Presently most of us drink wine with a nice dinner. Others sip it at celebrations. And some guzzle it as if it were the center of their happiness. The proponents of wine drinking say it has numerous health benefits, at least that’s what they say after a seemingly endless day at work. Frankly, many of us just covet wine, and we buy oversized wine glasses to express our love for it!

But what if wine was a non-renewable national resource? What if it was recently discovered deep underground in some famous national park. Would it be worth recovering? I can hear the satirical responses, “Not it it tasted like Boonsfarm or Two Buck Chuck!” I get that! But what if it tasted better than a perfectly chilled bottle of Blanc 1947 St-Emilion right out of the ground? The whole idea makes way for a Hollywood drama. Greed and Envy could play the antagonists, while Self Righteousness and Fundraising the super hero’s. And what about the connoisseur’s and aficinado’s? What roles could they play?

I speculate to have fun, but also because the subject of drilling for oil in a National Park came up in a friend’s post. I explained my opinion this way.

“I’m not one bit concerned about exploring for oil in national parks if there is a national need. But I agree wholeheartedly that we should not export our oil, or for that matter any necessary natural resource unless there is a humanitarian reason for doing so. Having an abundance should result in less exploration and lower prices, not exploitation and greed. My opinion is one in the minority, and will not be liked by either political persuasion. Both parties, in my opinion, model the sin of thoughtlessness. And avarice typically appropriates, without permission, what belongs to another. Of self interest we are all guilty.
I have now added my “layer” to the story, thanks for letting me do so!”

Then the idea of underground wine popped into my head. – No, I’ve not been drinking! I wanted to see if my “opinion” held water in this senerio, and I think it has. I would allow drilling for wine, so long as it could be enjoyed by American citizens. Our national treasures are important, and so are our national resources. Self interest has its role in society, and both oil and wine their place within limits. God gives us limits too, within His limits are the best of things. And they usually are meant for our comfort and pleasure; oil and wine.