I’m tired of all the whining about alcohol and extraction, manipulation and critic focused wine making. Wine is meant to be drunk, enjoyed and savored. And if you are not enjoying what is in front of you, pour the bottle down the drain and move on.

My tastes range from ultra-modern to the most classic of the classical, as flavor is what counts above all. I say this because last Sunday afternoon, I had the opportunity to taste a wine that made me stop, assess, and realize that not all the old styles are gone as of yet. This wine is a classic, and I was forewarned that it is a “wine that requires some patience”. Seeing that the style was a remnant of winemaking practices no longer seen as fashionable, I wondered if we all “need a bit more patience” as we get older.

The bottle our good friend Maria Joao opened was Paulo do Silva’s Colares Chitas Reserva Velho 2002…