About souvenirs, wine and reinventing the wheel

Although I'm not particularly fond of trinkets and certainly not much of knick-knacks offered as souvenirs, I do occasionally go for the axe. Usually it concerns a visit to a distant place where the prosperity is not high and a small contribution can be made to the not too rosy living conditions through a purchase.

Wine

As I write this I come to the conclusion that you sometimes buy something in your own country for non-rational reasons. Very recently I visited a vineyard in the Netherlands near where I live. The owner had organized a tasting and tour of the vineyard. With great enthusiasm he guided me through his wine estate and learned a lot of interesting facts about regional viticulture. After that you can't leave without buying a few bottles of wine.

I myself am a nice wine drinker, but don't count me among the guild of wine connoisseurs.

Although; I am still proud of the fact that I emerged victorious at a wine tasting in the wine cellars located in the marl caves of the renowned Michelin-starred restaurant Chateau Neercanne in Maastricht. All good except the one white from Wijngaard Slevante from Maastricht that I exchanged with a wine from France. Cheers to Slevante!

Wine connoisseurs

When I listened to the so-called connoisseurs of grape juice with a connoisseur's eye from here to there, the assessment of color, smell, aftertaste and whatnot, I often cannot suppress a smile. The connoisseurs smell wood, exotic fruit, forest violets, aromas of nuts, raspberry and spices, black and red cherries and even dried figs. In the mouth they taste something fleshy with purple fruit and licorice in the final.

Juicy and round in the mouth with a pleasant long finish. In the nose all recognizable and in the mouth nice and smooth and round with a nice structure.

Now that's the difference between a wine connoisseur and a wine drinker.

The latter raises his glass, looks into the beautiful blue or dark brown eyes of the ladies present and smiles at the beautiful exotic fruit that surrounds him and imagines himself in a forest full of violets. He enjoys all those beauties surrounding him with a beautiful structure. In short, a company for an unforgettable aftertaste.

Vineyards

Back to that Dutch vineyard; the price-quality ratio was not the best. However, I thoroughly enjoyed letting so-called connoisseurs taste a noble glass of wine from their own region without disclosing the origin. Many a 'connoisseur' fell through the basket!

Like Thailand, the Netherlands is not a real wine country and the quality cannot compete with the real wine countries.

While on holiday in Thailand I enjoyed visits to the Monsoon Valley vineyard near Hua Hin, the Silverlake vineyard, which I visited with Gringo near Pattaya, and visiting a vineyard in Loei. Wonderful memories in which the atmosphere played a major role and the wines therefore transcended themselves. And that is no less true when I open a bottle from my hometown for a good guest.

Souvenir

Jumping from one subject to another, now back to the subject of souvenirs. And in this case I need the help of you readers. About twenty years ago, in a gallery in Chiangmai not far from Anusarn market, my attention was drawn to a kind of wooden wheel resembling a small millstone. My knowledge of the Thai language was then and still is very minimal and the gallery owner did not speak any other language. Now, after so many years, I would like to know what it represents. Have seen similar 'round wheels' before but haven't figured out what it is until now. Bought it at the time complete with the standard on which the 'wooden wheel' rests decoratively. The picture shown clarifies it.

My question: who can guide me and tell me what it represents?

Then perhaps look at it differently, because such an object is also something like wine; the memories and atmosphere determine the enjoyment.