Wine that rewards attention

There are wines that can be glugged, whilst chatting with friends, as a second thought, an accompaniment to conversation. They might be bold wines that jump up and smack you in the taste buds, so that you can taste them without thinking about it, and be sure that they're there. Or they might be cheaper wines - table wines, perhaps - that you don't expect to deliver too much, and so don't need to wring pleasure from every drop.

And then there are those wines that must be focused on, demanding attention and rewarding it. I had one such last night, a Rasteau by Chapoutier. It's the kind of wine that has a bit of subtlety to it that I find easy to miss if I'm not paying attention, the kind of depth that responds to a bit of attention, and unfolds when noticed. Not coincidentally, it's also a bit more expensive than I might ordinarily choose.

Which suits me rather well at the moment, as I've been trying very hard to live in the moment; to do one thing at a time, and savour it, rather than four things at once and missing the point and joy of all of them. So I've been eating my food slowly, without staring at the TV, and sitting down to have my lunch, chewing slowly and deliberately. Tasting.

And noticing the wine in the glass rather than just chugging it down as my mind wanders about the day-just-past.