Hello, Little Glass of Wine

*Originally published on August 21, 2023

Imagine you're walking by your kitchen ready to make dinner when all of a sudden you see a glass of wine appear on the counter in front of you. What would you say to this perfectly poured and expertly curated aperitif? 

If you happen to be my cousins' grandmother, whom we call Sasa, the answer is obvious. The only appropriate salutation to such a glass of wine must be, "Hello, little glass of wine!" While glasses of wine don't magically appear on the counter at my cousins' beach house, Sasa has established the tradition that every evening at 6:00pm we greet and subsequently enjoy a little glass of Sauvignon Blanc before commencing any sort of dinner preparation. Personally, I have participated in this pre-dinner ritual on several occasions, however, a recent dinner party at the house with new guests proved to be especially magical. Moreover, I credit this magic to us greeting our little glasses of wine with exceptional wonder.

This evening, Sasa, my two cousins Nick and Matt, their two friends, and myself are gathered around the kitchen counter with four empty wine glasses, one empty water glass, and a magnum bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Costco. The water glass, of course, is for Sasa. Her little glass of wine is quite literally, a little glass of wine. At this point in the ritual, my cousins' friends think we are simply having a glass of wine together. Sasa pours the wine carefully into each glass, and in an amateur move, the friends reach for their glasses. Before they have a chance to lift their glasses from the counter, Sasa refers to the first paragraph of this post. Then, with a cadence that cannot be imitated, Sasa greets her glass with a bellowing "Hello, little glass of wine!" We all follow, cheers, and take a long sip. 

Let's zoom out for a second. There are five college kids led by a ninety year old grandmother in a ritual that demands respect and reverence for a glass of wine. You'd expect laughter to ensue. However, the two newcomers to our little ritual gape in awe as Sasa greets her wine. Smiles creep onto their faces as they become enamored with both the simplicity of the ritual and Sasa herself. Then the cooking begins. 

I am in charge of dinner this evening. The menu consists of seared chicken thighs with crispy skin, pesto pasta, corn, and a big salad. As I begin to cook and the sound of chicken crackling against hot oil fills the kitchen, conversation and wine flows. At the center of it all, of course, is Sasa and her wondrous tales of living abroad. We're enthralled as she recounts raising her sons in Communist China as a diplomat's wife while Ella Fitzgerald plays lightly in the background. When dinner is ready, everyone serves themselves and we sit around the table in the dining room. As the conversation shifts to our own college experiences, the food slowly gets eaten up while one of my cousins' friends dutifully refills our wine glasses. We don't greet our glasses this time, as it's no longer 6:00, but the reverence of the ritual remains. When our plates are empty, we clear the table and migrate to sunroom where we continue to chat until way past Sasa's bedtime.  

While I don't always greet my glasses of wine at home, a certain awareness remains regarding the magic present when we take the time to slow down and truly be grateful for the gift of food and drink. This awareness is the reason I love to make and share good food. If we can find the wonder in the ordinary, whether it begin with a glass of wine, a bite of crispy chicken, or something entirely unrelated to food, we'll begin to realize that the magic of fantastical experiences (like a glass of wine appearing out of thin air) surrounds us every day.