glass as if it could be glowing with magic. “She was very pretty. We had fun that summer.”
“Didn’t last?”
“No. She got a pair of small movie parts. The movies didn’t go anywhere but she hung out with all those actors in LA and eventually got married and divorced and I lost track of her. Of course by that time I was married myself and busy with a family.”
Zack swirled and smelled his glass. He put his nose into the glass until the rim pressed a line around his face. He pulled it back. “Still needs something. What was this one again?”
“Oh, I didn’t care for that one. A little greenery in there, like the stems didn’t get taken out or were bashed up too much by the destemmer.”
“Some of the stem bitterness will mellow. It has strong floral notes though.” Zack splashed six drops into his glass.
“You know we have at least a whole barrel of that, don’t be stingy.”
“I’m just looking for a touch from it.” Zack swirled and smelled. “And this one.”
“That’s a good lot. A peppery Zinfandel.”
Zack counted the drops into his glass. He swirled and smelled. Then a few more drops. He smelled, “Maybe.” He took a sip. He sucked in air over his tongue and the wine in his mouth. Slurping like a kindergartner on a juice box. “This reminds me of –” Zack was going to say something about the pleasantness of a freshly cut lawn on a warm summer day but the image of Claire popped unexpectedly into his mind. The jolt like catching her eye from across a crowded room. Like a time-machine, the memory of being upstairs walking with Rutger and Samantha and meeting Claire. When the wine flavor faded the images blurred.
“So what does it remind you of? You look like you saw an angel with wings and everything.”
“A time machine.” Zack took a fresh pair of glasses and carefully made the same blend. Frank saw his intense focus and stayed quiet. Zack swirled and smelled the first glass and then the other two. He nodded and pushed the glass to Frank. “Try this.”
Frank swirled the wine and raised it, “I’m a taster, not a smeller.” He grinned. Then he sipped. “Whoa!”
“Well?” Zack asked when Frank opened his eyes, seeming surprised that he had closed them.
“A time machine – sure.” Frank carefully sat the glass down. “I hadn’t thought of that night in twenty years.”
“What night?”
“One of our friends got married by a lake when I was in my thirties. A friend’s second wedding.” He looked at the glass of wine, “My wife wore a new perfume and during the reception my wife and I walked along the nearby lake. We sprawled among this huge reed bed. We were so happy then.”
“Not later?”
“Oh, you have ups and downs. I started a hardware business soon after and we struggled for some years. I eventually got it figured out and that business funded my investments in this place, college for the kids, and pocket money for retirement.” Frank nudged the foot of the wine glass a little. “You write that recipe down. We have to match what’s in these three glasses. Frank pulled out his phone. “Get writing Zack.” He punched in the number, “Martin, we have one blend. You should come down and taste this. Bring Debra too if she’s free.”
Zack wrote his notes and then mixed up the additional glasses.
Martin came with Debra behind, “Wow, you two made a mess of this place.”
Frank stood and handed a glass to each of them. “You won’t care when you taste this.”
Martin swirled and smelled. Then he pulled his nose away and swirled again working up a frothy twirl. He smelled and then quickly tasted. His eyes scanned both Frank and Zack, after spitting he said, “What did you two put in there?”
“Yeah. That is sexy good,” agreed Debra. “Like a walk in the vineyard with a hot date sexy. Ooohh.”
Frank said, “Zack mixed it up. I can’t believe it. The base wines are excellent. This. I don’t know. Zack you’re a
“Didn’t last?”
“No. She got a pair of small movie parts. The movies didn’t go anywhere but she hung out with all those actors in LA and eventually got married and divorced and I lost track of her. Of course by that time I was married myself and busy with a family.”
Zack swirled and smelled his glass. He put his nose into the glass until the rim pressed a line around his face. He pulled it back. “Still needs something. What was this one again?”
“Oh, I didn’t care for that one. A little greenery in there, like the stems didn’t get taken out or were bashed up too much by the destemmer.”
“Some of the stem bitterness will mellow. It has strong floral notes though.” Zack splashed six drops into his glass.
“You know we have at least a whole barrel of that, don’t be stingy.”
“I’m just looking for a touch from it.” Zack swirled and smelled. “And this one.”
“That’s a good lot. A peppery Zinfandel.”
Zack counted the drops into his glass. He swirled and smelled. Then a few more drops. He smelled, “Maybe.” He took a sip. He sucked in air over his tongue and the wine in his mouth. Slurping like a kindergartner on a juice box. “This reminds me of –” Zack was going to say something about the pleasantness of a freshly cut lawn on a warm summer day but the image of Claire popped unexpectedly into his mind. The jolt like catching her eye from across a crowded room. Like a time-machine, the memory of being upstairs walking with Rutger and Samantha and meeting Claire. When the wine flavor faded the images blurred.
“So what does it remind you of? You look like you saw an angel with wings and everything.”
“A time machine.” Zack took a fresh pair of glasses and carefully made the same blend. Frank saw his intense focus and stayed quiet. Zack swirled and smelled the first glass and then the other two. He nodded and pushed the glass to Frank. “Try this.”
Frank swirled the wine and raised it, “I’m a taster, not a smeller.” He grinned. Then he sipped. “Whoa!”
“Well?” Zack asked when Frank opened his eyes, seeming surprised that he had closed them.
“A time machine – sure.” Frank carefully sat the glass down. “I hadn’t thought of that night in twenty years.”
“What night?”
“One of our friends got married by a lake when I was in my thirties. A friend’s second wedding.” He looked at the glass of wine, “My wife wore a new perfume and during the reception my wife and I walked along the nearby lake. We sprawled among this huge reed bed. We were so happy then.”
“Not later?”
“Oh, you have ups and downs. I started a hardware business soon after and we struggled for some years. I eventually got it figured out and that business funded my investments in this place, college for the kids, and pocket money for retirement.” Frank nudged the foot of the wine glass a little. “You write that recipe down. We have to match what’s in these three glasses. Frank pulled out his phone. “Get writing Zack.” He punched in the number, “Martin, we have one blend. You should come down and taste this. Bring Debra too if she’s free.”
Zack wrote his notes and then mixed up the additional glasses.
Martin came with Debra behind, “Wow, you two made a mess of this place.”
Frank stood and handed a glass to each of them. “You won’t care when you taste this.”
Martin swirled and smelled. Then he pulled his nose away and swirled again working up a frothy twirl. He smelled and then quickly tasted. His eyes scanned both Frank and Zack, after spitting he said, “What did you two put in there?”
“Yeah. That is sexy good,” agreed Debra. “Like a walk in the vineyard with a hot date sexy. Ooohh.”
Frank said, “Zack mixed it up. I can’t believe it. The base wines are excellent. This. I don’t know. Zack you’re a
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