Although I try to drink diversely from a varietal, style and regional perspective, when the month of May rolls around, all bets are off. This is the one month of the year that I drink only the wines that fire on all cylinders of my self-professed oenophilic palate. This is the month of my birthday and I’ll drink what I want to…drink what I want to.

With all the wines that I’d like to sample for my birthday, obviously one day would not suffice. For this reason, I tend to celebrate my “birthday week,” if for no other reason than to spread out my responsible consumption. In reality, my selections come in no explicit order other than what will pair with each evening’s dinner choices. But for editorial purposes, I will place them in a logical progression as if I was consuming them in one blissful evening as if it was my death row final meal.

Viognier

Viognier (VEE-own-yay) is one of those white varieties that I will sample from any winery attempting to make it as it is not the easiest grape to master. It’s uneven ripeness (even in the same cluster), susceptibility to disease and difficulty with balancing alcohol levels, acid and aromatics have seen it falling out of favor with many winemakers. Those who successfully take up the challenge can be rewarded with ethereal pleasure.

Recently back from Washington State, I found one such wine, Tinte Cellars Viognier 2022, Columbia Valley ($38), that has rich orchard, citrus, and tropical fruit, along with perfumed floral elements and the interesting oily viscous texture on the palate that I crave from this variety. Pair this wine with either chicken tagine with apricots, aromatic Thai foods, or sea scallops on mango chutney and you will be forced to rethink your life.

Pinot Noir

Another bugger of a wine to get right, and also one of my favorites, is Pinot Noir. This variety not only varies greatly by the soil and weather but also by the clone propagated. If any variety brings out my inner wine snob, it is definitely Pinot Noir. There are innumerous examples that fall somewhere between quaffable and swill but only a small percentage really pay homage to the variety itself.

I will concede that Burgundy rightfully claims the spiritual home of Pinot but I’m not willing to give up the ghost to pay for a single really good bottle. For my palate (and my wallet), I gravitate to quality-driven Pinot discovered in Willamette Valley, Oregon. These wines are not overtly alcoholic nor fruit-driven and still maintain an acidic freshness and earthy quality that I find so appealing.

Compris Vineyard As One Pinot Noir 2021, Chehalem Mountains $55 showcases that three clones blended together in the right environment can develop into something special. The crunchy red fruit, baking spices and forest floor elements will pair well with my wild mushroom risotto dish, but you can always pivot to game birds (duck) or even pork tenderloin (with thyme and cherry sauce).

Syrah

Syrah is another grape that I truly adore although I stay partial to cooler climate versions. Some of the high alcohol, syrupy fruit compote Shiraz wines are just too clunky and overt for my palate. I prefer a Syrah that seduces me slowly with every sniff and sip until I am like a helpless sailor drifting to the depths from a mermaid’s song. Northern Rhone never seems to let me down, and the varietal Syrah wines out of Cornas are a true special occasion treat. Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas La Louvée, Rhone Valley, France ($90) satisfies my fix for this style of Syrah. The wine has all the bold red and black fruit, spices (anise, pepper) floral (violet) and a still lively acid structure. Although this wine could rest for another decade, life is a fleeting thing. My pairing choices wax and wane from coq au vin to lamb shanks.

Madeira

For a final course, although I love anything chocolate and caramel, my drink will be my dessert. Ever since my epiphanic exposure to fortified wines, I have had a special place in my heart for Madeira. Named for the island from where it is produced, the wines are exposed to slow oxidation and heat during the maturing process. As long as you keep them upright after opening, somewhat counterintuitive versus other wine storage, they will not spoil. The wines have an almost eternal shelf life, much like Keith Richards, as they are already baked and oxidized so there is not much you can do to them that hasn’t already been done.

Although you can purchase older bottles that were produced when Napoleon was in power, I feel like selling a kidney to pay for a bottle of wine may not be in my best interest. I selected Rare Wine Company Boston Bual Special Reserve ($65) for the quality, level of residual sugar and complex flavor profiles. The dried figs, clove, walnuts and balsamic notes make it a finisher on its own but will pair extremely well with pecan pie, hazelnut or bittersweet chocolates.

I invite you to try these wines that are special to me, even if you lack a May birthday. It may seem rather gluttonous and selfish to partake of all this amazing wine and food for a date that occurs every year. My self-indulgent justification for this epicurean feast is that I lack the foresight to know when will be my last. The thought of some other miscreant drinking my birthday wine after I’m gone, motivates me to enjoy these celebrations even more, as it should you as well. Happy birthday, whenever that may be.