Everyone knows that beer is for pubs and sporting events. Read any sword-n-sorcery book in the world and sooner or later you’ll find the hero and company down at the local bar hoisting a celebratory flagon of ale. The atmosphere often resembles a sporting event even if there isn’t any fighting, although that happens more often than not in those books.
Liquor, on the other hand, is for getting downtown fast. If you and your girlfriends want to party like you mean it (no men allowed), try some of these adult cupcake recipes and see if you don’t agree. You’ll get there in a hurry. Take away everyone’s car keys and let your hair down.
But wine, well now, wine is for love. Now and forever.
Even opening a bottle of wine has become something of a social ritual over the ages; cutting open the foil, untwisting the wire, screwing the opener into the cork (how Freudian can it get?), then slowly pulling out the cork until you hear that delicious pop! All the while he’s staring deep into your eyes.
Aah. You knew that last part was coming, didn’t you?
Of course, you did. Because wine is about relationships.
As E. E. Cummings once wrote;
His lips drink water,
but his heart drinks wine.
Don’t Spoil The Mood
The last thing you want is for the mood to be ruined because the cork won’t come out of the bottle. The wrong wine bottle opener, or using the right one the wrong way, can spoil your evening before it gets started.
The good people over at the Wine Turtle (don’t you love that name?) have reviewed the best wine bottle openers to figure out which ones are the best so nothing will ruin that perfect evening for the two of you.
Some wine openers have a foil cutter built right in or have a shiny lever for pulling the cork out of the bottle without spilling anything unless you want to so you can lick it off each other. Others look like a waiter’s tool when he comes to the table to open the wine for you at a fancy restaurant. Maybe he should do that for you in a little role-playing to kick start the evening. If all you want to do is get the bottle opened (who can blame you?) there are electric wine bottle openers that will get it done right away.
Pouring the Wine
If you enjoy a slow tease, wait a few minutes to give the wine a chance to breathe. It will improve the flavor and aroma, enhancing the bouquet to bring out the wine’s character. Waiting for the wine heightens the anticipation, his and yours.
Once the wine is ready, have him (definitely him, not you) pour the wine slowly and carefully. That is another little ritual all by itself; the clink of the glass meeting the bottle, the liquid sound of wine flowing into the glass, the light sparkling off the red wine as it moves – all of it is part of the build-up.
While he’s pouring, take the opportunity to whisper some “spontaneous” sayings about love in his ear that you’ve memorized There are a hundred of them. If you scroll through them you’re sure to find some that perfectly capture your feelings about him in a way he’ll immediately understand.
Poetry Mixes With Wine
Poetry has always mixed with wine. They were made for each other, and while he pours the wine for you, it is the right time to use some – on him. Perhaps you could start with a few lines from the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam.
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread-and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness-
O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!
Even in the poems themselves, the poet speaks of wine and verse together. Wine is for relaxing together, unburdening yourselves of the cares of the world, and turning your attention completely and solely to each other. This is the way it is meant to be.
The Final Steps
No, not that. Well, not yet anyway. That’s for you to decide. No, the final steps in the ritual of the wine is the slow swirl of the wine in the glass. When he hands it to you (don’t reach for it, make him bring it to you) swirl it slowly in the glass, letting the light dance off it. Then, take that first sip of what promises to be a beautiful evening.
Because wine is for love.
