Last night, I logged onto Facebook to post a picture of my granddaughter and me after a shopping trip. Instead, I was hit by a ton of bricks.
My wine friend, Melanie Ofenloch, (Dallas Wine Chick) had passed away.
I stared at the screen in disbelief. I am still in shock. And quite frankly, I am at a loss.
I have known Melanie for almost 20 years. She was one of those people who was simply a joy to know—caring, fun, loving, supportive and always there.
People look at me and see my wine life. The tastings, the dinners, the trips, the bottles, the events and all the stories that come along with them.
But here’s the thing.
It was never just about the wine. It was about the friendships.
Wine may have been what initially brought so many of us together, but somewhere along the way, the relationships became about so much more than what was in our glasses.
We all have lives outside of wine. We have day jobs, families, celebrations, struggles, successes, heartbreaks and all the messy things that happen in between. Over the years, we shared those parts of our lives with each other. We supported one another. We celebrated each other’s accomplishments. We watched families grow. We checked in when life wasn’t going according to plan.
That’s what Melanie was to me. A wine friend who became so much more than a wine friend.
Four years ago, my nephew was doing an internship in Dallas, where Melanie lived. He suddenly needed a place to stay for two weeks because of a housing issue. I reached out to Melanie and asked if she might have a room he could rent.
She didn’t think John would go for it.
At the time, I didn’t think much about it. Now, knowing what she was going through and keeping it very private, I understand there was so much happening in her life that I didn’t know about.
And that realization makes my heart hurt even more.
That’s the thing about friendships. Sometimes we don’t know every battle someone is fighting. We just know the person they have been in our lives.
And Melanie was one of the good ones.
These friendships that began because of our shared love of wine grew into something far deeper. Wine introduced us, but life made us friends.
Nearly 20 years of friendship is a lot of memories. A lot of conversations. A lot of laughter. A lot of glasses raised.
Today, I don’t have a clever wine pairing or tasting note. I don’t have the right words to wrap this up neatly.
This one just hurts.
I am shocked. I am incredibly sad. And I am reminded once again how precious the friendships I’ve made through this crazy wine journey really are.
Melanie, you will be missed more than you could ever know.
Tonight, I will raise a glass to you, my friend.
Thank you for the friendship, the laughter and the memories.
Rest peacefully, Melanie. 🍷❤️
My thoughts and prayers go out to her husband John and her daughter Morgan. There are no words…
Mle and mARY
