The red wine stained my lips after only a single sip. I tried to recall the last time I had been wine tasting and I couldn’t remember. Inside the tasting room of the Orfila Winery, I felt chilled as I stood surrounded by casks of wine stacked up to the ceiling. The din of people encircling the wine bar provided a homey feeling. Outside, the sun was shining and it was the perfect temperature for sitting and enjoying the scenery while drinking a few sips of wine. As luck (or bad luck) would have it, a wedding had been scheduled at the winery that day limiting the outside seating. My scenery included a few tables outside, the parking lot and my fellow wine taster (I didn’t mind, he is very cute).

We sat, talked and sipped and I finally began to relax. A tough week of work, taking care of the kids, and soccer practices made the work of tasting wine seem easy. As the wine took effect, I was smiling and happy. I realized I had been smiling and happy a lot more lately. Why had it taken me so long to get here? Not to the winery, but here, the state of happiness and relaxation? Over the last few months I had started to see life’s possibilities instead of obligations. Had I turned a corner in my life where blue skies and green grass were ahead? Maybe I am still in the post-divorce tornado but the swirling around me is settling and the clouds are clearing.

I took another sip of wine and I wonder how much I would need to taste before I knew if I wanted more. How many wines did I need to taste? Eventually will they all seem the same? If I drink too much will I be sick? I know I have made the mistake before of downing a whole bottle with horrible results. For now I am going to lean back in my chair, soak in the rays of the sun and enjoy each taste one sip at a time. With wine and life there is no need to rush, they both get better with age.