The Wine Evangelist

Tweet the Magic Word and Win a FREE ticket to the Pinot Noir Summit

Wine Evangelist is launching a new game on Twitter. It’s easy and fun. This new game is called TWICKETS — and it could be your ticket to a FREE ticket to the Pinot Noir Summit on April 5th in San Rafael, California.  

All you have to do is play Twickets – the right tweet & you might WIN.

Here are the rules:

• Peeps send tweets to @wineevangelist discussing whatever is on their minds.  Be casual. Be conversational. Just tweet it!
• IF the tweet contains one of the MAGIC WORDS on the Wine Evangelist’s list, you WIN a FREE TICKET to the Passionate About Pinot Noir Event.  

Here’s an example:  @WineChick   The mountains are pink.  It’s time to drink. But what should I open? Pinot Noir?

@WineChick wins a FREE TICKET to the Pinot Noir Summit because she tweeted the Magic Word  mountains.  Ha, you thought it was Pinot Noir, didn’t you?  Magic Words are not always wine-related. 

Hope to see you at the Summit!

http://twitter.com/wineevangelist

In a moment of reflection, I was thinking that I am so lucky to do what I do…drink great wine and share my passion for the grape with a large number of people.  This must be heaven.

I’m not sure what made me remember a sermon given by Rabbi Ernst Lorge years and years ago at Temple Beth Israel in Chicago but I know that this made a lasting impression on me. 

The sermon was the story of Benjamin, a man who loved good food and great wine.  Benjamin died and was greeted upon death by an angel.  The angel told him that he was going to be given the opportunity to view heaven and hell before discovering where Ben would spend eternity. 

The angel escorted Benjamin to an elevator that they entered together.  The angel pressed the down button.  When the elevator doors opened, Benjamin saw large tables as far as his eye could see loaded with an incredible array of every possible delicacy that anyone could want.  Fabulous bottles of wine were on the tables too.  The tables were set with magnificent china and wonderful crystal wine glasses.  Around each table, people were seated in comfortable chairs. 

“Hey,” Ben thought, “if this is hell, I’m here!”  Then  he noticed something strange.  No one was talking, or eating, or drinking.  The people at the tables looked miserable!  Upon further observation, he noted that each person seated at the tables had their arms immobilized.  They had wooden splints on their arms that did not allow them to bend their arms.  They were unable to eat the fabulous food or indulge in the incredible wines.

Ben turned to the angel and said, “Please, please, let’s leave this place.  I so hope that I have lived my life in a way that will not make me spend eternity here.”

The angel led the way to the elevator.  They entered and as the doors closed, pushed the up button.  The elevator ascended and again, the doors opened.  Benjamin viewed the scene in front of of him…large tables as far as his eye could see loaded with an incredible array of every possible delicacy that anyone could want.  Fabulous bottles of wine were on the tables that were set with magnificent china and wonderful crystal wine glasses.  Around each table with people seated in comfortable chairs.  Each person seated at the tables had their arms immobilized.  They had wooden splints on their arms that did not allow them to feed themselves.

“Wait a minute, Angel, there must be something wrong with the elevator.  We’re in the same place.”  As the words came out of his mouth, Ben noticed that things were a bit different.  People were talking, in fact people were laughing. 

How could that be?  And then Benjamin noted that in this place each person fed the person next to them and held up the incredible wines for their neighbor to enjoy.  Ah, this was heaven.

And so, I learned that sharing, especially good wine, is the way to a blissful existence.

I have been tasting lots and lots of Pinot Noir for our 7th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout, I have been incredibly happy with the diverse and fantastic wines that I have had the honor of sharing with our tasting panel and will have a chance to share with some very fortunate Pinot Noir lovers at our 7th Annual Pinot Summit on April 5, 2009 in San Rafael, California. 

Rabbi Lorge was right.  We make our own heaven, especially those of us who get to share the wonders of the vine.