Four Old Guys and the Winery: Beautiful Views and a Glass of Wine

By Frank "Sugar" Hudson.

What these old guys have in common is not wealth or fame. They have something waiting for them. It might be coffee with a friend, a visit with family or a visit to a local winery. Once a week the Guys leave San Miguel de Allende and head for a winery. Now, before anyone starts worrying, let me make something perfectly clear: they are not drinking excessively. They are retired gentlemen conducting important research. At least, that’s what they tell their friends.

Somewhere among the vineyards, the four amigos settle into comfortable chairs, order a bottle—or perhaps two—and begin discussing the issues of the day: How is your blood pressure? Did you take your pills? And, most importantly, which wine goes best with lunch?

There is something wonderfully civilized about it. No traffic. No television shouting at them. No lawn that desperately needs mowing. Just four old friends, a beautiful view, a good meal and a glass of wine. Of course, their critics have questions. “Are they drinking too much? "Are they bored?" "Don’t they have anything better to do?" The answer to all three questions may be: “Absolutely not.”

They have discovered one of the great secrets of growing older—you don’t have to stop having fun just because your knees have become unreliable. Besides, boredom is a serious condition. It can lead to watching daytime television, or telling the same story about the 1960s for the 47^th time. The winery is much safer. There, the Four Old Guys can pretend they are sophisticated connoisseurs.

“Hints of oak,” one might say. “Definitely,” another agrees. “What does oak taste like?" Nobody knows, but everyone nods. The truth is, the weekly winery trip probably has very little to do with drinking. It is about friendship. At this stage of life, friends are not just people you know. They are people who remember your stories, forgive your forgetfulness and don’t mind when you tell the same joke twice. The Four Old Guys aren’t trying to escape life. They are celebrating it. Once a week, they get together, raise a glass and laugh. And if that’s boredom or just having fun, I’m voting for fun.