The memories of a standout bottle of wine are often associated not with the bottle itself, but the activities that are part of an exceptional wine experience. Memories include laughing with friends at a party, gazing across the room at a beautiful man, sipping wine while preparing a magnificent recipe, and lovemaking.

This brings to mind the 2009 Wine and Food Festival in Grand Rapids. I wasn't doing any of the above activities per se at this event - but somehow these activities all crossed my mind as I made my way across the sea of booths displaying what seemed to be an infinite number of wines from all parts of the world. Throughout the evening, as I strolled with a friend , I saw many people from my past who I hadn't seen in quite some time. Some I knew well and others were merely acquaintances. But they all had one thing in common - they all inspired those long ago memories that burst forth when a face is seen and the vivid snapshot of an experience together is recalled. The memories come alive in that brief moment as you meet, exchange cordial conversation, and wish each other well.

And in the presence of wine, the old feelings bubble up again, fresh and new, making you realize that you are indeed very much alive. Here on this particular evening was a room full of wine lovers willing to experience the moment and let their guard down. Their emotions were high and full of the anticipation of a great wine tasting.

As we drank at this booth and the next, the wines blurred in our quest to find the very best. The experience was educational, while the appreciation of the wine was intuitive. "Where is that booth where the wines bring memories of great bottles and great memories."

As my friend and I strolled along the corridors of the winemakers, we paused to say hello to friends and to talk to the young apprentices who staffed the booths. Most had no clue about the wines that they were serving, but they did know what others had most enjoyed and they eagerly steered us to them.

One of the standout vineyard booths was the very last one we experienced. Having an abundance of wine tickets to use up before the evening ended, we wandered to the place where we had seen an engaging "15 ticket" pour, considered an extravangent amount when we first arrived, but now a must for our taste buds as we longed for that special wine that would rock our world. This exclusive wine was from a small vineyard out of Napa called Celani Family Vineyards. The $200 bottle of wine was called Ardore, a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon which would cost us $7.50 for a small sip. We dug into our pockets without hesitation. Why not splurge when the moment was ripe? As we hoped, Ardore was outstanding and became our top wine pick of the night.

As the evening ended I was reminded that the experience of a good bottle or "taste" of wine is best remembered by the experience that one has with the people or situation that surrounds it. This was an event that included familiar faces, old forgotten memories, an enhanced awareness of feeling, and a bit of learning. Combine this with Ardore, the most noteworthy wine of the evening and the moment was complete.

It's not easy to express what the International Wine and Food Festival in Grand Rapids is like. But if you take a mixture of our favorite wine called Ardore and combine that with the dictionary term "ardor" this may give you a nice understanding: "A warmth of feeling or sentiment: Passion." That pretty much best sums up the pleasure that can be derived from this wine tasting experience.