IPhone 6 or S6 Edge? Does your watch give better time than mine? Is the little band on your shirt the right one? BMW or Audi? Is this who we really are? Does that say we ‘belong’? I’ll tell you why I am ranting. The sun has been relentless in its blistering attack. And that’s all I seem to be hearing from all quarters. Buy, buy, buy.

So I went shopping too. In Bengaluru. And came back with a boxful of wine along with chocolate biscuits, pickles and other spicy yumminess. But mostly wine — key to my happiness and far removed from the silly battle for gizmos, thank goodness.

Like the sensible wine enthusiast, I let my bottles rest for a week or so to recover from jet lag (it’s true, I swear) and finally gave in last evening, as I cooked an impromptu pasta and prawn dinner. Needed some easy white wine to elevate the sauce and out came an icy bottle of a young chardonnay from the Nandi Valley near Bengaluru.

Then, of course, our waiting glasses were splashed with a bright gold nectar, which looked happy and had a very fruity nose. It was juicy, slightly sweet on the palate and made you smile as you allowed the flavour to take over, the cool freshness chasing away the blues of a scorching summer.

Which brought me to this. There are those who drink red wine and those who will drink only red wine. Now, there’s nothing wrong in having a marked preference. Go right ahead if that’s what makes you happy. There are those who will drink only red as they have this crazy theory that if you have arrived, and are in the know, then red it is. Sadly they’re missing the joy of seeing the wonderful hues and delicate notes of fresh whites and the redolent-with-flavour rosés.

They will drink a glass or two or more at all hours of the day, irrespective of the weather, the wine, its style, the grape. In bars, nightclubs, brunches, cocktail evenings… They quite often will simply ask for a glass of red wine. And they will drink it at ‘room temperature’! Warm and usually quite revolting.

Some will call me opinionated. Others will look upon me with disdain. But honestly, what a waste! I love a glass of juicy red wine just as much as anyone else. Cool, not warm. As cool as a claypot ( matka ) holding water on a breezy day. Colder if the wine is young and of the current year or close. But to forsake all the other colours of happiness for it? Not a chance.

I remember one evening when I was asked to ensure some good wine for a friend’s uncle, supposedly a connoisseur of sorts. Red. So I pulled out the best bottle I could, cooled it just right and had the glass all ready. To my complete dismay, he preferred to drink it at ‘room temperature’, which, at that moment, was 34°C! For those of you who are wondering — the ‘room temperature’ that wine experts refer to is approximately 16-18°C, even cooler with current-year wines.

So let’s keep our options open, wine or otherwise. And enjoy every offering that life puts forward. Then partake more often of those that make you most joyous. And if it’s all ordinary, turn it into sangria.

By the way, my colleagues ordered an Mi4 for me because I refused to upgrade on my own. I still don’t know how to use it but it seems to make them happy. Now my friendly neighbour who ‘knows’ cars thinks there’s no point in my buying just another mini SUV that I mentioned in passing. That it’s about time I looked at the Mercedes! And life goes on…

Sangria

Glass: Jug, all-purpose (AP) wine glass

Ingredients

* Cut fruit — your favourite from what’s available

* 1 bottle cold white/ rosé/red wine

* 75ml orange liqueur or orange vodka (optional)

* Top with any fizzy lime or apple drink

* Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Method

1. Place the cut fruit in the jug.

2. Add wine, orange liqueur/vodka.

3. Wrap in cling film and allow it to soak in the refrigerator until serving time.

4. Add ice. Top with fizzy lime or apple.

5. Pour into glasses and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Shatbhi Basu is a mixologist, author, television host and head of Stir, a bartending academy in Mumbai

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