Wehlener Sonnenuhr
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Germany
A few years ago, my uncle Bob turned my dislike of "sweet" Riesling into a quizzical quest to be more open to it. I don't remember what bottle we enjoyed that afternoon in the sun on his patio, as it was before my blogger days where I'd actually pay attention to labels in the hopes of a later review, but he served it with prosciutto wrapped melon and I was sold on that marriage. Yesterday afternoon, Thanksgiving Day, brought me back to the above sweet recollection.
In keeping with tradition, in spite of my uncle's passing, we are still enjoying his wines on Thanksgiving. My aunt brought me Riesling from the Mosel region, as my uncle had done before on previous Thanksgivings to serve with appetizers. I made bacon wrapped scallops specifically to accompany this Riesling and it was outrageously good. This Riesling has wonderful aromas and tastes of pears and apricots. But followed by a bite of bacon-wrapped scallop, the sweetness cut out and a fantastic minerality became known to me. This was an excellent pairing. :)
So, after yesterday, I vowed I would get up this morning and eat healthy and go for a walk. So far, I got up and turned on some old jazz. I made Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls for my girls, with bacon and eggs. Simultaneously I began pulling out ingredients to make turkey soup today. To get to my onions and celery and carrots and shallots, I had to remove piles of leftovers from yesterday's dinner. That meant the chocolate cream pie had to come out. I had a sliver as I placed it on the counter (I figured it would make my coffee taste better). Then as the bacon was draining, I thought about the awesome Riesling and bacon-related pairing from yesterday and thought I should blog about it. To capture a bit more of that experience, I thought I should pour a half glass of Riesling and have it with a piece of bacon (9:30 a.m. mind you). As I continued savoring the two, I pulled pumpkin pie from the fridge and wondered what the Riesling would taste like when paired with the pumpkin pie, so I had a sliver of that. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't the same caliber as the bacon and scallops. Similarly, the bacon also was not as enjoyable alone with the Riesling as when the scallop accompanied it. As I continued pouring through the fridge and gorging myself on morning wine and confections with the occasional piece of bacon, Glenn Miller's Rhapsody in Blue came on and I began to reflect on the ever changing Thanksgiving Table gathering over the years. We had a few good years just a short while back where I could count on a regular crowd and I learned to love the feel of the togetherness with so many who mean so much. I began to rely on all the "regulars" and had such a shock when last year marked the first year that we lost so many and it changed the dynamic greatly.
Yesterday was a good day, though we did miss my brother who was unable to make it for the first time in years. That said, we gained my aunt back after being unable to make it the last two years. My mom and step-dad joined as they usually do, and of course my grandmother whose presence I have greatly appreciated over the years and I have found I don't ever want to not be at my Thanksgiving table, though sadly I know that too will change as everything must in this life. I lost my other grandmother last year and we had our first Thanksgiving last year without her being still here on earth. At the same time, last year was our first Thanksgiving after having lost my uncle and step-grandfather as well. So as we gathered this year, we were very cognizant of those we have loved and lost who used to adorn my table with their presence, and those who couldn't be with us for other means. But their presence was greatly felt among us I couldn't help but feel. We ate off of plates my deceased grandmother brought back from a trip to Japan years ago. We enjoyed my uncle's wine as we have continuously for so many years (even when he couldn't make it, he would still forward to me a case of wine that he picked out for each various phase of dinner from appetizers to dessert). And my grandmother brought her late husband's recipe of Rum Tiddlies she'd made in a big bottle of Mount Gay Rum, complete with fresh nutmeg grated into each glass. I reflected last night after all company had long gone, as I sat in my kitchen remembering (and missing greatly) the Thanksgiving nights when my late grandmother would stay and help me pull apart the turkey for making soup, on how the Thanksgiving Table is a metaphor for life itself. Life is ever changing, nothing stays the same for long, and the trick for us as humans is to learn to adapt to those changes, go with it, create new memories while savoring the old, all the time realizing that while change can bring emptiness and sadness or a longing for days gone by, at any given moment, change can also bring a new happiness or new wonderful memory to lighten our heart and can very much bring about those long lost good feelings from good days gone by. And in this way, it is as if past meets present, making the future brighter with hope.
When this doesn't happen again
We'll have this moment forever
But never, never again
--Doris Day, "Again"
8.5 out of 10
8% alc. by vol.
$20/750 ml. bottle
