"Tiny bubbles , In the wine, Make me happy, Make me feel fine.”
It is said you will never regret time spent blowing bubbles. What young person has not proven this maxim true by whiling away a summer day on this simple childhood past time? And who could refute the calming benefits of a long soak in a warm tub brimming with the white foam of a bubble bath? Or deny the joy and delight in blowing a large pink orb from a piece of chewing gum stretching it to the extreme before it pops? And finally, for those who prefer to drink them, there is nothing more festive than a glass of bubbly.
Bubbles have long captivated us. Perhaps it is because they symbolize the end of an era and the birth of a new one. Their ability to float on air with a rainbow iridescence and fleeting impermanence reminds us of the fragility of our own existence. In art and literature, bubbles symbolize hope and the delicate balance between chaos and order. Defined as a thin sphere of liquid encasing air or another gas, a bubble also refers to a good or fortunate situation that isolates and protects us from reality, unlikely in any lasting way. I dare you to catch and hold a bubble for very long, so fleeting is their nature.
They were the subject of the famous “Pop, Pop, Fizz, Fizz” advertising jingle of the 1970s-era Alka Seltzer campaign promising speedy relief of what ails us. And they continue to be quintessential stars at myriad celebrations where the sound of corks pop with the promise of enjoyment as bubbly overflows from coupe glasses and flutes emerging with vigor from the slender neck of a champagne bottle. Because after all, “Champagne isn’t a drink. It is a celebration.”
Dom Pierre Perignon, who pioneered the method of fermenting wine in a bottle to produce the delectable effervescence we now enjoy as champagne, is said to have exclaimed, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars,” so heavenly was the discovery. Even Mother Nature gets in on the act, spewing spume on the shoreline, a frothy, ebullient sea foam churning at the ocean’s edge.
The first month of the New Year has drawn to a close; we review and set our intentions for the coming months. We are filled with the promise of fresh opportunities that glimmer and float like bubbles blown from a plastic wand and we aim to approach life with childlike wonder. Most importantly, let no one burst our bubbles! Instead, may they reach the sky, become dreams realized, and explode with good fortune.
A vintage poster from Contratto winery that hangs in the family room and bar of my own home. Founded in 1867 in Canelli, Italy, by Giuseppe Contratto, the winery is renowned as Italy’s oldest producer of Metodo Classico (traditional method) sparkling wine. Known for its historic “underground cathedral” cellars (a UNESCO world heritage site), Contratto was a premier supplier to the Vatican and royal houses. The image perfectly captures the celebratory spirit of the room where we entertain and enjoy libations with family and friends. Courtesy of The Ross Art Group
I'm forever blowing bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air. They fly so high, Nearly reach the sky, Then like my dreams, they fade and die. Fortune is always hiding. I’ve looked everywhere. I’m forever blowing bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air.