I am currently coming off the worst cold I think I have ever had. For a wine guy this is a bad thing on many levels.

Not only is this the time of year when people gift me wine it’s also the time of year when I like to bring out my best holds of the year to share with others. If you are a subscriber to the “swirl, sniff, sip” protocol, a cold or even a stuffy nose can alter the wine experience dramatically.

My suggestion to get you through this dilema is to stick with the wines you know. If you have a favorite and need to bring wine to a function stick with one you know you like. Even if you can’t smell it or taste it you can rest easy knowing it’s still something you would like without nasal congestion and phlegm.

If you get wine as a gift and your snotter is plugged up, save it for later. A cold can last a couple weeks, a good wine will wait for you to clear your sinuses.

Cheers!