Have you ever watched something, listened to something or better yet watched AND listened to something and it sparked something in you? Something that is undeniable? Well, I recently had that experience. It’s probably not what you think though. If you are a music person, music has the power to motivate you, relax you, put you in a different mood, bring on bewitching memories or help you to ponder things…life, love and the pursuit of happiness. I know I’m probably romanticizing it a bit but my experience with a specific visual and musical event made me feel all of those things. It just washed over me.
I know, know…so what was it and why is it important enough to write a blog about? Well, I believe that when you have a great experience, it should be paired with a great wine! So, there’s the connection you were waiting for.
I recently saw a pre-recorded concert (from 2004) on a large screen that made me feel as if I was actually there! The concert was Eagles Farewell Live from Melbourne. As I listened and was immersed in the music and spectacle of it, I thought for a moment about this blog and a post that I have done a few months ago. What happened to it? The post was about pairing wine with music. So, in the spirit of revisiting my series, here goes…
The Eagles, for anyone who is unfamiliar (although I can’t imagine that!), is an American/California rock band formed in the 1970’s. They had several hit records throughout the 70’s and 80’s including Hotel California, Desperado, Take it Easy, Tequila Sunrise and the list goes on and on. Their music can be described as rock with a country feel. They have been honored by the American Music Awards and Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Anyway…back to the concert and the actual point…
As I sat in the darkened room, the screen came alive with lights, colors and amazing music! It was like I was actually there. It was thrilling! Here’s a sample:
In thinking about the music and the concert, I think a great wine pairing would be an aged California Cabernet Sauvignon. Why? Well, an aged Cab is smooth, with a bit of tannin (for that edge), a wine that helps you relax. A well-aged Cab also evokes memories of time and place…this concert and the songs definitely did that for me too. Besides, the lyrics in Hotel California actually say, “please bring me my wine…”. So, I’m thinking to myself, “this could be heaven or this could be hell”….no, I actually thought this is perfect! California Cabernet is also well structured and stands the test of time. It is aged to a smooth texture which may bring it into the category of “a great wine” which pairs well with “great music”. Once you look at it, the similarities are striking! Listen to the link above and tell me you can’t picture yourself relaxing to the Eagles music and sipping a bold, smooth, nicely aged Cab from California!
Aged California Cabernet Sauvignon can be described as “elegant”. Even though you may not think of the Eagles music as elegant, I think you will agree that it certainly deserves a nice glass of Cabernet, a Peaceful Easy Feeling and a memory or two.
Cheers!
