Shawn's New Year's Resolution

I know everyone makes those great New Year’s resolutions like lose
weight, eat healthier, work out, or just live better. Wow, these are very
high ideals that usually go nowhere. I know because every year I make
these same grand gestures. This year my resolutions are going to be a
short list of obtainable goals. They are, run the White Rock Marathon
(I have run two before so it is not that out of reach), give more back to
the community, and give white wine a chance. Yes, I said it, “Give white
wine a chance.”

Let me give you my creed that I lived by in 2005; “Red, red, red until I
am dead.” I love red wine. I am drawn to it like phyloxera to a
grapevine (Phyloxera- the disease that killed all of the vines in Europe
in the late 1800’s). I am still a heavy drinker of red wines and I truly
enjoy them. Shane Johnson, the head of the Dallas Secret Wine
Society, has always sung the praises of white burgundy, stating; "White
burgundy is the pinnacle of white wine."

So as I was going to watch the Rose Bowl over at my friend Tom Wylie’
s house and I decided to bring some wine. He has this great friend
Gary who prefers white wine so I decided to start my resolution off
right. I purchased a fine white burgundy called Chateau Fuisse, a
Pouilly-Fuisse distributed by Fredrick Wildman and Sons. I also bought
a Grand Cru red Bordeaux from Saint Emillion called Font Villac. We
open the red and decanted it and we chilled the white.

At about half time I brought out the White Burgundy and opened it up.
The smell was of sweet lemon grass and citrus fruit and the taste was
crisp, slightly sweet and refreshing. In fact it was very refreshing. It
cleansed the palate leaving a lively after taste. My lips wanted more. I
swirled the glass again to check if it was going to turn red because this
couldn’t be true. How, after this many years could I be dead wrong
about a white wine? How could I have been so prejudice against a great
wine? I like white wine!

Now I am going to apologize to my friend Leslie because I have let her
down. When I told her my New Year’s resolution I think her little heart
broke. “Why Shawn? Why would you do that?” she said. Leslie is a full
body red wine drinker only. She won’t even touch a light pinot noir. I
have always been her partner in crime in that respect. We were great
heroes of red wine like California Cabernet and Zinfandels. So my dear
friend I have to humbly apologize to you for giving up the cause.

So does this mean you will see me walking out of the wine store with a
case of Glen Ellen Chardonnay? Will you see me sipping a White
Zinfandel by the pool? Will you hear me say, “I am sorry but I only
have white wine”? Will I complain because my cellar is over stocked by
White Burgundy? No, but it might surprise you the next time if I take
out a bottle of Wildman Fuisse and I try to persuade you to give up the
cause.