There are certain things about being in the wine business that make me smile. Helping someone far away select a wine to be placed in the hotel room for a loved one’s arrival at the beach is one. Having customers say that coming to the shop is a long-standing tradition when they come to the beach is another.

And then there are the wine luncheons that I get invited to. On a purely selfish and hedonistic level, it doesn’t get any better. This past Monday, it was time to make the journey to Portland to have lunch with John Abbot, one of the owners and the winemaker for Walla Walla’s Abeja winery.

The lunch began with a small glass of the Abeja 2008 Chardonnay, which was paired with a plate of house-cured meats and rabbit rillette, a paté-like dish that was outstanding. Also served with this was a salad of greens, spiced beets, candied pecans and a horseradish cream. The wine, which is only lightly oaked, had just enough acidity and tropical flavors to play off the array of flavors presented by the food.

The main course featured a choice between a grilled duck sausage served with duck-leg confit and gingersnap Basmati rice, or roasted scallops and barbequed pork belly served with black-eyed peas and whole grain mustard jus.

What’s a wine guy to do with choices like that? I couldn’t have both.

The two Cabernet Sauvignons and Syrah paired with these main courses would normally lead me to choose the duck option. But if the chef and the winemaker thought the pairings were appropriate, who was I to question them?

I chose the scallops and was very pleased with my choice. The Abeja 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Syrah all played well off the slightly caramelized exterior of the scallops, and didn’t overpower the delicate flavors of the scallop itself.

Is it fair to say I love my job?