by Allie Merrick
Una Vida translates to ‘One Life’ and is the title of a novel, a movie (coming soon) and a Pinot Noir. Not only do these three share the same name. They share the same story as well. The tale they tell is of the direction and dedication of one man – Dr. Nicolas Bazan.
Born and raised in Argentina, the young Nicolas Bazan witnessed his aunt suffer from a seizure while walking him to music class one day. As you might expect, this event had a dramatic effect on him. On that day, he dedicated his life to studying the mind. As a young man, he moved to the United States to pursue a career in neurochemistry. After studying at Columbia University and Harvard, he became Dr. Nicolas Bazan, a man devoted to his profession. Today, Dr. Bazan is one of the world’s most renowned and respected neuroscientists. His pursuit of knowledge to understand the mind is driven by his creed – “What we do in this one life resonates in the lives of those both present and yet to come.”
With a love for jazz, Dr. Bazan built a life for himself and his family in New Orleans – a city he now calls home where he serves as the head of the LSU Neuroscience Center of Excellence. You may think this is where the story stops, but this is just the beginning. Here enters Una Vida.
Dr. Bazan decided to write a book, Una Vida. Living up to the title’s translation (‘One Life’), the story is about the life of one jazz singer who is stricken with Alzheimer’s, the lives of those who come to know her and a mystery that is revealed. Based in New Orleans, as you might have guessed, this tale includes a main character, Dr. Alvaro Cruz, whose life seems to parallel Dr. Bazan’s in more ways than one.
But why just write a novel when you could make a movie? And making a movie, he is. Dr. Bazan’s book is being translated into a script for a motion picture where by the story of Una Vida will not only be heard but seen. This fable of music and the mind will give the audience a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s, people who have it and those who care for them.
Not only can Una Vida be read (as a book) and watched (as a movie), it can also be sipped. A third version comes in the form of a bottle of wine. From the Wahle Vineyard in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Nicolas Bazan Wines offers the Una Vida Pinot Noir. I can vouch for this Pinot, as I’ve had it on more than one occasion. Its depth is unparalleled, and its delivery is unmatched. Story time is my favorite time when the tale is told to my palate. The layers I flip through with my tongue are told with tones and textures in my mouth that manifested inside my mind. If you’ve never sipped a story, I highly suggest this one.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Allie Merrick is the co-host of My Wine Words, the NW Wine Correspondent for Northwest Wines To You and creative contractor under her own label Allie Merrick, Inc.
