Hello everyone. I want to share our trip to a wine fair we visited last month. We prepared in the morning and set off. When we entered the fair, they handed us glasses used for wine tasting. Then we started our tasting tour. They told us we could try whatever we liked. The first pour was given to me. It was very sweet.
We chose something else afterward, but it turned out to be quite sweet too. There were so many wine producers and different types of wine around. We did a bit of exploring. One of our friends was acting like a total expert, holding a paper and gathering information about some wines. What I liked the most was that if you didn’t enjoy a wine after tasting it, you didn’t have to drink it. This was great because some wines definitely weren’t my style.
This event wasn’t just about wine. There was food too, which was delightful. The food looked amazing. For instance, one stand had a lovely hot dog served with pickles. Further down, there were pies, cakes and even foie gras. It made sense foie gras, followed by some meat... The general idea of this event was trying different flavors. You don’t drink too much or get drunk, but you taste the wines and decide whether you’d like to buy a bottle. For example, one of our friends hadn’t bought anything yet. He was looking for something fancy and exclusive like Moët.
The only thing stopping me was the thought of work, but we decided to try some champagne. We started tasting together. I’m not a big fan of champagne, but this seemed to be from a shop. Anyway two hours passed and we were still on our feet. Finally, we bought a bottle of white Riesling wine. The price was reasonable. 18 euros for a 2019 vintage.
We moved to the second part of the exhibition. For now, we focused more on wines. Everyone split up and went in different directions and we continued further ahead. Here they were selling dried mushrooms and various truffle products, which were fascinating. We also got to taste dried fruits, spices and teas. Then we reached the section with main dishes. The alcohol section was behind us now. For example, fresh fish could even be purchased here.
I came to this exhibition with my friends and we tried many things. Honestly I didn’t plan to buy anything, but we ended up purchasing two items. The first was a bottle of white wine. However, to be fair, if I had known I’d buy another bottle, I might not have chosen this one. I thought, Might as well get something since we came all this way. The wines offered here were typically local products not available in stores. In France, such items are called artisanal, meaning locally produced. We’re in the Rhône-Alpes region, so the local wines here were dominant, but there were wines from different regions and even Italy.
We bought an Italian white wine, which was quite tasty with a slightly bitter note. We also purchased a very unique wine. It was expensive, but we didn’t mind because it was one of a kind. It was a sparkling wine similar to champagne, but not as sharp. It was light and had only 7% alcohol. The most intriguing part was that this wine was called chocolate in a bottle. During the tasting, you first tried a strawberry, then smelled chocolate and finally drank the wine. It was a sparkling wine with a chocolate flavor. I had never tried anything like it before. We loved it and immediately bought a bottle, thinking we’d save it for a special occasion.
One of my friends bought this wine first. We went to try it ourselves and absolutely loved it. We liked it so much that we told another friend to go and taste it too. She came along with us and ended up buying three bottles at once. The seller even gave a discount on the final purchases.
After the fair, I started thinking about getting a wine cabinet. Most people seem to have a small wine cooler at home and I used to think, why is that even necessary? But now, I understand the logic behind it much better.
I realized that people here buy collectible or special wines and save them for memorable moments. I think it’s time for us to have one too. However, we don’t have space for it at home and it’s unclear where we’d put it. Still I love the idea of buying wines from different places and associating them with special memories. For instance, if we visited the Loire Valley, we could buy a wine from there and recall that trip with every sip. Creating such a collection would be so enjoyable.
The next day, we went to a store. Despite the holiday, a few places were open in Lyon. We planned to buy a bottle of wine as a housewarming gift for our friends since we hadn’t bought anything for them at the fair. After returning from the store, we parked the car, grabbed our board games and headed to their place.
We officially kicked off the raclette season for the first time. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of raclette. Many people dislike it at first but gradually warm up to it. I’m still unsure, but who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind.
It was freezing outside when we got home, so I put on my coat. Because of the holiday, trams were running less frequently, so we walked one stop. All we could think about was warming up quickly with a hot potato dish. When we arrived at our friends place, we discovered that their doorbell wasn’t working. After waiting for a while and going up and down the wrong floors, we finally reunited.
Once inside our friend showed us all the changes they’d made to their home. They had created such a beautiful environment. A new sofa, a stylish table, plenty of board games and cozy details everywhere.
We brought a few gifts for them: new glasses and some board games. Everything needed for the raclette was ready. There was a special cheese platter on the table and the raclette machine was already on. As the cheese slowly melted, everyone was preparing their food. I decided to stick with potatoes and some vegetables.
As everyone prepared their plates, we chatted and laughed throughout the evening. The aroma of melting cheese filled the house. After dinner, we played board games together. Everyone was so happy to have such a warm and enjoyable evening. These kinds of gatherings are the perfect way to create delicious and unforgettable memories.
While enjoying such a lovely atmosphere, you tend to lose track of everything else. You just want to live in the moment and have fun rather than constantly taking photos. Still I managed to capture a few memories.
It was freezing outside and the cold was starting to bite. Once home I watched a bit of a movie before heading to bed. The next day was going to be a day full of dieting and preparation for me because I’ll soon begin a treatment process at the clinic.
I’m not sure how the process will go, but I’ll do my best to share everything with you.
I’ve found myself wanting to stay home more, just resting without doing much. A lovely gathering like today’s really lifted my spirits. We had such a great time with friends. We played games, laughed and talked. I wish these kinds of meetups happened more often.
Blogging is slowly becoming a habit for me. Most of the time, I start without knowing exactly what I’ll share. But it feels good to put my thoughts out there.
Wishing you all a wonderful day, evening or morning (depending on when you’re reading this). See you in the next blog.