Odd post this because it is prompted by the death on Monday of my cousin Donal Broughan, who was only 55. It was a sudden death, utterly unexpected and leaves his wife, Karina, and sons Ruaidhri and Conall totally devastated at the worst time of year.
So, this is a short post with no real wine content other than this - with Christmas coming up, if you have any decent wine that you've been saving for an occasion then why not take this opportunity to drink them? After all, among the worst things that happens when you open an aged wine is that it is too old or faulty; in the latter case there was never a good tie to drink it but if the wine is too old then there was, at some point, a time to have consumed it!
My cousin's death was a shock, especially when it makes you realise that we will never know the day or the hour, so try to enjoy your life as best you can. If that means drinking a good or great wine a little too young, or with people who don't get it then so what? You will have tried a wine which you will enjoy and will have shared your joy with others. Santayana said "There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval" so off you go and crack open some real goodies this year and spread the joy!
About Me
- DermotMW
- Dublin, Ireland
- Hi, I'm Dermot Nolan, and I became a Master of Wine (MW) in 1997, and resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine in 2023 after being an MW for exactly 26 years. I opened a wine shop in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, called The Wine Library, which closed in 2018, and this is my personal wine blog. I will do my utmost to be fair and responsible in my posts – please read my Who Pays article in re the ethics of wine trips and writing. I have worked in wine education, retail, and consultancy since 1990. I was a Director of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) from 2008 to 2014 and was also a member of the Events Committee, founder of the Trips Committee, and member of the Governance Committee. Having had problems with potentially libellous comments from unidentifiable posters, I now require that if you post a comment, you must identify yourself properly or it won't be published. Please note that I do not review products or services on request so kindly don't ask. I value my independence and I believe my readers (few that they may be) do so also.
2 comments:
Hi Dermot,
Elegantly put. Lovely to meet again yesterday, sorry it had to be such an utterly sad occasion. We will be raising a glass to Donal this Christmas with a Picpoul de Pinet (Steph) and some robust little Minervois (me).
- Mick C
PS talk soon and we mustn't leave it so long this time
Hi Mick,
It was good to see both you and Steph, a shame about the circumstances.
My email is on the blog - diploma@dermotnolan.ie so anytime you want to talk wine or music or what ever, feel free to get in touch.
There are some nice picpouls out there, although I find some too acidic, and some very good Minervois wines so good choices for Christmas. Have a good one.
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