Wine less Traveled

There are older wines in my collection dating back as far as 1998 that I have not opened yet. I think it's because I feel that if I open them they will be savored and gone forever. Or will they? I still remember the wine I tasted that was so memorable that I decided to pursue a Master of Wine designation. I don't remember the year, but I was at a dinner party with friends, the host was pouring wine from a carafe, it was white. I remember taking a sip and stopping mid-swallow thinking, oh my goodness! what is this? The wine was fragrant, I could smell it as I swallowed, it was refreshing and fruity and I couldn't stop drinking it. The wine, not knowing the terminology at the time, had layers, and a new dimension of fruitiness with each sip. The wine was memorable, so memorable I wanted to know why it tasted that way...I've been on that quest ever since. I started taking wine classes and with each class the breath of information about wine peaked my curiosity further, to the point where achieving the highest wine designation possible became my quest. I'm three certifications in and I'm still going. I'm not just learning about wine, I'm learning about wine and its relationship to people, culture and tradition. As I learn, I teach through wine lectures and events, spreading the word about the virtues of a life filled with family, friends, and great glass of memorable wine. By the way, the wine I had at that dinner party was a homemade wine made by the hostesses neighbor, yes a homemade wine! To this day it's one of the most memorable wines I've ever had. So, maybe I will open that St. Estephe 1998.....I'll savor it and it will last in memory forever.