Now that we've got your attention, no, Madroña didn't score 100 points in some influential magazine or on Tic Tok. (Although in our in-house tasting, I habitually give our wines a score of 107 points!) Instead, how about a round about discussion of what wine is really meant for in life. It's not an existential question or even a health question (although maybe 400 years ago it was safer to drink wine than the water), but it's more a question of where wine fits into life.
As you all know, we at Madroña love to travel. In fact we're meeting up with our Madroña group in Paris (that's France, not Texas) in just a few days for a trip down the Seine River to Normandy. But right now, Maggie and I are in southern Spain, working. Our work consists of exploring great wines while enjoying the foods and culture of the region. In exchange, no matter where we travel, we believe we are ambassadors for our country and the great state of California (and its wines!). It helps that we can get by in both Spanish and French, which has opened so many opportunities for us throughout our travels.
Now, let's get down to business here. Maggie and I have fallen in love with southern Spain. Sevilla (Seville), Cordova and Granada, just as a start. (I'm here in Granada, looking at the lit up Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada (of Spain) behind!) But as much as we'd love to tell you that it's about the history and foods (which are amazing), it really has to do with the people.
Let's use Sevilla as an example. We stayed in the old-town part of the city in a little apartment. Within 100 meters, we could have eaten at a couple dozen or more restaurants. Each time we would head out on to the narrow streets, we could feel an energy and vibrancy in the city. Every where we walked there was a mixture of languages, with Spanish, French, German and Portuguese all flowing around. English was sprinkled in here and there, but it was the conversation and laughter and boisterous volume that just made us smile. Young, old, young-at-heart, prime (middle) age, everyone was out. And it didn't matter what street or what time (after say 1pm) we went on. The city was alive!
Now you may be asking, "What does this have to do with wine?" Well, this feeling of balance and tolerance throughout was accompanied by every table in every cafe having a glass of beer or a glasses of wine on it. And these were Wednesdays and Thursdays and Fridays. And add to this that peoples' noses weren't stuck scrolling on their phones but were instead engaged in conversation.
So, being the scientist that I am, I have concluded that we need to embrace socializing more in the United States rather than holing up in our own areas binging something on TV. And one aspect of relaxing and socializing is enjoying a great glass of wine while gesticulating in a great conversation. They go hand in hand.
Sure, this interest in friends and family that southern Spain embraces has centuries of practice. But that doesn't mean that we in California (and the rest of the US) can't learn something from them. And when it comes down to it, being an ambassador means listening and learning as much as talking.
So our challenge for you (and ourselves) is to enjoy more time with people, talking about the things we're comfortable with and maybe even a bit of those things that we're uncomfortable with, as long as we're willing to listen. And, please, open up a nice bottle of Madroña to make the situation better. (That's learning from centuries of history!)