The Wines That Changed the Way I Think About Time

Wine is more than what’s in the glass—it’s memory, emotion, and often a marker of time. The bottles we open (or don’t), the ones we share in moments of celebration or solitude, shape how we remember certain chapters of life.

We asked our Master Sommelier to reflect on wines that left an imprint: bottles that surprised, haunted, or arrived at exactly the right time. From formative pours in Napa to unexpected perfection in Costa Rica, these stories explore the emotional terrain of wine—and why sometimes, the best bottle is the one you didn’t plan for.

An old wine that still haunts you:

1990 Chateau Haut-Brion and 1969 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon

The first is less of a “haunt,” per se, but it’s certainly a wine I can still remember the taste of—despite that tasting occurring 13 years ago. It was integral to my early life as a sommelier.

Fresh off working my first harvest in Napa Valley in 2011, I moved from the sleepy town of Calistoga (“Up-Valley,” as locals would call it) to Napa proper (i.e., Napa city limits, not just Napa County). I was very much at the beginning of my sommelier aspirations—having worked two years in a tasting room (Ridge Vineyards), just wrapped up harvest (Round Pond), and had started at a local wine bar, 1313 Main. I was working about 80 hours a week as a 24-year-old between two jobs, saving up to work an unpaid harvest in Bordeaux, and just about every hour I wasn’t working or sleeping was dedicated to studying.

One of my first orders of business was to take a “World of Wine” course at Napa Valley College. The blessing was that the professor, a Certified Sommelier, was also the wine buyer for a legendary (now closed) wine store called JV Wine & Spirits. The store was candyland—from everyday bottles to those of lore and legend. The professor sourced our weekly wines from the shop’s inventory, pouring roughly 8–12 wines over the course of four hours. I learned a lot in those 16 weeks. Not to mention, tuition at NVCC was free as a Napa resident, and the lab fee was just $150 total.

In just the second week of class, we covered Bordeaux—a lineup of wines that repaid that lab fee many times over in just one session.

One of the last red wines we tasted that night was one of the most celebrated on the planet: Château Haut-Brion, a First Growth producer in Bordeaux, France. And it was from the 1990 vintage. Up until then, I’d had some reference for Cabernet Sauvignon (and its partner grapes) aging gracefully—Ridge’s Monte Bello bottling being a frequent one during my time there. But this wine made every hair on my body stand up. Hauntingly aromatic, deep dark fruit and earth, seductive notes of cigar, leather, and more. This was around March or April 2012, and it captured me emotionally—reinforcing why I’d chosen this path. It was the “life-changing” kind of wine that affirmed what I wanted to do.

The 1969 Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon, in that same breath, is a wine I never thought I’d taste. The miniscule first vintage was produced under nearly impossible conditions by the now-legendary Philip Togni—one of Napa’s (and the world’s) greatest winemakers. While overseeing the largest restaurant collection of Napa Valley wine in the world (at Press Restaurant), it remained elusive to me. Fortunately, thanks to the generosity of two different guests on two separate occasions, I’ve been able to taste it—and it exceeded all expectations. It continues to improve even after 55 years in bottle.

A wine that tasted perfect at an unexpected moment

Pinot Grigio. I couldn’t tell you the producer—not as a knock against them (or the grape), but it’s just not something I reach for daily.

In late 2017, I was coming off my second unsuccessful attempt at the Master Sommelier tasting exam and had placed a disappointing third in the World Young Sommelier Championships. Wine wasn’t even on my mind when I headed to Costa Rica.

A close friend and I decided on a whim to join her friends on their annual Thanksgiving trip there. I’d just learned to surf and needed a reset after a tough year. One day, after getting absolutely tossed in the waves (they were way too big for a novice), I stumbled, smiling and exhausted, into dinner at a Sicilian–Costa Rican fusion restaurant. The beverage program? Just four Italian wines, poured from magnums: Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and two others.

Not only was the Pinot Grigio genuinely delicious, it was perfect for the time and place—pouring rain, fresh seafood, great company.

A wine people overlook when thinking about time—but shouldn't

White wine, as an entire category.

It’s generally misunderstood by the public as having aging potential (for the right grape and producer). And even when it does, it’s often so delicious early on that it doesn’t get the chance. I’m routinely guilty of this myself.

The key to aging wine gracefully

As a bottle owner:
Consistent storage—correct humidity, stable temperature, no direct light exposure, and minimal fluctuation.

As a winemaker:
Balance in all components—flavor compounds, acidity, tannin (if applicable), sugar (if applicable), alcohol, and more. That doesn’t mean everything has to sit in the “middle,” but the parts should harmonize.

If you could time-travel 10 years back, what wines would you have cellared?

Holy heck... I had a lot of amazing wine from Ridge Vineyards and C. Donatiello (two wineries I worked at in college) thanks to team allocations, employee discounts, and gifts. I drank every single one far too early—but the 22-year-old me wasn’t thinking that far ahead.

As for wines I didn’t own but should’ve bought? Any iconic bottle that’s skyrocketed in price. Château Rayas comes to mind—completely out of budget now.

Your recommendations: What should we be drinking now, and what should we save for later?

Despite everything I’ve said: drink the wine! I’ve come across many collections with more bottles than the owners will ever consume. Wine is meant to be opened and enjoyed—especially when shared.

Sure, it’s great to save some for special occasions. But don’t put so much pressure on your collection that every bottle requires an anniversary, birthday, or milestone.

As for saving—we’ve squirreled away some Etna Rosso bottlings to revisit in a few years. Aged Etna wines aren’t easy to find, even locally. While visiting Mt. Etna, we realized how rare properly stored older bottles are—most shops and restaurants lack temperature-controlled storage, so aged wines can be a gamble.

What should we be drinking now, and what should we save for later?

We’re loving lighter reds like Grenache, Pinot Noir, Nerello Mascalese, and lean whites like Riesling, Chablis, and Grüner Veltliner. But more than anything, we just love exploring. We’re lucky to have a sneaky-great wine shop in our town (Tuckahoe) with an amazing selection of California and Italian wines.