Gemini Rising

Thursday Inspiration - Wine

Nothing sets a romantic scene like wine. My husband and I used to sit on our porch at our little table and sip a glass, just hanging out, enjoying the company. It was relaxing. Two kids later we rarely get a chance to do that!

Wine has been around since, well forever. The earliest wine production was in Georgia and Iran, if you can believe that, dating back to 6000 BC. Since, wine has been found from Egypt to China and soon took a role in most ceremonial events.

Not surprising, wine was predominant in classical Greece and Rome. It was probably safer to drink than the water as it underwent some type of purification. The Catholic church came to use it in their early rituals and they still do today, however it was frowned upon in medieval Muslim society.

The French, of course, have turned wine making into an art. They have a rich history of blending grapes varietals. Germany also produces wine, but mostly sweet Rieslings and ice wine. Just recently I had an ice wine from Canada that was very good.

In America, specifically, in California, most vintners don’t mix varietals, keeping a bottle wine the same grape. Everyone has their own technique, and pairing wine with food can be as much as drinking it.

I prefer red wines myself. I find them more full bodied. I’m picky about my chardonnay, but I do enjoy a good Riesling and Gewürztraminer.

What makes wine special in writing? Wine is relaxing. People drop their guard a little when enjoying a glass. Their more prone to open about themselves. A scene in a story where a man and woman have a glass can be made into a good character driven scene where they find out something about the other they didn’t know.

When working on character scenes, including a glass of wine could be fun. It’s a good for a writer to connect with readers and characters to connect with each other.

In a future post, I’ll take a look a German white wines and how much fun they can be. I hope this inspires your muse to have a glass during your next project!

Smiles,
Steph