Any Tuesday Afternoon

Most of us go through life relying on routine. We expect certain things, and we depend on the ordinary to lead us through a typical day: the alarm will go off, we will catch the train or drive our cars, go to stores and banks, and go about our jobs and our lives generally expecting that today won't be that different from the day before. Usually we are right. But sometimes, we might learn something. Try something different. Make a new friend. Or even better, taste a new wine. As a consultant, it is my job to bring our wines to restaurants and wine shops that I believe will benefit from carrying these wines in their establishments. They can then pass them on to their customers.
Our wines are small production, handcrafted wines that can be found in a range of establishments, from a tiny wine shop in south Brooklyn to the distinguished wine list at The Four Seasons. People appreciate the quality of our wines. They value the hard work, the skill, time, patience, and the artistry that each of our winemakers put into crafting their wines. I wouldn't sell anything less, of course.

But how did all of these people come to know and love the wines I sell? Well, obviously, they all had to taste them for the first time. It seems simple, but it always astounds me that there are still people whose preconceived notions about wine won't allow them to try anything new or out of the ordinary. Sadly, I came across just such a person the other day.

Most of the wines in our portfolio are made in California, usually in the French Burgundian style and often from French vines. One particular wine we sell, however, is quite rare. It is grown in China. It's a wonderful wine, and to taste it is to love it. That is why I was surprised when a restaurant owner in Soho refused to try it simply because he assumed it must be terrible. How can a Chinese wine be good? I'll tell him, and you. It's good because a French winemaker was clever enough to take vine cuttings from his homeland, where they were becoming extinct, and bring them to China. It was a success, and as a result the world has Cabernet Gernischt. To read more visit http://www.akswow.com/changyu.htm
That's the history of the wine in brief. The point is, it's not what people expect to see on a wine list. It's certainly not ordinary. That's a great thing, because we can always find the ordinary in our alarm clocks and on line at the bank on any Tuesday afternoon. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised.

Friday, after a very long day, I was pleasantly surprised by a random act of kindness a young girl graced me with on the subway. I was flustered and couldn't find my mta card in my bag, so there I stood, rifling through my purse, just knowing I would miss the train as I heard it approaching in the distance. A girl standing nearby on the other side of the gate saw my dilemma, and without hesitation, offered me her card so that I wouldn't miss the train. I offered to pay her the two dollars but she refused. I was grateful, and moved by this. It seems small, but to me it changed everything. My spirits were lifted, and I felt happy to be a part of the human race.

We live in a hectic world, leading hectic lives that are generally dictated by the routine. Often life seems rather ordinary. But sometimes, if we let it, the extraordinary will happen. A beautiful flower pushes through the pavement of a Brooklyn sidewalk. A kind stranger offers a helping hand. A rare and extinct Bordeaux vine grows in China.

These are gifts. All we have to do is accept.