Drink What You Like

I get a lot of self-imposed neophytes in the tasting room.  Most are very shy about telling me “they know nothing about wine.”  I’ll ask them if they prefer white wine, red wine, or like both.  They’ll pick one and I’ll reciprocate with, “See, you already know something about wine, what YOU like.”  This is, quite frankly, the most important thing you’ll ever need to know about wine.

Wine has been celebrated for thousands of years.  It holds agricultural, religious, and historical significance. For centuries, wine has been woven through the facets of the everyday life of the common man.  Not until the 20th century was wine perceived as a luxury good surrounded by this notion that you had to be in the know to partake.  Ratings, medals, websites, classes, flashy label designs, and marketing schemes all developed to tell you what wine is hot and what you are supposed to be drinking right now.  Most people feel lost and are afraid to admit it.

You don’t need any of that. You need your mouth and your nose.  It’s mindblowingly simple.

If you are truly interested in wine, into finding the one that makes your mouth sing, then get out and try as much of it as you can.  You are the only critic of your taste buds.  Have fun with it.  Pick up a $6 bottle of wine and give it a try.  Like it?  Great!  Pick up a different bottle next time, go wine tasting, or grab a glass of wine at a restaurant.  Don’t be afraid to try different types, it’s only wine.  If you like it, fantastic!  Put it in the “like” column.  If you don’t, there’s always next time.  But, at least you know. You are beginning to form your own opinions about what YOU like and more importantly, what you don’t like.  

So, next time you wander into a tasting room, don’t be shy.  Boldly tell the person behind the bar you are on a quest for the perfect wine for you.