Hello wine lovers and happy wine Wednesday.  I hope your week is going well so far and you have been enjoying the weather we have been blessed with ( in Vancouver anyway!)

I had an action packed weekend with our daughters’ 4th birthday celebrations. We had two evenings of dinners along with a magical princess/pirate ballet inspired party with ICanDance.  Miss Marni and her fantastic assistants were brilliant in providing fun, delight, excitement and a darn great birthday party for a 4-year-old!

in light of celebrations and birthdays, this instalment for my ‘Wine Stories’ series is about my very first bottle of wine at the ripe old age of 19.  In British Columbia – that is the legal drinking age ( but we can vote at 18 ).

I was living at home and going to college.  It was kind of a rocky time in our lives and we all tried our best to put one foot in front of the other.  On the occasional dinner party my Mom hosted, she bought a bottle of Lindemans Chardonnay Bin 65.  As a teenager, I always admired the orange and white clean-looking label and thought my Mom looked regal when she sipped from her wine glass.

My birthday was approaching and my Mom asked me what I wanted.  I said, “A bottle of Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay to share with you.”  Quick with a smile, she said, ‘Sounds perfect,” and that was the end of the conversation.

As a teenager, like many, I had dabbled in tasting beer, cider, hard booze all mixed together with Pepsi or 7UP inside a pump hairspray bottle (disgusting) – but never wine.  I had respect for it and simply had stayed away.

My birthday came – I was officially permitted to drink alcohol and purchase alcohol.  My Mom gave me a few gifts, one of which was my very first bottle of wine – Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay.  I remember being excited and feeling ‘all grown up’.  My Mom put the bottle in the fridge for a bit, not too long but long enough.  When it was ready I shared my first bottle of wine with my Mom.

The flavour was all that I could think about for years afterwards and it was my ‘go-to’ wine for quite some time.  Lots of pineapple, cantaloupe melon, vanilla, velvety butter, great body with a hint of citrus – it was the perfect wine for me.

I am not sure if my Mom knows that she is the person responsible for my love of wine.  I hope you do know now!  Thank you for being there for me during all of my milestones and sharing my first bottle of wine with me.

Much love,
XO
C