I have to admit something. I re-gift wine. Frequently.

Here’s the scenario that happens all too often: we’re running out of the house to a dinner and realize we didn’t get a gift. So I go to my wine “cellar” (more like a wine cupboard), and stare at it. How much should I “spend”? And for that matter, how much is each bottle I own worth (of course, I have no idea because either they were gifts or I picked them up years earlier while traveling overseas etc.)? What are we likely to eat that we might want to pair the wine with?

Well guess what (this is going to come as a big surprise) - Drync Wine can help! In fact, it did help me just recently, in three ways.

First, I now have my wine cellar cataloged in Drync Wine. I know the value of each bottle, as well as have expert reviews and winemaker’s notes for each. For instance, I was shocked to find out that bottle of Antinori Tignanello a classmate gave me is worth $114 (! don’t give this one away !), and the 2002 Fond de Cave Malbec I schlepped back from Argentina is worth less than I paid for it…

Second, I was given a bottle of 2005 K Vintners The Creator the other evening. This turns out to be a $55 bottle of wine that received a rating from The Wine Advocate of 96/100. According to the winemaker, I’ll find “black olives, tapenade, dried herbs, earth, and spice” in there. Whoa! Definitely not re-gifting that.

And last, as we are walking out the door it’s super fast and easy to refer to my Drync Cellar and choose an appropriate wine to re-gift.

I’m not proud of this lazy habit, but it is what it is. And I assume I’m not alone.

-brad

Words of wisdom sent to me today…

Two Glasses of Wine

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine…

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life: If you spend all your time and energy on the small Stuff. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medicalcheckups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the Things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.

The professor smiled. ‘I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend.’