Is there hope for wine becoming a tightly woven staple inside the fabric of all meals; consumed sans any hint of pomp and circumstance? While the prospect is mesmerizing, it feels more countercultural than any of my 1970’s teenage years ever did. Can Americans honestly aspire to adopt a European wine-as-food lifestyle? Or, is the thought merely a romantic hallucination colliding with America’s fast food, hustle and bustle cultural code?
Imagine replacing breakfast orange juice with a glass of Spatlese. Consider substituting Cru Beaujolais for the morning latte. It all sounds relaxing, but at what price? While decadently appealing, how would I manage my way to and through work? Where would I sneak a 10am nap? What will my colleagues think when they smell the alcohol? Tres American!
Earlier this week, this email arrived from a friend:
My dear friends and family who also enjoy wine,
I am writing to you to let you know that my life long search for a BREAKFAST WINE is finally over.
Recently, I had the good fortune to be on a bike trip in the remote mountainous region on the Island of Mallorca where I made this discovery one morning while stoping for a coffee (cortado) in a small farming village on the NW coast. I pulled into this small cafe, the sun not quite having risen completely, and noticed a group of local farmers engaged in some lively banter. At first, thinking it was caffeine making them so alive so early, I paid no attention.
However, when they soon stood up to head off to work I noticed an empty bottle of wine on the table. I smiled and waked over to the waitress to enquire if this was normal behavior for the Mallorcans or some sort of special day. She told me it was very common for locals in the area to share a bottle of light red wine with their breakfasts as it “loosened” things up for the day.
WELL, here is a picture of the bottle (please note it is a meritage with 2 varietals from Mallorca) which I have recently secured their entire production for import to the United States.
I look forward to sharing a bottle with you soon~Gotta love the name too…
Lets toast to 3 meals a day with a little vino sometime soon, no?
If you are moved, I can connect you with this new Mallorca breakfast wine source. But before you rationalize regular morning doses of reservatrol, Professor David Levitsky has something to say about it in the Cornell Daily Sun. “ ‘The best time of day to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning, immediately after getting out of bed…the best time to drink alcohol like red wine is just before dinner.’ Research has shown that the liver metabolizes and detoxifies alcohol most efficiently and quickest between the hours of 5 and 6 pm.”
Not to despair, maybe Gary Vaynerchuck has it right with this first reasonable (?) step towards breakfast and wine:
When hope dwindles in your own personal wine-as-food lifestyle quest, I can personally recommend this Sunday breakfast wine and food elixir. After all, the Europeans can’t be all wrong.