Wine is art. Wine is sexy. Wine is passion.
20 Mar, 12 / 
Wine is art. Wine is sexy. Wine is passion.
Wine is the most intriguing drink created. Wine is part of religious ceremonies. Jesus turned water into wine and even drank wine with his disciples as part of everyday life. Wine is sipped not shot, savored not slammed. Wine is discussed, debated, sought after and collected. Wine is one of the most enjoyable beverages on our planet.
But…
Wine is also one of the most daunting and mysterious pleasures. “Drink it this way”, “don’t drink it that way”, “serve it like this”, “not like that”, “don’t store it here”, “store it there”… well, sometimes rules are made to be broken. Wine is all about personal enjoyment… and for many, wine is confusing.
As someone who drinks a lot of wine, I’d like to offer three suggestions to help with your understanding of this mysterious nectar:
1. Drink more – okay, I realize this may have a controversial insinuation. I’m not encouraging abuse, I’m encouraging “practicing.” The best way to learn anything is keep at it. Go wine tasting, host wine parties, order wine with dinner. The more you try, the better your palate will get and you will notice the “subtle hints of cranberry and tobacco” that you used to read in wine tasting notes.
2. Drink new – I am an advocate for trying something new. Life is too short to drink the same wine every day. Explore, experiment, enjoy; with over 7,626 wineries in the U.S.A., you can try something new every day for over 20 years before moving on to France and Italy. Get out of your rut and expand your tastes.
3. Drink personal – You may have heard this before but, “drink what you like.” If you like a wine, that is your personal preference. Just because someone grades a wine 94 points doesn’t mean you will like it and it doesn’t always justify a higher price. While I am an advocate of wine reviews and scores, I think they are only a guide. If you drink more and drink new, you’ll discover your likes and dislikes.
Enjoy life with friends, drink happy!
