snapshots in time
wine and memories
Recently, I was cleaning up my bedroom and I came across an old photo.
This was a dear memory - me as a child with my mum and sister playing with Troy, my grandparents’ dog, and my Granddad cheekily holding up a bottle of wine.
Then it hit me that both Granddad and Troy are gone - living forever only in my memories.
Grief hits in weird ways.
My granddad passed away last November. He was my last living grandparent. His passing really took a toll on me. I realised the passage of time and the mortality of man. I can easily remember my granddad being full of life and energy - always the gregarious individual. He never knew a stranger. His house parties were epic - there’s video footage somewhere of his 60th birthday party that went late into the night in a sleepy cul-de-sac in Chelmsford. We lived with him and his wife Nancy (basically my grandmother) for a few years during a transitional period in life and those were some of the best years in England that I can remember.
I was there in 2018 when Nancy passed away. My mum and I flew to England to help with arrangements and make sure that Granddad was holding up well. He wasn’t, but he did his best to hold it together during our visit. Soon after, his health declined. I consider myself lucky to still have vivid memories of Granddad being the absolute ray of sunshine and ball of energy that he always was. He truly didn’t lose that until his health declined.
Troy was the goodest boy. A sweet black dog who would rush to the front room window anytime Granddad said “where are the girls?!” Always so gentle and full of life, much like my grandfather. He was the best dog and the best introduction to having a pet.
The first picture took me back to a wonderful moment in time. Maybe 1992? A time that cannot be recreated - only remembered.
Wine is very much the same way. The best wines in the world are perfect snapshots of a time and place, never to be recreated. Terroir, if you will. Hot vintages, cool vintages, soil composition, pruning techniques and decisions, slopes, aspects, threats of rain, pests, diseases, market demands (?), winemaker choices (?), appellation regulations or lack thereof…
All of it leads up to a final product that is a snapshot. It may evolve over time, but its core is still present. Just as a physical photo may fade or crack over time, a wine meant to stand the test of time may evolve into tertiary notes, but the heart of it is still there. You can still tell where it comes from and how the grapes were grown and handled that year. And, to me, the best winemakers in the world are the one who allow the fruit to shine and keep their inputs low.
Nostalgia hits me hard. Going through all of these photos reminded me of great times in my home country. And of course, I long to go back. Every time I leave London, I’m deeply sad. The places I know and love have evolved…but the heart of them is still there.
here’s to remembering the good times and drinking the good wines,
- j