Cutting to the chase, this is a truly unremarkable wine, and that’s precisely why it was perfect last night. On Friday, I sat down to two different flights with my friend Erin, another wine lover, and we spent most of the time tasting and talking about the wines. Last night, however, when I had this Cava, I was with some dear old friends I hadn’t seen in far too long, and we were having the best possible time talking and laughing it up.

Nick is a chiropractor from the western part of the state. He is one of the most energetic, positive, and inspiring men I know.

Mike is a DVM from the Boston area.  He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve met, and is so utterly loyal and genuine that nobody I know can help but love him.

Sky is a pilot, and part-owner of his company in Lincoln. He’d be president by now if he wanted to; he’s extremely charismatic, meticulous, thoughtful, and deep.

We all got together to talk about life, marriage, business, and the other day-to-day things that we thought a brain trust such as this one might help us out with. We met at the hotel around 3 and began conversing. We talked for hours and hours, sharing ideas, being brutally honest with one another, and ultimately edifying one another with our experience, candor, and willingness to bend over backwards, now and in the future. It was one of the best afternoons I’ve spent with friends in a long time, and I believe left us all feeling stronger and uplifted.

When the time came and we sat down to dinner, I was so wrapped up in thought and conversation that I barely glanced at the wine list. We were in an oyster bar. I didn’t feel like more scotch and I wouldn’t drink an IPA with your mouth, so that left sparkling wine. I took a guess at this one based on it’s by-the-glass price, and got just what I wanted: simple bubbles. This basic sparkling wine paired well enough with my oysters and various other seafood, and required no further effort or attention from me. Perfect for conversation.

As I so often say, wine is an excellent compliment to other experiences in life. Sometimes, however, because of my enthusiasm for it, I tend to let wine become the experience. This works out with other vino lovers, but would have been a distraction from more important things last night. It was great to be able to pair wine with great food and company without having to analyze its every characteristic. I recommend this method, and wines like this one for it.

Cheers to great friends,