I’ll never forget the first time I went to Europe. I was 26 years old, wide-eyed and ready for adventure, traveling with a girlfriend who shared my excitement for exploration. Somehow, we ended up in Paris, the city of love, art, and of course wine.
On our first night out, we made a delightful discovery that in Paris, water costs more than wine. So naturally, we chose the wine. Although I was not a wine connoisseur, as the purple liquid touched my tongue I could tell that it was smooth, full, and unlike anything I had ever tasted before.
One glass led to another and another, and before we knew it, we were laughing our way through the streets of Paris. Completely buzzed with the effects of consuming a bottle each, we kicked off our shoes, hopped into a fountain in the middle of the city, and danced. We made our way back to our accommodations soaking wet, giggling, completely alive and then I passed out drunk on the floor.
The next morning I was surprised to wake up with not a hint of a hangover. I couldn’t believe how great I felt after indulging in so many glasses of wine. I recognized that there would have been more painful repercussions had I drank a whole bottle of wine back in the United States, since one sip of red back home normally gave me a headache. I pondered the differences.
Fast forward 25 years, and my husband and I ventured to Uruguay and Argentina for a getaway. Once again, surrounded by incredible wine, we found ourselves at a local wine tasting in the quaint city of Colonia del Sacramento, savoring glass after glass, paired with hand-made salami and cheeses. And again, that same magic with no hangover, no heaviness. Just an opportunity to enjoy the local flavors of the country.
The commonality is that the wine is pure. No preservatives, no added sulfites or sugars. This is the art of wine making that has been passed down for centuries. The same goes for the food. Normally I eat gluten and dairy free because it makes me feel better. But, I thought I would try my luck and dive into the delicacies these South American countries are known for. I have been fully experiencing the bread, the cheese, the pastries. These are things I usually avoid back home, and I’ve felt amazing. Again, the difference is in the quality of the ingredients.
It makes me wonder why there has been such an uprise of food allergies in the United States over the past 30-years. Why have we lost the purity, the simplicity, the trust in what we eat and drink? Why are we putting more worth on quantity over quality when it comes to food production? Why are we valuing profit over pureness when it comes to feeding our country.
Travelling reminds me what “pure” feels like. It generates a longing of a time when you could go grocery shopping and have confidence that the ingredients were wholesome. It brings me back to the joy of savoring quality in everything.
So, here’s to pure food, pure wine, and pure moments that make us feel fully alive!
by Kim Goyette