Wine Experience Thus Far

I like to think of my experience with wine as slightly above the norm of my peers and sometimes even of those older than me. I believe I have a rather basic, but seasoned knowledge of wine, although I still have much to learn..hence taking this course! I was introduced to wine pretty young, but didn't develop much of an interest in it until less than a year ago. Up until then, I swore by Moscato. Beginning with Barefoot, then moving onto Risata, and finally onto Berringer. I now can't drink Moscato as it tastes like pure sugar water to me, which I see as a sign of my maturing taste for wine.

This change came about when I got a side, weekend job pouring wine for tastings in grocery stores last summer. So that I would know what I was talking about, I was allowed a tiny sample of each wine I was pouring before the start of my shift. At first, I didn't like a majority of the wines I tried, but as time went on I began to broaden my tastes and interests. First, I discovered I really liked Chardonnay. This was mainly because at the time I could not handle red wine very well. Before every tasting I received some tasting notes about the wine I was to sample, so I began noting and recognizing the different ways to describe wine. I discovered I liked oaky, fruity, buttery chardonnays. Kendall-Jackson to this day is my favorite, but it is a bit of a luxury because as a college student I'm hardly willing to spend any more than $15 on a bottle of wine.

As the summer went on I began to develop a taste for red wines. It started with blends but has blossomed since then, although I think I still prefer a good red wine blend over a single grape. I really enjoy Menage à Trois original red blend as well as Apothic Red. Two good blends at a good price! I also discovered I really liked Meiomi Pinot Noir and Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon. I now drink wine at least once a week, sometimes more, and I love trying new wines and sharing good wines with my friends! I am excited for this course as it will give me an academic reason to try more wines and broaden my horizons, but I am also excited to learn to "speak the language of wine".

From this course, one of the main things I hope to learn is good wine and food pairings. My family has always loved to entertain, and I hope to be able to entertain my friends and family with dinners once I have the means, so it would be wonderful to know what to serve and how to perfectly pair a dish to a wine. I am also interested in the production and aging process of wine as well as regional aspects to the preparation of a good wine. I am excited for the opportunity to try many different wines and document my opinions of them, which I believe will serve me well even beyond this semester!