Cowboy99

I'm just a simple man, a carpenter, with one philosophy in life. "Live life to the fullest and enjoy all that you can". I enjoy riding my motorcycle when the weather permits, golfing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. That is the simple version of me.

So, now on to the fuller version.

I started riding motorcycles soon after I turned 18. I had to wait until my 18th birthday because my mother would not let us have one while living at home since a good friend of hers was killed riding on the back of one. We respected her decision and I waited until the time was right. That's when I bought my first bike. A 1974 Honda 450/4. Not the glamor of today's, but great in it's time.

It didn't take long before I realized, I was born to ride. And, ride I did, and still do today. 37 years of road and wind has made me appreciate what I consider,,,""the finer times in life". That is until I discovered wine.

About 14 years ago, I went to a heart Doctor to have some tests done to check my cholesterol levels. At the age of 41, I never expected my Doctor to tell me that my triglycerides, or LDL's as they are more commonly known, was 6 times higher than normal. Making me a perfect candidate for a heart attack. Something you really don't want to hear ANY time, but, definitely not at such a young age.

When consulting the physician as to how the could get so high, he explained to me that 1 of 2 things are the cause. 1) hereditary, or, 2) my diet. Well, I knew that my family did not have any history of heart disease, so it had to be my diet. He also told me that I had 3 choices to resolve what the causes were. 1) medication for possibly the rest of my life, 2) change my "diet". Then he hesitated. So, I asked him what the 3rd option was.

He explained to me that he wasn't supposed to tell me as it could cost him his license to practice, but, he wanted to help. That's the kind of Doctor I like! So, he explained to me that studies have shown that, by drinking 1 glass of red wine each day, it could possibly lower my LDL's, but, it wasn't a guaranteed fix.

Now, I will tell you, I like what I eat and I knew I wasn't going to give THAT up. You see, I'm a chocoholic and love my sweets. Also, I am the most stubborn when it comes to taking medicine. I don't even like to take aspirin for headaches. So THAT wasn't happening either. I explained to the Doctor that I didn't like wine. That's the first time that anyone had ever explained to me that there were different levels of wine. From the dry wines, to what a lot of people call the very sweet.

Sweet wine, I thought, that's for me! So, I began trying these wines. First, I start with Oliver Sweet Red. I fell in love. But after some time, one wine just wasn't going to do it for me.

Since us and several of our friends enjoy riding in the country, and on all types of little known county roads, we thought, "hey, why not stop at several of these wineries that we're always passing"!? And that's what we did.

What we found was there are SO many wines out there for every taste that we realized that there was an entirely new enjoyment to life. Riding our bikes while tasting great wines and viewing beautiful vineyards. Most of the wineries serve home cooked meals too! WOW! How much better can this get! Friends, food, wine and riding. All wrapped up in 1 day excursions.

So, for about 10 years now, we have been riding "wine trails" and collecting no less that 10 bottles of wine on each trip from no less than 6 wineries in 1 trip. I like to think of us as "wine connoisseurs" of the sweet wines. Today, I never have less that 35 bottles on hand at one time. Now, I know that that does NOT make us professionals, by any means. But, we know our sweets.

Since beginning our "wine endeavor", I have studied about the different types of wine glasses, decanters, and wine accessories. That is why I finally settled on the Ravenscroft line of crystal ware.

I am NOT saying that all other crystal wine glasses are not good. By no means. But, after having tested the Ravenscroft line, I realized the difference almost immediately. Crisper, clearer flavor and bouquet. And, trust me, I have a plethora of crystal from Europe and all over as I also collect crystal. Nothing compared to my Ravenscroft collection.

Everybody has different tastes. That's what makes all of us unique. And, all we can do is try things for ourselves. I just wanted to share my experience with you and let YOU decide for yourself.

Finally, I went back to my Doctor for more tests. He was surprised to find that my LDL's were only 2 points above normal. When he asked me if I changed my diet, I just grinned a said, " nope, I drink red wine now". He just smiled and walked away.

Now, I am not a Doctor by no means. But, I will swear that red wine attributed to that and will continue to drink wine for the rest of my life.

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