A little background is necessary to fully appreciate what you are about to read. It’s not easy to say, so the best thing here might just be to come straight out with it…John has never had a drink. Ever.
John: Wine festival! Woo-hoo!
Dena: Shiraz, Cabernet, Pinot, Chardonnay. So many choices, so little tolerance. Where to start?
John: Where to start? Bottled water and crackers. That’s where. Actually, when I first heard about Durango’s First Annual Wine Festival, I really was excited. Although I don’t drink, I certainly do enjoy going out with people. Plus, it’s really not that bad being the designated safe driver. Although most people look forward to the chance to sample so many great wines in one weekend, I was looking forward to the food (I do eat!).
Dena: For the town’s first wine fest they certainly put on an impressive show. Over 90 wineries were represented, a variety of wine tastings, dinners and educational seminars filled out the weekend. The fest kicked off in high style with a tasting staged at art galleries throughout downtown. This was fun! A sip here, a sip there. It was a great chance to sample so many wines. So many, that I never realized that one sip of say 60 wines, really adds up…
John: Did you catch that Dena might have a low alcohol tolerance? Those sips did indeed add up.
Dena: Was Durango really spinning? My teetoler husband insisted it wasn’t. We were supposed to go to, of all things, a five-course wine dinner in about 30 minutes after the wine stagger (oh, I mean walk). Right now, that bed in my room sounded much more appealing, but we were committed. With John steering the way, I stumbled to the restaurant.
John: Back to those sips for a moment…they added up to so much that during dinner, Dena paired each course with a great current vintage Diet Coke. Now, some might think that it would be rather, shall we say uncomfortable, to sit through a wine dinner, and drink no wine. Well, they’d all be wrong. Think about it. Who are the most popular people at the table? Those that pass their wine on to their tablemates!
Dena: Yea, we were the life of the party; everybody wanted to be our friend! Thankfully by dessert my equilibrium returned and I was able to sample the ice wine, a somewhat rare treat I was happy I was able to enjoy. With the first day of the festival behind us, and my buzz worn off, I was plotting my strategy for the next day’s tastings so there wouldn’t be a repeat of the first night.
John: Even though I don’t partake, I certainly do enjoy the stories behind the wines, the wineries and the people who dedicate their lives to creating them. They all have stories. The ice wine, for instance, can only be made when the grapes are at a specific ripeness, and at a precise temperature. Even then, only a small yield is possible. How do they figure this stuff out?
Dena: Sometimes when we travel with other people, we end up doing things we normally wouldn’t choose. The Durango wine fest is proof that even if you aren’t as into an activity as your travel mates are, you can usually find some fun and enjoyment in the experience. In fact, John was just asking me this past weekend if we could go back to the wine festival this year…personally, I think he’s just hoping for a repeat performance of my Walk around Durango….
