Lili Coffin ~ A Love Affair With #Wine ~ An Introduction

My love of affair with wine began when I was 8 years old.

My mother was a child actress on that was then known as the Little Rascals. Being raised in Hollywood, she was taught to enjoy the finer things in life and taught us children to do the same.

For my 8th birthday, she took me alone to the then renowned Brown Derby. I can remember every detail of that evening. I ate sole almondine, as did Mom, I had a Shirley Temple drink as Mom sipped her glass of white wine.

At the close of the meal, the head waiter brought out an enormous pineapple lemon cake. I blew out the candles after I was serenaded by wait staff and celebrities alike.

Everyone was charmed as the cake was distributed throughout the dining room and Mother stood and rose to toast me with that one simple glass of white wine.

I knew then that it was important to mark special events with a toast and from that day on, wine was always a part of that.

What fun it was to carry on the tradition when I was married and raisin a family.

As the wife of a newly successful businessman, I was often called upon to hostess nice dinners and wine tasting and pairing became an integral part of that.

Through this, I met some of the closest and dearest friends of my life.  Frequent trips to Napa and Sonoma valleys became the norm. It was a great time in our lives.

We even started a wine club, we jokingly called ourselves Couples on Wine, or COWS, for short.  We held monthly meetings, field trips to wineries and we did this for nine years.

This is my first blog and so will only offer one of many highlights here today.

In between COWS events, we went as a couple or with another couple to as many wineries as we could take in.

It was a private dinner in the Old Inglenook cellar.  I will give details in an upcoming blog but will tell you now that it was the experience of a lifetime.

Time marched on. I became the solo wine drinker in our home, until my husband’s death six years ago. Although he was no longer able to drink, for health and personal reasons, he always encouraged me to continue what used to be our shared interest.

The social events continued, the wine flowed and his interest never ceased.

Through his work we met many lovely people.Some of whom are well known, both as wine makers and wine industry leaders.

As a result of those dear friendships, my husband Robert was honored to do the Custom stone renovation at Concannon Winery in Livermore, CA,

Sadly, he passed away suddenly, two weeks after the completion of that project.
Happily, he was doing what he loved till he died.

In the years that have passed, my love of wine has continued to be passionate. I enjoy all aspects from how the wine grapes are grown to how the wine is made and of course, drinking it.

My particular wine of choice at this time is great for summer, a Gruner Veltliner that I purchased a case of from Darcie Kent Vineyards.

Darcie had the honor if serving her different wines for Michelle Obama, at a White House Luncheon. She is also one of the best people I have ever known.

So, that’s a little about me and my wine network.

I am an equal opportunity wine drinker and have seldom found a red or white I didn’t at least like a little.

More to come shortly. I hope you will enjoy sharing this World of Wine with me.