Pour me Another please!

Ok so the New Year has dawned and much anticipation lies in wait for the accomplishments and dreams of a fresh year.  Many people will be awakening to another reality this morning and that is of a whopping headache from too much wine last night -  I may myself even have had a little too much but IS that not the beauty of the substance we ingest and relish and which is so much a part of this country and its hopes and dreams - a new vintage 2015 will be on every bottle this year and will it be one to remember, an improvement on last year perhaps, a chance to correct mistakes made, or a less than convincing year.  The decision lies largely in what we are willing to put into the outcome. WINE - this country has so much to offer in that it has such a diversity of blends, like Pinot-noir, Chardonnay, Chenin-blanc and Merlot, we have some of the best in the world in each category.  So how can we afford to be irresponsible with what we have achieved by being corrupt in government, violent in our crime, unproductive in our industry and politics and duplicitous in our social policies like using BEE or race history to determine our futures.  Wine I say is the key (my mom would be proud of me saying it) - I am going to let it be my guide this year and this is why.  We should want to drink lighter red blends like the Pinot- noir because the dark days of the last few years economically need to go, to be put behind us and start a recovery, the heavy dark Cabs are gone and it is time to revive business and belief in a path forward and to seek the fruity flavours of successful business once again.  Chardonnays are making a come back and this should signify a sign that investment is to be renewed in our own country and by our own people. Chenin-blanc is there to assist us by not being as dry as sauvignon blanc and to teach us to start treating people with basic courtesy and respect on the roads, at work and in our socialising, and finally Merlot with its blended qualities giving it a more fruity flavour and also flexibility, which should be a sign to us all to be accommodating of our past, but not stuck in it and open to growing instead of suffering through the heavy tannins of the past.  I said previously that I will not compromise on good quality wine, because it delivers to our expectations, it is a catalyst to great social interaction, but does not leave you with a nasty hangover the next day, it brings calm after a tough day and helps us to unwind and stirs conversation, which leads to solutions and new ideas, it invokes passion if drunk in the correct dosage and with the right people and helps us to share our goals and desires, which leads to better relationships and excitement for a brighter future. No matter how it is bottled or packaged it remains a product of life and its outcomes.  Don't cork it and keep it for too long lest it become bitter (in other words share what you have in terms of knowledge, experience and ideas as the new way is to open it, celebrate and take in the flavours of 2015). Don't rush it (savour the opportunities you are given and take nothing for granted), try different varieties (take a few risks to see what makes you happy). Don't drink it alone (try to have fun, don't over analyze and make memories) and above all  make it a vintage never to forget.