The Zen of Wine poem below was inspired by a very recent trip (Super Bowl Sunday) we took to the vineyards just north of Santa Barbara. It began as an incredible morning with the sunshine beaming through the window calling to us to start the day with a hike. We loaded up the dog and a change of clothes and took off. But this was not a day for our regular 4.5-mile hike-run; it was too beautiful. We opted for what I call K-2, which is a 5-mile vertical climb and descent along a narrow trail up the Santa Monica Mountains to the top of a ridge.

From that vantage point you can see for 40 miles in either direction; from Santa Catalina Island to the Angeles National Forest to Big Bear. It was a spectacular day to be on top of that mountain. We paused for a brief meditation, and then jogged along the ridge to a 200-foot vertical descent to dirt Mulholland Drive. We stopped again to quench our thirst with the water I carried in the backpack, gave a little to our Boxer, Kokoa, and then ran a couple miles down the trail to the car.

About an hour and a half later, we were eating local, fresh Ridgeback shrimp and homemade clam chowder at our favorite little fish shack at the end of the Santa Barbara pier. Enjoying the water, wine, and amazing food, we stared at the scenery and then each other and couldn’t help to feel really blessed in this moment. We laughed like Hotei—the laughing Buddha—knowing a secret of life that he’s bursting to share with everyone. And that secret is simple: enjoy the moment because it’s all you have. And be the moment because that’s enlightenment.

Well, it was about 1pm by now and we headed to the first vineyard. We love our reds, and especially have a soft spot for a good Pinot Noir or a nice Chianti-Sangiovese. But today we decided on one of our favorite vineyards that produces a Sauvignon Blanc that is unmatched in its subtle grapefruit taste with the perfect blend of fresh squeezed citrus and a refreshing splash of coconut. This time was different.

We took the taste outside the tasting room—slowly taking in the stunning view of the vineyard with rows of winter vines and rolling green hills that lined the backdrop. We tasted slowly and enjoyed mindfully, absorbing not just the wine, but the earth, vine, sun, and soil in every drop. It was Zen in its essential form. It was as if we could taste everything we looked at through this wonderful essence of the fruit of this scenic painting. Everything around us was embodied in this wine. It was an experience of all the senses and spirit.

It was inspiring and set the tone for the entire rest of the day. We looked at each other and knew we couldn’t have imagined a more perfect time! Throughout the day and with each taste of everything around us, I thought of the Zen of Wine and was inspired to write the poem below and gather the appropriate movie and book quotes.

The Zen of Wine

Another poem by Master Nomi

Behold the Zen of Wine

On Pharaohs tables

Blessing the Monastery prayers

Cherishing Kings and Queens celebrations

Observing God throughout the rituals of religion

In a lone Tavern somewhere, another glass is sanctified

And one to many, the Zen is lost

Or perhaps found

Who can say?

Maggie: "But it could be vinegar! I mean, old wine often turns to vinegar."

Oliver: "Well then, we either have a wonderful glass of wine, or a really expensive salad." Maggie and Oliver, Year of the Comet (1992)

Wine is life

Wine is love

Wine is not a human invention

Wine is but a natural synergy of nature

Wine is sunlight

Wine is soil

Wine is weather

Wine is water

Wine is stories untold of sacrifice

Wine is the taste of perfect chemistry

And how is this?

"…how it’s a living thing…. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it’s an old wine, how many of them have passed on by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your ’61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline … And it tastes so f***ing good." –Maya, played by Virginia Madsen, in Sideways

Because wine is Zen

No, I mean not that we need wine to find our Zen

Wine is Zen.

It is the composition of the forces of the Universe

Of God if you will prefer,

It is Nature or God becoming aware of itself

Through the human spirit

Yes, that is enlightenment

Pure awareness becoming aware of itself

Within the human form

When you recognize that the Universe

Or God if you will prefer

Is aware of itself through YOU

Your ultimate seed potential is found.

And why is this?

"It’s a hard grape to grow. As you know. Right? It’s, uh, it’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s, you know, it’s not a survivor like cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it’s neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And, in fact, it can only grow in these really specific, little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot’s potential can then coax it into its fullest expression." Miles in Sideways (trying to explain to Maya why he loves Pinot Noirs)

Wine has touched every aspect of Nature

To become enlightened.

It’s enlightenment is its own seed potential,

And not a human creation.

BUT rather it seeks to become its destiny

Using the human mind as its creator

It teases and taunts with its flavorful bounty

And its seductive mind altering chemistry

Its euphoric mysticism

"Let’s be honest: there’s only one activity more satisfying than drinking good wine with good food; and if you’re drinking wine in the right company, the one pleasure, more often than not, will lead to the other!" –Jay McInerney, Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine

It holds us captured by:

its nose

Its taste

Its color

Its viscosity

It calls to its human creators

To create itself

And to enjoy

Almost as if it had a mind of its own

As if it has tasted itself

A Yogic masturbation of extreme flexibility

Of universal proportions

And what is this?

"You people. You think you can just buy your way into this. Take a few lessons. Grow some grapes. Make some good wine. You cannot do it that way. … You have to have it in your blood. You have to grow up with the soil underneath your nails, and the smell of the grape in the air that you breathe. The cultivation of the vine is an art form. The refinement of its juice is a religion that requires pain and desire and sacrifice." Gustavo, Bottle Shock (2008)

Simply…wine is Zen

And Zen is nature discovering itself through human form

And wine discovers itself through human form

But wine has no mind you argue!

Well, Zen has No Mind, I say!

Remember wine is of Earth and Sun

And of the crowning achievement of Nature

Or God if you will prefer,

The human mind.

It’s a synergy of subatomic particles

That has nothing to do with the intention of anyone

"My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done, such as drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs!" James Bond, Goldfinger (1964)

But rather the un-intention of Nature itself.

The processes that produce wine

From its growth

To its harvest

To its separation

To its fermentation

To it barreling

To its bottle

Yet it is not done here

For its final destination

Is to become aware of itself through you,

Just as Nature and God do

That is Zen in pure form.

And when is this?

"Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living." Robert Mondavi, Harvests Of Joy

That is the ultimate Zen question

For in Zen there is only one when,

And that is Now…

Only in the Now can you experience the Zen of wine

It is the perfect mindful experience

Being in the moment with the color of the wine

As the light from the Sun becomes part of its color

The bouquet becomes part of your nose

The taste becomes part of your mind

And then becomes part of your body

As you feel the wine saturate your being

This is a mindful experience

This is meditation

And as you gaze across the vines

You can taste the vineyard in front of you

You taste what you see

You experience the gamut of time

In this moment

The journey the wine made to rediscover itself

Here in this moment

In your awareness

sharing the awareness of the grape

which has Become the wine

yet all awareness always remains the same

…And this is Zen, And this is Wine.

And remember you can still download a FREE Ebook version of my two books, Where’s My Zen? and The Ten Paradoxes…simply click the link above.

Blessings,

Paul Harrison AIA

aka Master Nomi

Architect, Author, Creator of the Zen Advantage Program™ (ZAP)