- and also extraordinarily thirsty. I took
my first sip; nothing. No excitement, no 90 point flavor explosion, no aftertaste
that I wanted to discuss after …nothing. I took another sip; nothing. The wine wasn’t
bad, it just didn’t do anything for me.
My buddy took his first sip. You would think he had just
discovered that the world was round (or flat if you’re Thomas Friedman). His
first look was that of shock and surprise, with a little amazement thrown in.
He loved it; absolutely loved it. He downed that glass of wine like no ones
business, demanded another, and another, and another. Luckily for him, I had no
problem giving up my portion.
As we discussed the wine afterwards, I found myself amazed
at how different his reaction was from mine. It reminded me that wine really is
about personal taste. It’s a great lesson to remember when people like me suggest what you should think and drink… :)
Recommendation: Me- Consider buying it. Friend- Definitely
buy it
