Lessons from a glass of wine / Leçons d’un Verre de Vin

With a nod to France, one of the largest and oldest wine producers in the world, here is a little tribute to the proverbial rhetorical question: “Is the glass half full or half empty?”

Is the glass half full? Or is the glass half empty? Well, it depends: Is there wine in it?? If yes, then look to the wine within. You may find a fresh perspective…

The wine glass should be half full - or even less. In fact, it should be mostly empty.

But don’t fret! A mostly-empty glass of wine will be the best glass of wine you will ever have! To allow sufficient room for the wine to breathe and release its full spectrum of aroma, bouquet, and flavors, the glass should be filled no more than halfway - sometimes far less.

Part of the fun of using the proper wine glass is swirling the wine, observing the fluidity of gemlike color and form, the unique streaky pattern running back down the sides of the glass, splashing a little,…

Without some emptiness, flavor is compromised. Experience is constricted.

Without some emptiness, there could be no swirl.

And, no matter how empty it is, always remember: It is refillable.

Source for images: Unsplash. Photos, beginning at the top, by: (1) Anna Oliinyk, (2) Engin Akyurt, (3) Daniel Vogel, (4) Christian Bowen, (5) Nicolas Lafargue, (6) Ardian Lumi, (7) Jeremy Bishop, (8) Kelsey Chance.