Book 68 - A Year of Magical Learning
- cmsears8384
- Nov 23, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 5, 2022
Reflection Title - If you want something to be memorable, make sure it comes with a great story.
Book - Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live For Taste by Bianca Bosker
Book Description: Professional journalist and amateur drinker Bianca Bosker didn’t know much about wine—until she discovered an alternate universe where taste reigns supreme, a world of elite sommeliers who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of flavor. Astounded by their fervor and seemingly superhuman sensory powers, she set out to uncover what drove their obsession, and whether she, too, could become a “cork dork.”
Reflection:
Cork Dork is officially the 5th book that my wife and I have read together over the past 6 months. That's pretty damn impressive for us, and I wanted to call that out in our journey. Finding a book that 2 people can enjoy together is not easy. Reading at the same pace and same time as someone else is also not easy. Felicia and I have done our best to turn our "Emilia Walks + Luca" these days into a time to listen to an audiobook together as we cruise around the park with the stroller. Once again, talk about the compound effect of living your values in action. Spending time in nature with our children, getting exercise, and enjoying a book together all at the same time is something I never thought my life would be. These moments are special and I'm glad we are finding a way to to make it happen.
On with the reflection...My wife and I love wine. Wine has always been something we can enjoy, explore, and experience together. There are very few activities that that my wife and I share that we both really enjoy; however, a love of wine and travel are tops among them (might be the only ones besides loving our children).
The author, Bianca Bosker, talks about how if you try a wine at a vineyard and have a mind blowing experience which leads you to buying a case to bring home, the next time you open it...you will be underwhelmed.
She's so right. That's because good wine is an experience that often has very little to do with the wine itself. When I think of the best wines I've ever had in this world, my mind immediately takes me back to drinking in a wine cave with a plate of cheese in front of us in Burgundy, France. I feel the rush of walking into the town square in Beaune, France and stumbling upon the most enchanting farmer's market I've ever seen with people playing accordions as we walked by Michelin star restaurants seemingly surrounding us on all fronts on our way to the next tasting room. I'm transported back to Lynmar Estates in Sonoma Valley for an amazing getaway trip with friends where we had the most amazing Pinot Noir while wandering the grounds of this beautiful vineyard and rolling hills. I see myself on back in Niagara on the lake hopping from vineyard to vineyard and trying ice wine and ice wine slushies in the warm summer sun.
Wine isn't just wine to me, wine is my memories and precious moments of connection with my wife, a new location, and learning from people I've never met before. Wine is being in love with learning about the process of everything that went in to bring us this beautiful grape juice that we are sipping and taking in all the history of how it came to be. Wine, memories, and the experiences that surround it are inseparable for me.
It is such a good lesson to remember, if you want something to be memorable, make sure it comes with a great story. That is the job of the sommelier. They have to paint that picture for the consumers and take them to that vineyard in Tuscany in their mind as they sip the wine in a bar in New York. Otherwise, it is just another bottle fo grape juice you pull out of a cabinet to drink with a pizza at your home on a random Friday night.
Question: What's your favorite stories to share about experiences in your life?
Links:
What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction
YOML Podcast Discussion - Cork Dork
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