Page 21 of Let it Breathe
"I'm sorry about that," he said.
"Not, it's fine." I sipped my water. "You handle it well."
"I'm used to it." He held up the menu. "What's good here?"
"Everything, but let's start off with the seafood to go with the riesling and steak goes great with the cab."
"Go for it. I trust you." Donovan winked.
My insides flipped.
The waitress came back, and she beamed at Donovan until I spoke.
"Can we get the seafood sampler appetizer and we'll both have the eight-ounce filet," I turned to Donovan. "Medium." He nodded.
"Medium with mac and cheese and asparagus."
"Cheesy broccoli," Donovan added.
The waitress squealed.
I shook my head. She wasn't that excited when I ordered.
"And," I drew her attention away from Donovan, "Darielle Riesling and Cabernet."
She nodded and headed off to place our order.
She brought the bottle of Riesling and a corkscrew and handed them both to me. She set two glasses on the table and excused herself.
"She doesn't open it for you?" Donovan asked.
"It's a weird tradition." I shook my head, embarrassed to explain these things, but it was part of what I loved about the winemaking community. "Back in the day, wine growers used to say that everything affects the taste of the wine, from the way the seeds are planted to the way the wine is opened and everything in between. So if a winemaker comes in and orders his own wine, he has to open it to get the best out of the wine."
"Is that true?" He grinned. "That everything affects the outcome."
"I guess to some it extent it does." I showed him the bottle and palmed it. "But each effect isn't a negative or a positive. It just is."
"What am I looking at?" Donovan asked as he read the label.
"The year and the type of wine for starters," I answered.
"As you can see"—I pointed at the bottle, and he gripped my hand and set it on his lap—"this shows where the wine was grown and when it was harvested. It's a special vintage we only sell locally."
"The stuff you ship out would be different."
I nodded, mesmerized by the curl of his lips as he continued to study the bottle.
"Okay, so what about letting a bottle breathe?" he asked and turned his face toward me. I licked my lips, and he did the same. The physical manifestation of our sexual chemistry hung thick in the area. The waitress interrupted and broke the spell.
"Can I get you anything else?" We both shook our heads.
"That positively affects a glass of red wine, especially our cab. She'll bring it out in a few minutes and have me open it."
I took the cork remover and guided it into the sides of the cork, made a half twist, and pulled it out with a pop.
"Nice," Donovan said and nodded.
"You have to learn this if you're going to be in the wine business. Including how to properly uncork it."
