We were having dinner with our friend, film writer and documentary maker Barbara Martinez. Her family lives in Napa Valley, where they are growing grapes, for wineries. So the conversation focused on the charming spots in the area, when you can stop and taste wine, have a full meal and of-course - buy bottles of superb wine.
Barbara's descriptions of the place, showed real understanding and love for the business of producing fine wine. There are few unique wineries - she told us - that are not even open to customers ...Only - to special wine collectors. Perhaps now, due to the bad economy, they will have to accommodate others.
Suddenly - we looked at each other and started to laugh ..."Asif!" we roared loudly. Of-course we were referring to Asif Ali Zardari's love for fine-wine. To his credit, he really knows how to choose superb wines, let them breath, toast it around in beautiful glasses, before sipping slowly, enjoying every elegant sip.
In my book "My Benazir" - I describe, how he used to store bottles of fine wines in several restaurants in upper-east-side of New York, where he was a regular. The restaurant owners or managers treated his wine with lots of respect. It included a conversation about the wine, uncorking the bottles in front of our eyes, pouring it slowly into a glassy vase. Very ceremonial.
Ironically - Asif hosted us, looking after his selection of wines - as if he had been doing it all along. As if - he had not been in prison, fighting tough allegations for over more than a decade. It caught my attention. Curiosity - is a more accurate way to describe it.
But putting politics and religions aside (when I visited Asif in Pakistan, after he assumed power, he avoided drinking, and signaled to me not to mention his New-York lifestyle, which ended only few months earlier) - real wine lovers are like art collectors. The passion and joy of searching never goes away ...
For some of us - fine-wine is a piece of art.
A fascinating world to explore.
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