would represent a trace return of smell, V.S.O.P. Each day he tracked his progression, and rated his ability using a scale derived from Cognac’s hierarchy of classifications: V.S. Because of its relative subtlety, wine was beyond his capability, but he began taking daily whiffs of coffee in the morning and of Rémy Martin X.O., a particularly aromatic Cognac, in the afternoon, in order to gauge his sensitivity.Įarly on, he could smell nothing. Shortly after he had fallen ill, he gave himself a daily exercise, partly in hopes of rehabilitating his olfactory sense, and partly out of scientific curiosity. So much of the pleasure of wine and the ability to taste are dependent on the nose. “It’s where everybody ends up in this world, and it took me a long time before I got it,” he said.Īny wine at all, however, seemed unthinkable as he recovered from Covid-19. Eventually, his arc of discovery led him to Burgundy. As he became more confident in his own tastes, he gravitated toward subtler, more nuanced wines. Pourfar first embraced the bold, fruity bottles that were popular and critically acclaimed at the time.
Like many whose wine journey began in the 1990s, Dr. In medical school, he fell in with some fans of German wines, and then, when he decided to study wine seriously, he began with Bordeaux, a customary point of departure because of its rich history and the relative simplicity of its structure and geography. “You don’t realize what a powerful connection these sorts of flavors can have with your life’s experiences and memories,” he said.įrom there, in fits and starts, Dr. He found himself paying attention to it, and wine became entwined with his time there. There, he lived with a family who always had wine on the table. Pourfar, who grew up in Monroe, N.Y., near West Point, discovered wine when, as a high school student, he spent a year in Alsace, France. Like many wine lovers, he had constructed what he called “life’s comforting rituals” around fetching a bottle: “The considered selection, the careful handling, the slow, deliberate opening and thoughtful smelling, the little smile, they were gone,” he said.ĭr. Still, he could not help but feel that in a small way he had been diminished. He understood that losing the ability to enjoy wine was a small price to pay for one’s life and health. His sense of smell, though, did not return. Pourfar’s symptoms did not disappear entirely until mid-May.
IS WINE SAFE TO DRINK AFTER A WEEK FULL
“It wasn’t really a dragon, but it had a long tail.”Īfter a full month, they began to feel much better Dr. “You’d think you were getting better, then evening would come, and you’d realize you’re not out of it yet,” he said. But for the parents, the illness dragged on. Their son had mild symptoms, their daughter none at all. Instead, they quarantined themselves in their home, where they were able to care in shifts for their children. They could not smell a thing, nor taste the food they forced themselves to eat.īut they were not sick enough for the hospital. Within a few days of opening the Williams Selyem, the couple were feverish, with aches and chills and relentless coughs. But he settled on a bottle of Williams Selyem pinot noir from the Russian River Valley, a wine he and his wife had discovered early in their marriage and enjoyed together regularly. He considered a few of the most precious bottles he owned - a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, one of the great Burgundies, perhaps, or a Cheval Blanc, an equally hallowed Bordeaux.
Knowing that this might be the last bottle they would enjoy for a while, he pondered his selection. Pourfar wanted a glass even though she was unable to smell anything. That evening, routine meant choosing a bottle of wine from the cellar. For now, he and his wife needed to maintain a calm routine for the sake of the children, as well as for their own peace of mind. After rationally assessing the situation, he concluded that while they might all get sick, the chances of grave illness were low. He was particularly worried about their children.īut his medical training soon kicked in. As anyone might, he at first pondered the most morbid possibilities.
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