The Infectious Love of Good Wine

By Lisa Kirkpatrick

My father-in-law, Martin, was an epicurean. Both of us had some knowledge of wine, but the bug really bit us at about the same time. We set out to learn about wine together. Suddenly, the thousands of fascinating possibilities in the world of wine began to open up to us. We would go to good stores, buy multiple bottles of a single varietal, take them home, and taste. This was our graduate school of wine. We would try 10 different Cabernets side by side and get an idea of the different impacts of soil, location, and wine making. We would look up the wines in Hugh Johnson's Wine Encyclopedia, read about the history of the grape, the growing area, and the vineyard. Some of the happiest holidays were spent in the kitchen, sitting at the glass table in the breakfast nook, tasting the wines. I can still see him wearing his golf cap, leaning his head down so he could see through the top part of his bifocals, staring at the color and clarity of the wine, sniffing, trying to get the essence of the wine. Swishing the wines, gleaning the nuances. And in those moments where he found a winner, chuckling, holding the glass up high and offering a toast to the excellence.

Before Martin passed away, he and my mother-in-law were constantly traveling. After a trip in the California wine country, he called me and told me to come over to the house. As a holiday gift, they gave me eight bottles of a varietal I hadn't heard of, Gewurztraminer. This was in the 1970s, and gewurz was just starting to become established in California. Alsatian or Italian gewurz was rare in the U.S.

We opened all eight bottles, and I will never forget the first time I caught a whiff of the absolute magic of the grape. Those who have had gewurz know what I'm talking about. If you haven't tried it, I'm envious of what you will discover. The perfumed roses and spices are captivating. Unbelievable, at least to us, was the winner of the evening's tasting -- Gallo!

The American taste for wine has matured in the last 25-30 years. California growers ripped out a lot of Gewurztraminer in the Eighties to make room for more and more Chardonnays. Alsatian gewurz is now available at grocery stores and is far more complex and elegant than any of the simplistic wines we tasted that night. However, it wasn't the wine that was important.

Martin provided my first example of a man interested in the pleasures of the kitchen. I will never forget the times he and I spent learning about wine, developing recipes to go with the wine, experimenting, discovering. Though surrounded by family we loved, I always felt these were our times. He and I, on a quest for knowledge, uncovering both diamonds and lumps of coal. I think about him a lot, especially at holidays. His eager mind and generous heart. And his infectious love of good wine.