Let’s see what it means to be living

How has the year started for you all? Mine started on a bruised note. I fell down on a road in front of my office one day while trying to cross, it in the face of cars rushing in suddenly from a bylane. It gave me a bloody knee, taking me back to my childhood badminton days, days when I often fell on pebbly roads and got scars thereafter.

Though the present wound has healed after giving me a few sleepless nights, it has left patches I could have done without, considering a much-awaited holiday in Goa is coming up.

Just talking about Goa makes me feel so tra la la. If you know what I mean. This floaty feeling that takes care of the cares of life. It’s the kind of feeling that swamped my senses today even as I sipped on reds, whites, rosés and the sparkling varieties of wines at a wine and food show. They came from all over -- Argentinia, Hungary, South Africa, Italy.

I had august company I realized when I fell for the pale amber and sweet Tokaji Aszú. Louis XIV apparently, according to the Hungarian at the counter, dubbed it the ‘Wine of Kings, King of Wines’. I tried both the 3 and 6 varieties which refer to the number of baskets full of rotten grapes that have gone into the making of the wine and thereby affect its sweetness. It goes best with dessert or as my Hungarian friend informed me, “simply by itself as you put your feet up on your porch staring out into the horizon”. Unfortunately I own neither the porch nor the Tojaki *sigh*

An Italian sparkling red wine, the Brachetta, earned me a kiss from the chic Italian lady at the counter. And an invitation to mail her on her personal mail ID! It was as feel-good as it gets. The Brachetta with its fruity flavour was most unlike a full bodied, rich red. Do let a glass of it pass through your lips. You will thank me and hopefully buy me a round.

Another hit with me was the Pearly Bay from South Africa. I had both the white sparkling and rosé Pearly Bays. Both to watch out for. The Argentinian Malbecs and Chardonnays meanwhile lulled me since by then I had tried out innumerable sips.

I did pick up a few tips as well for choosing one's wine. The common ones: Pair the reds with spicy kebabs or other rich dishes and the whites with fish and other light dishes. And the uncommon one: never go for aged rosés. Unlike the reds and whites, they are best had young.

Enough wine talk for a day. And enough wine to drench the self. You can picture that by the time I got out of the show I was blissful as blissful can be. I have been in a happy haze since!