WHITE WINE

I grew up without knowing the term but being a teetotaler. My parents were purists in this, so I didn't see a lot of alcohol being used reasonably. They were so cautious about the appearance that they actually declined champagne at a wedding.  I think there was a stash of sherry in the cupboard for "cooking", and although I truly think it was for cooking, I can't recall what dish it was used in. Usually, the examples I saw were in the extreme of drunkenness at parties,  with a few exceptions of beer being kept in my grandparents fridge, or drinks at a party that were enjoyed and not in excess. My first drink was in my 20s living as a nanny in France. Wine was a common adjunct to a meal, and  they probably offered me nice European wines, but I didn't get the interest. My first drink that I actually finished was a homemade almond liquor made by friends in Alsace. That led me to ordering a dessert wine in a French restaurant that they hid behind the decorations on the table, because I had foolishly ordered it to drink with dinner! My palate developed as my income increased, and I have come to love fruity robust wines made largely of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz varietals. I tend to find a wine I find affordable, that lasts with a great taste for several days, so that I can drink a glass for a few days even living alone (many fail this test so I am loyal ones that don't). But white wine and rosée are often lost on me, but in the summer that is what most people prefer. Certainly, although her standards were low in food terms, and her local restaurant tended to serve her what was convenient to the Hungarian owner more than the customer, I was always a little jealous of Kinsey Millhone's habits of a daily 3 mile run and her enjoyment of a glass of white.

Last time I had adult guests and I had already opened champagne (actually my neighbour opened it because the last time I did, I was so slow that I scared her in the process), I was gifted a white Chilean wine, which I chilled but we never opened. I wanted to share it, but after a couple of weeks of invitations to dinner were declined where I had planned to share with others, I felt like opening it for myself. It was refreshingly cold and it didn't take long for it to reach the ideal temperature on such a hot day. I took out my cheatsheet, and looked it up on the Societe des Alcool site to enjoy it to its fullest. I was looking for grass notes, but to be honest, what I smelt was the essence that permeates the air of every hairdressing place that has ever done perms. The palate was a little more akin to grass, but nothing in this wine convinced me that, years ago, when I chose a sweet wine over a dry one, I had done anything but a bright thing. I guess I'll still to iced tea and lemonade until fall comes back around!