Why Wine Matters

I do not want to get too philosophical in a blog but the reason wine matters is that is conjures up memories and it connects us with people, stories and events, and that can be very important.

Case in point: Cassic Blanc. This is a relatively obscure white wine from the south of France (next door to Bandol). I am oddly obsessed by it in a small way. There is not much of it imported into the states and almost nobody knows about it but when I worked at a record company in the 90's, one of my regular trips was to the south of France (specifically Cannes, Nice and Marseille). And during those trips I ate and paid attention to the local cuisine. This was a wine that I enjoyed with local dishes and a wine that struck a nerve with me. No real reason. There are plenty of other "superior" wines, for lack of a better word, but this wine stuck with me.

Several years ago I discovered that Neal Rosenthal imported one such Cassis Blanc to the States, and, needless to say I have been carrying this ever since. It holds a special place in my heart. And there might not be a "life-changing" moment behind it but I only have to think of it to bring me back to a moment in time.

And that leads me back to "why wine matters" - it connects us to something... a moment, a feeling, a place, and that gives us pause, and for some of us, that "matters."

The wine we will always carry at Rosso Wine Shop (unless the current vintage has run out):

2008 Domaine Du Bagnol Cassis Blanc
A blend of 50% Marsanne, 35% Clairette and 15% Ugni Blanc. This jewel of an estate, located on the French Riviera, is experiencing a renaissance in quality. This bold white wine from Cassis is quite remarkable. Crisp and bold at the same time. A perfect match with any seafood but particularly great with fish soup (bouillabaisse), the dish that is most famous from this region.