Recently I had a semi-important birthday. Let's just say it ended in 5, not in 0. Still, it was a good reason to celebrate with loved ones and open some great wines. Fortunately, I was born in what some consider a classic Bordeaux vintage. With friends we cooked a special dinner and enjoyed two amazing wines from my birth year. As it turned out, it wasn't just about my birthday and these two legendary Bordeaux clarets, Chateau Lafite and Chateau Lafleur-Petrus. The vintage happened to be the same birth year as two of the other guests. One of their birthdays was very close to mine. Another guest's birthday was only a month later. Still another reason to celebrate was that the evening marked the 20th anniversary of friendship of one of my guests and me.

To add to all of this "history" a friend brought a news report from the year of our births. As we sipped the great wines, we learned not only about the vintage, but also about significant historical events of the year: the top news stories, the average annual income, the most popular movies and songs ("Let it Be" by the Beatles). It is so wonderful to pause and really reflect on a certain era, a particlar time on this continuim of life. It is special to take a moment with people that you care about and remember the individuals, the stories, and the vintage characteristics. Wine does this for us. Time and again, wine is the medium that we use to learn, to reflect, and to be close to those around us.

Sure, birth year wines can be expensive unless you are buying them now for your 3 year old.
But seeking them out can be worth it. Even if it is just one bottle, and one special dinner. Use the occasion to reminice and to celebrate the inevitable passing of time. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a birthday ending in 0 or 5.

A long time ago I met Christie in Jackson Hole and she told me that my birth year happened to be a great vintage in Bordeaux, I'm still waiting for my birthday to coincide with financial well being so I can get a good 1982 on the table, but this kernel of knowledge imparted to me by Christie was the start of my wine education, and although I still don't know very much (I've only been able to drink legally for 2.5 years) I must say that wine has become of great interest to me and I regularly do the research to find a bottle that will satisfy my palate's cravings. Thanks Christie, and nice job on advocating birth year wines. But what about the poor souls born in a year where there might be no wines with the guts to age 21 years. There are probably always a few wines every year that will age well, but they might be impossible to find. I ramble.