Semantics

Heureux Juillet Antoinette 

Words matter! Not just in politics where it's very important to know what the definition of is...is, or the difference between extremely negligent vs gross negligence...just a few letters are all the difference between the Big House and the White House. That's why lawyers were invented, and arguably why sommeliers were as well. Wine and politics are birds of a feather in some ways. So while the purpose of sommeliers and lawyers might seem to be to obfuscate, cloud, embellish, exaggerate, authenticate, invalidate or just distinguish the pretentious from the peon...we live in America, equality for all...you don't have to score 800 on the verbal section of the SAT's to understand the wine you drink, or the right person to vote for. Next time you go to buy wine here's a few descriptors to get you started and help you visualize a few terms...Steely: high acidity and sharp edges, think Trump; Austere: unfriendly wine with high acidity and little fruit, think Hillary; Barnyard: smells like the south end of a north bound mule, fill in the blank. What you should be looking for are wines that reflect these terms...Opulent: rich, smooth and bold, think Sean Connery as James Bond; Elegant: where less is more and they age well, think Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch; Velvety: lush, smooth and silky, think Rita Hayworth in Gilda; Brawny: big, masculine, muscular wine, think Clint Eastwood or John Wayne in pretty much anything.  And finally, you can't go wrong in wine or politics if you can find and afford an Intellectually Satisfying choice, think of anyone on Mt Rushmore!

July 6, 2016