I have mentioned in previous posts that part of the beauty of wine is not just the amazing concoction that people create and we like to consume, but that there are so many events where wine plays a key part and makes an occasion. Billy Joel wrote a song about it:

“A bottle of white, a bottle of red / Perhaps a bottle of rosé instead / We'll get a table near the street / In our old familiar place / You and I-face to face

A bottle of red, a bottle of white / It all depends upon your appetite / I’ll meet you any time you want / In our Italian Restaurant”

(From “Scenes From a Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel)

We have many scenes that are very dear to us revolving around Ernie’s cousin, Louis. Lou was a great guy - born and raised in New Jersey, lived in the same house that he was born in. He has a lovely Irish wife, Re, and a daughter that is very similar to him - Eileen. Being that Ernie is an only child, and Louis’ sister passed away many years ago, Ernie and Lou were pretty much “brothers”, in spirit if not in fact.

Ernie has many memories of Lou as they were both growing up. The NJ house was the gathering point for the holidays, and the basement had a bar where all family members would gather. Lots of wine consumed, along with their Grandma's famous melt-in-your-mouth candies and zeppolas. Lou's Dad would make Brandy Alexander eggnog as well. Ernie's parents took the boys on vacation to a dude ranch in upstate NY - lots of stories from those adventures.

As adults, our two families did many things together over the years. We vacationed to South Carolina - Ernie and Lou were dubbed “Dumb and Dumber” at that point because the two of them caught, by accident, a 9-foot alligator (that we gave the name Leroy) while fishing. That incident required consumption of a fair amount of wine to try to wipe that memory! We celebrated anniversaries and birthdays in NJ or in DC, and we vacationed in Puerto Vallarta and Virginia Beach. Louis and Ernie built an arbor in Lou’s back yard, and Re planted a grape vine.

We visited many restaurants over the years, and Ernie and Re cooked many meals together - which were always consumed with good wine. There was one infamous New Year’s weekend where we did nothing but eat - walking (and eating/drinking) our way through Manhattan, and then cooking up a storm for New Year’s Eve - which required consumption of more wine (champagne, of course!). (By the way, we all went on a diet after that weekend!) Lou and Re also came down faithfully for our annual “Embassy” parties, to which we would invite Ernie’s military colleagues. Over the years, the group evolved and changed, and all the military folks who came and went got to know Lou and Re as well as us. Lots of oysters and filet mignon, of course consumed with white and red wine as well as champagne.

A favorite restaurant in New Jersey was Cafe Bello - again, lots of great food consumed, as well as good bottles of wine, since it was a good and a reliable place to go. And, of course, our Amici Miei friends all know Lou, Re and Eileen because of the number of times that the group of us went there.

Lou’s favorite go-to wine was Valpolicella. Nothing terribly expensive, but he loved the fullness and the taste. Re is more of a Pinot Grigio fan - so you can always find those in the NJ refrigerator (along with champagne for various occasions). The only time that changed was when Lou’s beloved Re got very ill a few years ago. We were all very afraid that Re wasn’t going to make it, so Lou decided to put aside something that he loved until Re recovered. Fortunately, the doctors provided excellent care, and Re pulled through. After she was fully recuperated, we had a number of bottles of wine to celebrate her recovery, and the wine returned to the house.

When our daughter, Krissy, got married, Lou gave one of the readings. He was very worried about that reading, as he had lost his hearing. However, he did a wonderful job, and Krissy had “Uncle Louis” as part of her wedding. Again, more toasts and memories made at the wedding.

Lou died this year after a rather short bout of cancer. It was very sudden and unexpected, which is often the case with cancer. After his funeral, we had wine to celebrate Lou’s life. Which takes me back to my starting point. Wine is consumed hopefully during more good times than bad, but it makes any ordinary day an event. Every time that I open a Valpolicella, I will think of Louis. That will go along with the toast to “Wisconsin cheese” (a very funny misunderstanding that is an inside joke), the story of Lou and Ernie catching Leroy, and the celebration we will have whenever we see Re and Eileen.

“A bottle of red, a bottle of white / Whatever kind of mood you're in tonight / I'll meet you anytime you want / In our Italian Restaurant.”

Cin, Cin, Lou, a toast to you. We’ll see you someday in our Italian Restaurant.