One of the best birthday gifts I have received this year is a book by G. C. Lichtenberg, the extraordinary German scientist and humanist who lived in the second half of the XVIIIth century and wrote some of the most insightful aforisms about life.

In one of them, he points out that you can fight the passage of time by trying to prolongue your years or by slow walking: “go out there and collect plants, walk in zig zag and in a flat terrain, if nobody is watching you, dare to do a somersault”. I have decided to put slow walking into practice. My new year resolution includes writing more often about wine.

I had wanted to praise Zeta Pegaso viñas viejas de Pegaso 2021 (16,50 euros) for some time now. You cannot miss this Grenache wine created by Telmo Rodríguez, king of Spanish vignerons, in the mountains of Gredos. Zeta Pegaso is kind, profound and joyful , just like one would want to be remembered one day.

Another great recent discovery is Tanuki Bob (16,80 euros), a joint project between the revered wine makers of 4 Kilos Vinícola in Majorca and Amadip Esment, an NGO that works with intellectually disabled persons and their families.

Tanuki is a Japanese racoon dog, a name that apparently has very good connotations, prosperity and luck. Tanuki Bob is made with Manto Negro and a bit of Syrah and reminds you of a perfect village wine in Burgundy, with a similar freshness and lively taste.

Finally, at a summer celebration in Barcelona I found a marvelous red, Les Brugeres Negre 2001 (20,80 euros), by La Conreria d’ Scala Dei, a small wine company in Priorat.

This is a truly Mediterranean creature, made with Garnache and Syrah, a well balanced combination of red fruits, spices and herbs. A wine to toast to all the good things that every summer brings and to start slow walking in the autumn.