Sigh … I’ve posted a lot lately, but I’ve got to ask: have you ever opened a bottle where you intended to have just a glass but it was so good you exceeded your original intention?
This evening I ran into one such, drinking safely at home: Devona Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Bacchus Vineyard 2000. I opened it to have a glass with a 12-hour teriyaki-marinated bison flatiron steak from Nebraska Bison. That worked perfectly. I love Devona’s 2020 Bacchus Cab for its gorgeous unami qualities of warm figs and black olive, layered on its varietal authenticity. It resonated with the steak just as I’d hoped.
Well, that’s where it started, but that’s not where it ended. The wine quickly opened up in decanter, progressively improving the intersection between classic Cabernet expressions and its uniquely delicious unami inflections. Two more glasses later, after an impromptu excursion to tre-semi from Bread Peddler (Olympia) and a wild garlic-infused Tomme de montagne (fromages.com), I corked the bottle and returned it to temperature controlled storage to finish over the next couple of days.
So, am I a weakling? Or has anyone else on rare occasion been so impressed by the positive qualities of a wine such that, with health and safety firmly in mind, you exceeded your original, more limited intentionality?
Not sure I’ve ever opened a bottle with the intention of drinking only one glass (unless at a party surrounded by people who will finish the bottle in flash).
But yes, I think we’ve all had our share of excess!
I find my mood is more a cause than the wine. If I am in a good mood, I am more likely to have one more glass than if I am in a bad mood. If in a good mood and the wine is tasting great, the probability is even higher.
I have very little interest in a single glass of wine. Constantly thinking about health every time I decide to have wine is detrimental to my health.
I joke, but I honestly believe there’s downside to the health anxiety as well as upside. If I made every decision in my life based on what is most healthy, I would never travel internationally (jet lag is terrible for sleep!) Or eat a pizza.
