What Do You Drink In Hell?

For some ungodly reason, I decided to attend a workshop in Scottsdale, Arizona in June.  The temps this weekend reached 119 degrees, which I believe means that the conference was arranged by Satan, himself. (The thermometer by the pool showed a temp of 123 degrees.)

So what am I to do when there is a possibility that if I step outside of the hotel doors, I will most assuredly burst into flames? Drink wine, of course!

I am staying at a very cool 1950’s style hotel, so not a bad place to be stuck for the weekend and I brought a book that I purchased a year ago, but haven’t yet taken the time to read, “We Are Not Ourselves'” by Matthew Thomas. Now, usually I try to pair a wine with the book that I’m reading, but in this case, since I feel like I’m living on the inside of a ghost pepper and just want something cool and refreshing, it is the perfect day for a chilled gewürztraminer, but which one?

After looking at the room service menu, I realize that I am going to have to venture out to grab a bottle from a local wine shop. Why did I get the rental car with leather seats?!? I looked down at the floor to see the engraved burger flipper that I had purchased to give my dad as his Father’s Day present and thought about using it to pry my melted ass off of the leather seat. After going back to my room to get a towel to sit on, I was finally on my way.

You know when you open your oven and that blistering air blasts you in the face? That happens every time you open a door in Arizona. Arizonans live in the Scorch! I think the bottom of my shoes melted a little more with every step I took, so you can imagine my relief when the glass doors slid open, and I was blasted with ice cold air conditioning. I thought for a moment that I just might move into this little store with its frozen air and an unlimited supply of wine; but instead, I tracked down the wine manager, Alicia, who lead me to an excellent selection and made a recommendation of a gewürztraminer from the Pfalz region of Germany. I took her suggestion and purchased a bottle of the 2014 Valckenberg.

Once back at the hotel, I had to wait for the bottle to chill, and take another shower because of the sweat perpetually flowing from every nook and cranny. My skin felt KFC crispy.

Now settled in my comfy chair I take the first sip of the cool golden liquid, and I am in heaven. The bright, acidic notes of peaches and grapefruit are perfect for summer and complex in its finish which has hints of cinnamon or nutmeg. It would be perfect with some Thai food.  Crap…now I am hungry.

Is it just me, or does everyone love the sound a real book makes when you crack it open for the first time? Like an ancient wooden door creaking open to reveal a million hidden secrets. (You can’t get the with an ebook, my friends.) I am pleased to find out that this novel is about three generations of an Irish-American family, not just because I live in one, but because that is what I like to write about. (When I am not drinking and reading, I actually write.)

Eileen, an Irish girl, raised in Queens, can’t wait to get married (so far, sounds like my cousin Shannon), mainly because she wants an American-sounding last name. I love how strong willed and ambitious she is, determined not to become a stereotypically poor alcoholic like the family she grew up with.

She goes out on a blind date on New Year’s Eve with Ed, a Brainiac brain expert and starts to see everything that her life could be. Ed is nothing like the men she grew up with, and she can feel that her American Dream is right around the corner. She ends up marrying him, finding out too late that they want very different things out of life.

Ed turns down the big job offer that Eileen has been salivating for him to get and takes a teaching job instead. Frustrated with his lack of ambition, many arguments occur as he turns down every offer of advancement that comes his way, yet she still loves him deeply. Sounds like a perfect love story, right? Well, things get hard for Eileen and Ed when Ed diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, begins to forget. This part of the novel is so beautifully and painfully written. These days, most of us know someone or are someone dealing with this terribly debilitating disease. Matthew Thomas analyzes these feelings and makes you feel that desperation and helplessness to hold on.  Eileen’s reaction to Ed’s diagnosis was, “We are going to carry on with dignity and grace.” And they did. I have to pour another glass to deal.

Even though I make this sound like a seriously depressing story about two people, it is actually a travel log of a trip taken through a century of American life. There is joy, sadness, humor; everything you could ask for from family epic. The emotions are cutting; truly one of the best stories that I have read this year. I finished the bottle and the book; now I am ready to get the hell out of Arizona. (BTW…this is how hot the rental car says it is…I think it underestimated.)

Veronica Decides to Drink

Seeing as this is my first blog, I should tell you that two of my favorite things in life are my husband and children. Haha! I almost spit out my wine! Seriously, they are amazing, but what I really live for are books and wine, and there is nothing better than pairing the two, crisp pages and a crisp Pinot Grigio. For example, right now I am reading a book recommended to me by a customer service agent from my health insurance company. How did that happen, you ask? Well, I called to ask a question about my benefits, and the conversation went something like this.

“Good morning, this is Igor. How may I help you.” He said with an accent that I could not place.

“Hi, Igor. I have a benefits question. Can you help me with that?”

He said that he could and asked for my name and identification number. I expected him to ask for another piece of identifying information like my date of birth, or my address, but instead there was a long pause and then a quiet question, “Veronica, do you like to read?”

“Of course, I like to read. What kind of question is that?” I answered quickly, taking offense but still intrigued by his question. “Why?”

“There is a book that you must read. It is called, Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho. I read it and loved it, and I think you will, too.”

Not sure how to take this from my health insurer, I got my answers from Igor and assured him that I would look for the book although that wasn’t necessarily the truth. Who takes a book recommendation from the slightly creepy customer service guy? I did not recognize the author’s name at the time, but Coelho is an accomplished author, probably best know for The Alchemist.

Days went by, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Dammit, Igor! I had to know what the magic in this book was. So I hopped on Amazon and searched out a copy. Fortunately, I was able to find a used copy for under five dollars. I didn’t want to spend a lot just in case Igor was leading me astray.

When I read, I like to have a glass of wine which I try to make as much of an adventure as the story. Since the author Paulo Coelho is Brazilian, I decided to try a bottle from that region for the first time. Better known for soccer than viticulture, Brazil has made strides in their wine production since the mid-19th century when new varietals were introduced. I found several wines that looked interesting, but I had a hard time finding an authentic bottle from Brazil. My local wine store kept trying to push Argentina or Chile, but I held my ground and left with a bottle of Lidio Carraro, Chardonnay. I am not a fan of chardonnay, but I had my heart set on enjoying this book with an authentic Brazilian (and if I couldn’t have that, I would settle for the wine.)  I was told that this bold white from “Da’divas,” Serra Gaucha, Brazil, 2010 is an intense wine with the aroma of daisies and notes of pineapple.

Now ready to cleanse my palate with a new wine and a new book, I set out to answer the question, why do I go on living?

The protagonist, Veronika, a young woman in her twenties seems to have it all. She is gorgeous, loves her job and her family; she has plenty of suitors, but something is missing. Something so big that she believes she will never be able to find it. So, she takes matters into her own hands and takes a handful of sleeping pills to end it all. End of the story? No such luck for Veronika.

She wakes up in a local mental hospital only to find that the drugs didn’t kill her, but they have caused so much damage to her heart that she only has a few days left on this earth, which leads her to learn more about herself in those few days than in the last twenty-four years. She allows herself to feel, really feel, for the first time and this journey leads her to a new love for life. I won’t give away the ending, but I hope she got to try this Chardonnay. As I mentioned earlier, Chardonnay is my least favorite type of wine, but any wine is better than no wine and the Da’divas is better than most.

I think that Igor (the customer service rep) found beauty in the fact that Veronika’s doctor’s name was Dr. Igor. Maybe he felt that he was somehow healing me. Maybe in some small way he had.