Remember America

Do you remember when family meant something? When Christmas was celebrated for Christ! I remember when kids could play in the streets without parental supervision, (at least until the street lights came on). There was an era before computer games and the commercial hype of the holidays. When I was a kid, our family would always eat dinner together at the table. I especially think about the time when doing your job did not mean just going to work. There was a time when the American dream was just to get here. Does this mentality still exist? When you look at your life now, do you fall into all the hypocrisy of today? Here is the big question; do we take enough time out to actually see America and all its beauty?

What do us, as Americans need to do to get back there? We need to live our lives for a purpose not just to get something done. We need to celebrate the family because it brings neighborhoods together. We need to redevelop pride in our work so we can feel like true Americans. We need to teach our children that playing sports is exactly that, playing. We need to celebrate what we have, not look past it all and wish for more. Is this even possible? Ask yourself that question. Is it too late? What would your dad say about how you celebrate life? What would your Grandparents think about how you have raised your children?

I know many of you may think, “I do not fall into these categories.” If you are like me, you may find yourself with eyes wide open and realize that you are trapped in an inescapable life style. Then again you may be one of those people that read this and think, “I did not sign up for this. What does this have to do with wine?” Well, every month I have to write a newsletter about wine. I have to tell you sometimes it is hard. Creativity is a gift. If we all received the same gift every day, we would probably get sick of it.

Therefore, I am choosing to use my gift of writing to ask each of you, who are you as a person? Whether you have religious beliefs or not, you still have a mind and your sense of vision. I say we all need to improve ourselves in one way or another. Each day we should do one thing that will get us back to that place. What if on Mondays we said, “Hi” to someone we do not know. Starting this week, reserve Tuesdays for family dinner night. Wednesdays you should go around and complement anyone for doing a good job. Maybe Thursday we say a prayer for those less fortunate than us. On Friday go watch your kids play ball or a local team if you do not have kids and let them know you appreciate them trying even if they did not win. Saturday, take your loved one out on a date and do something they want to do. Sunday, it is the last day, what can we do to make the past week count? How about planning the next week? Yeah, we cannot stop there; keep going until it all becomes viral. Can you imagine if we all did something different six days a week, week after week, to rejuvenate the spirit of life? How will it make you feel to know you have touched another person? Would people notice and follow your lead? All I can do is try. I know this I can do better!

As for the wine, I think I am ready now. I am intellectually open to discuss other people’s accomplishments.

This month I am taking your palates to Argentina. The wines I have chosen are from Bodega Poesia. This winery is located in the town of Lujan de Cuyo, in the district of Mendoza. It is here where a husband and wife, Patrice Lévêque and Hélène Garcin-Lévêque, have joined their knowledge of wine and produced a finished product unique to this terrior.

As prestigious owners of famed Chateau’s like Clos L’Eglise, Chateau Barde-Haut, and Chateau Haut Bergey, they have come to Argentina to produce the finest wines. Their 13-acre estate is located in the heart of Lujan de Cuyo, which is considered the finest region for Malbec in Argentina. Our Poesia Malbec comes from vines planted in 1974. The vineyard and wine are treated with the same meticulous care that is applied in France to their Grands Crus. The vine cultivation is 100% natural, no herbicides or pesticides are used and all work is done by hand. The grapes are hand-harvested, and all the equipment used in the winemaking process is imported from France in order to guarantee that the 20,000 bottles of Poesia are produced with the same high quality tools, that they use in France.

Small, traditional, wooden vats, which are imported, are used in the winery, that resembles Clos L’Eglise in Pomerol more than a typical Argentinean Bodega. Malolactic fermentation takes place in new French oak barrels and the wine is aged for 18 to 20 months. Poesia Malbec is blended with 40% old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from the same vineyard. Its aromas and flavors are unique. Our wine is deep garnet in color with a tinge of purple. The nose exudes appealing notes of warm blackberries, cassis, mocha and spice. The palate shows great balance and structure. Ripe, berry fruit fills the mouth balanced by nice acidity and velvety tannins. The Lévêques recommend slightly chilling this red, before consuming, to enhance this passionate style of wine. This wine’s unique character pushes the flavor index to an extreme for food pairing. We recommend grilled beefy meats like Flank steak or a Tri-tip roast. Smoked meats and grilled vegetables will also pair well with this wine.

Our white wine, also from Bodega Poesia, is a Torrontes. This white grape variety is becoming popular in Argentina and I feel it is way under the radar as far as a quality grape varietal goes. Another outstanding effort from Hélène and Patrice, this Torrontes comes from vines with an average age of 25 years. The wine has a beautiful nose of tropical fruit and spice. On the palate, we pick up rich lemon, pear and a hint of pineapple. This wine is perfect as an aperitif or you may serve it with light seafood, chicken or veal.