What qualifies me to write about a subject as complex as wine? First and foremost, I love wine, and for someone my age, I like to think that I know quite a bit about it. Secondly, along with my friends, I have had some adventures in the world of wine. These adventures have been especially epic considering that we have all had less than 5 years of legal drinking experience in this country and that we all have very little disposable income to spend on these adventures (and on wine in general). Lastly, on a recent trip to the wineries of Paso Robles, I was jealous of my friend’s “industry discount,” and am now determined to find my own “in” in the wine industry, thus reaping the benefits of that discount. Hopefully this blog will help me down that path, allow me to have some fun, and maybe, just maybe provide the readers with some insight into the world of wine.
A little bit about me, I’m 23, and while I’ve only been able to drink wine in this country for just over 2 years, my education in wine began about 6 years ago while living in Italy. In Italy, I lived in Florence, the heart of Chianti, and fell in love with the city and the wine that is so engrained into the culture of Italian life. When I returned to the states, that love of wine followed me. Luckily, I live in California and am in the center of the American wine world. I have been fortunate enough to take trips to Santa Barbara wine country, Paso Robles and the rest of the Central Coast, and Napa Valley, and on each of these trips, I’ve learned a bit more about the world of wine, the people that make it, and, with each trip, my drinking pleasure has grown.
Now, with all that I’ve told you thus far, you would not be unreasonable to think that I am a “wine snob.” I would love to be a wine snob, but unfortunately, I don’t have the means to splurge on wine that often, so I am frequently seen drinking the wines that can be classified as a wine snob’s nightmare: Franzia, Charles Shaw, Gallo products, etc. Now, given the current economic status of the country, the big wine companies, critics, and consumers are all looking toward the next great value in the wine world, so my light pocketbook is aided by this trend.
Another reason I don’t consider myself a wine snob is that I am fully aware that wine has alcohol in it. It seems to me that most critics, publications, and wine writers seem to forget that wine can get you drunk. A first-growth Bordeaux and a box of wine from Costco can both get you drunk. My friends and I drink wine to enjoy it, but also because of the alcohol in it.
So, to conclude this initial post, I have to say that my posts will be varied. I hope to include stories of my trips into regions famous for their wines, stories about the great (and often not so great) wine I drink, wine bars that I’ve found, and plenty of stories about drinking with the buddies. In conclusion, the wine of the (last) night a bottle of 2009 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon, better known as “two buck Chuck.” It was mismatched with Mac and Cheese, but tasty all the same.
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