Welcome to Drinking Lessons
In the US we grow up with binge drinking culture, one that creates taboo about booze, and no structure to educate ourselves. Drinking Lessons aim to help you get out of your head & into the glass🍷
Have you ever had a sip of wine and all of the sudden a wash of memory, emotion, lyrics of song start playing in your mind? Maybe it took you back to a certain lovestruck moment in college- or possibly a favorite hike you did as a kid, better yet, the wine reminded you of hot summer days riding your bike where the reward to the end of the trail was a Strawberry Shortcake ice cream from the Good Humor truck.
Yes??
…no?
Either way, it’s ok!! I’m here to help, guide, and advocate for turning on all your senses while drinking. Because I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, wine is drinkable art.
And if I’m going to use my years of “getting in touch with my body/emotions/memories” from acting training, minor in Art History, and French heritage for anything - it’s to have you enjoy wine with your full body. It should be an experience - and a fun one. So yes, while I’ve used the proper tasting grids in my wine training, they won’t be a tool in this training.
Drinking Lessons will be focused on how to drink and enjoy wine somatically. The goal? To teach you how to drink for you, and not to be on the same page as the scores you see in the press. You already have your own unique sense of taste that just needs a little coaxing to come fully online. We’re using both our right and left side of the brain baby!!!
…reading this back I’m coming off as part wine-witch, part enthusiastic night-school elective teacher and well - if you’re with me, welcome aboard the ride!!
How I Drink:
I had a fantastic Chardonnay last week at dinner (see bottle in the middle of the collage). One that took me to a woodsy river setting: cold water rushing from the melting snow, fresh pine needles on slightly damp soil, sun peaking through the trees, and yet at the same time was reminiscent of a walk with my Godmother near her cabin in Jackson Hole, and my time at camp in Minnesota.
Woof…I know…lots of things - but these “little flickers” (a very technical term) set the scene for a memorable few glasses. Was I locked into this dreamscape the entire time I was drinking? No- we’d need a different kind of drug for that, however, I was more connected, sipped slower, and sparked some great conversations around the table which wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t take momentary pause to enjoy our wine.
Accessing these scent/sense/core memories is not a given or doesn’t necessarily come naturally to everyone. But, we all have wells of knowledge that can burst to the surface with a little guidance, encouragement, a safe environment and practice.
In the next 5 weeks, this series will delve into each sense:
-Sight
-Touch
-Smell
-Hearing
-Taste
With exercises to make your glass of wine feel less like random alcoholic grape juice, and more like a memorable movie, conversation or catchy song.
You in?? See you next week!
Cheers!
(and yes, please ask any questions in the comments!!)