For me, it was a glass of house wine Cabernet at a pub in Toronto with my Dad and his brother (my Uncle) John. My Dad never drank (I had seen him try Harvey’s Bristol Cream once at Christmas at someone’s house), but John was visiting from England and loved beer so we took him to a pub.
For the first time, I saw my Dad order a small glass of wine (the cabernet), asking for something that was a little sweet. He wanted to share a moment of bonding with his brother, whom he hadn’t seen in ten years and may not see again, and me. This is the only time the three of us were ever together like this.
At first, I was amazed that he had ordered a drink. But then, as we connected, he truly enjoyed the evening and they began to share stories of them growing up together during WWII in England. The wine, of course, was terrible. But that evening was very special. That makes it the best glass of wine I have ever had.
What’s the most meaningful glass of wine you’ve shared with someone?
While not necessarily “meaningful” in the same sense as yours, this is definitely memorable for me. I flew down to Puerto Villarta, Mexico to see my then girlfriend who had been studying down there for a few months. Money was really tight then, so the ticket was a stretch to begin with. But, then again, I really liked this girl. On a lark, we decided to take a boat across to Yelapa and rent a thatch-roofed hut for the night. I had humped a bottle of 1998 l’Ecole No. 41 Apogee in my backpack from Seattle, and we opened it that night watching a thunderstorm descend down the mountains. I knew, amidst that bottle, that she was the girl I wanted to marry. I can still taste it.
The one that comes to mind…Spring of 2005, I was divorced, and had an invite to an offline. Actually, I was being harassed to go, but I had declined for a date. Which of course led to more harassment. Anyway, my date and I (our first meaningful date, after a prior “introductions” kind of date) went out to a nice BYO in Lambertville NJ and I brought a Guilliams cabernet. I forget the vintage, but I had visited that winery and thought it meaningful because there was a whole story of the origins of the winery/house building. All that aside, we were captivated by each other, and as it turns out we were actually in the same restaurant as the offline group, after they had to move location, but never even noticed them. Nor them us, I believe. Single room dining area. And small. Captivated. And now, going on 11 years of mariage to Marlene. It all worked.
Super Bowl XLV, 2011 - I flew my dad out to watch the game with me, and was in the process of my divorce at the time. I wasn’t able to watch the prior Super Bowl victory (1996) in with him as I had an opera performance, and the following one I was able to attend in person, as it was in San Diego.
I had some Berserkers over for the event as well, and had a bottle of 1996 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé ready just in case they won (1996 vintage celebrating that year’s Super Bowl Championship, of course). My dad doesn’t drink at all - hasn’t for about 40 years - and when the Packers won the game, after earth-shattering celebrations, I cracked the bottle, started pouring it around, and my dad said ‘hey, son, I’ll have a glass of that!’ and I couldn’t have been happier to pour one. He didn’t like it, but he wanted to join in - wine, and Champagne in particular, do have a way of bringing people together…
94 Dominus and 98 Grange with my dad for his 60th birthday after our first round of golf at Pebble Beach. A spectacular trip, celebration of a full life, father son best friends, and a common love of golf and wine. Just an amazing evening of conversation, spectacular wine, and a view of the Pacific ocean.
1985 Heidsieck Champagne Charlie with my wife the afternoon of our engagement. Just a wonderful relaxing bottle of wine following a very monumental moment in our lives. Elation, exceptional company, and a very good wine.
Have had a ton of memories race through my old mind but here are a few that always stand out:
A glass of Kedem with my father and both grandfathers at my bar mitzvah (first and only time I got to raise a glass with all of them)
A glass of Manischewitz with my wife at the altar
The glasses of many wines shared with a hundred of my family and friends at my sons bris
So I guess for me its all about family (and apparently CRAPPY wines sometimes)
and an honorable mention:
A glass of Dominus 94 with Christian Moueix
When my wife ordered a bottle of champagne at lunch, then toasted me by saying it was the last glass of alcohol she’d be having for awhile. Our first son was born a little over 7 months later.
I’ve been fortunate to have had several such moments but the most recent was in March when Hank Gillespie and his lovely wife, Lorraine had us over for dinner. He poured a couple of vintages of Rivers-Marie Chardonnay, the first I had ever had. A few weeks later he was gone. I’ll never drink R-M Chardonnay again without remembering Hank.
A glass of champagne the days that our son and daughter were born. Our son was the first grandchild for my parents, and that sip of champagne was the last time my father had any alcohol. To this day he has continued to abstain.
Most recently 3 years ago we drank a 1996 Taittinger Comtes to celebrate my youngest daughter leaving for college (her birth year), next year we will drink another one to complete the circle when she graduates.
Some touching stories! Mine is with my wife. She completed her Ph.D. two years ago and we celebrated by opening a 1996 Krug which was absolutely beautiful! With some luck, I should be finishing my Ph.D. in a little under a year and we can open the other bottle I have stashed in the cellar!
I’m really torn…there are a few, but I think it’s probably a glass of 2007 Keller G-Maxx that was shared with me by one of my closest friends and his wife. It’s reached a point where that the Keller G-Maxx is a wine that I’m not going to find easily…and in a way it’s also kind of defined the friendship I share with them. Both are rare, hard to find, and there aren’t many others out there that offer the same depth, complexity, and interest as this.
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