I’m so hesitant to write this. And that’s usually a good sign that I should. : ) I just know there will be big feelings for and against. Anyway, here we are. It’s 2023… I’m 40… I love a good cabernet. It was the first wine I fell in love with (that’s a relative statement… read on…) when I finally decided to get past the weird taste of it and “be a grown up.” Rosé later became my wine of choice, mostly because the taste was sweeter and more palatable. But after reading Catherine Gray’s book, The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, a few weeks ago, I can’t help but remember that first sip of red wine I ever had. I was at Bern’s steakhouse in Tampa with a girl I met at work, her boyfriend, and Bryan. I didn’t drink wine (in fact, I didn’t drink much of anything). She was one of those cool girls. Effortlessly beautiful and able to pull off an outfit I would for sure look like a cartoon character in (a sheer white top with a black lacy bra — it didn’t look too sexy, it was just the right amount of polished and edgy). She had this edge about her that always made me feel just a little bit younger than I actually was. Do you know girls like that? I think we all do.
Anyway, Bryan loved red wine. She and her boyfriend loved merlot. I… honestly just wanted a diet coke.