Breaking open the special occasion wine
For no occasion other than “continuing to live through this pandemic.”
In LA, bars were (ill-advisedly) open for just about a week before Gov. Newsom ordered them closed again in several counties across the state, including LA. It was an admission, of sorts, that the reopening never should have happened in the first place, and we can only hope that only minimal damage was accrued during that time. In any case, it’s a reminder that we’re still in this lockdown lifestyle for the long haul.
I don’t have too many expensive things, so when I do, I can get a little precious about them. I picked up this bottle of The Prince in His Caves, 2014, from Farina Vineyards and The Scholium Project back in February at an event curated by sommelier Doreen Winkler of Orange Glou, and I had been hanging on to it in anticipation of a special circumstance or person to impress. I opened it last night to share with the friends I’m bunkering with.
It’s a delicious wine, strong and structured by tannins with the psychedelic funkiness you’d expect from an orange wine, with some tartness on the back end. It’s gorgeously floral on the nose and a cloudy golden-orange color and tastes juicy yet subtle at first sip.
It’s a wine that I wish I were enjoying under better circumstances, but maybe it’s just as well. There’s so much in our lives that we have no choice but to delay right now – maybe savoring the “special occasion” wine at home, in our underwear, is exactly what we need.
- Ariana DiValentino
