Monday, November 26, 2007

Please Don't Buy Wine!


Please Don't Buy Wine!

Yes, it sounds strange for me to be telling you not to buy wine. But I have a very good reason so please just read on.

The time of Giving Thanks has now passed and we now move onto a time for plain Giving. This December, many of us will give gifts and presents to our friends and family. It will be a joyous time of celebration. I love this season! The holidays elate me and it is so great to spend time with those I care about.

Yet it is not a joyous time for all. There are people less fortunate for whom the holidays are a time of sadness. There are children who won't receive any gifts. There are people who will spend the holidays alone. There are people who will have to spend the holidays in hospitals or other health care facilities. There are people who cannot even afford to eat.

Let us try to bring some joy to the less fortunate. Let us share our own joy with them. And that is the rationale behind why I have asked you not to buy wine.

This season, when you want to buy a bottle of wine, don't. Instead, give the money you would have spend on that wine to the charity of your choice. Give a gift to those who truly need it. This won't solve all the problems of the world, but it will make a difference. It will help someone. And it will make you happier knowing the difference you have made.

I would like to know everyone who participates in this, who is willing to help make a difference. All you have to do is add a comment here and tell me what charity you gave to. There is no need to tell the amount. Just tell me where you made a difference. Together we can make this a better world.
(Addendum: Let me clarify so there are no misunderstandings. I am not asking that you do not buy any wine at all this season. I am only asking that you buy one bottle less this season. And use the money that would have gone to buy that bottle to charity. I do encourage you to buy wine this season, to enjoy, to share with friends and families. Just buy one bottle less. thanks.)

6 comments:

Anonymous Bosh said...

My children--all of whom have autumn birthdays--have failed preventing their party guests from bringing gifts (even though, these days, party venues do not allow time for opening said gifts--yes, it's a weird world in which we live). In any case, they each make a conscious selection, keeping no more than half, donating the other half to Toys for Tots.

Gift giving is strange these days: I want absolutely NOTHING (because if I want it, I likely already have it); wine is a good gift that way in that it is consummable.

But given your plea: I will, in addition to purchasing wine, will also make a further donation, again to Toys for Tots.

Richard Auffrey said...

Thank you very much for being the first to step up and agree to a donation. Though it also sounds like you already are a very charitable family. I wish you and your family the best this season.

Jill said...

Hi Richard,

While as a wine store owner I can't endorse the "don't buy wine" thing completely, I want to honor the spirit of this idea! Therefore, we will donate a portion of any purchases you make at domaine547.com to the charity of your choice.

There are two options for users...you trust us, or we trust you. If you enter coupon code "angel" and tell us what charity to donate to, we'll send 10% of your order total to the charity of your choice. If you use coupon code "devil" you will receive a 10% discount off your order, and we will trust you to make the donation yourself.

Richard Auffrey said...

Hi Jill:
I did add an addendum to my post to clarify matters. I certainly did not mean that people should not buy any wine at all this season. I only want them to buy one less bottle.

I certainly like your idea as well, and it definitely follows the spirit of my post. Thank you for your generous offer.

To everyone else, I have ordered from domaine547.com before and have had no complaints. I have even been able to get wines that are not readily available to me in MA. I encourage you to check out her online shop.

Anonymous said...

I'll also leave my plea that the bottle you don't buy isn't a Rosenblum wine...But when you do come to the tasting room, practice the art of charity by bringing some non-perishable food items that we're collecting for the food bank. Then everyone feels better!

Richard Auffrey said...

Thanks Farley for your contribution. Every bit of charity at this season, and during all seasons, is beneficial.