Personal Experience with WINE!

Life Motto: “Wine Not?"

I absolutely love wine! I have not yet at this point in my life met a wine that I do not like. My  very first experience with wine goes back to my first Confirmation in the Lutheran church. It’s almost comical to think that my sister and I would look forward to the tiny little sip they would pour and then  giggle that we were drinking alcohol as minors. Before turning 21 I would actually enjoy going to wineries with my parents to learn about wine as they were doing their tastings. Something about wine has just always really intrigued me. When I finally turned 21 it was free game. For my 21st birthday my Mom and Aunt set up a whole winery weekend in Charlottesville. We went to so many wineries and got to drink so much wine!

To this point I would consider myself a very open minded wine drinker, while I prefer  sweeter whites, I definitely don’t turn my nose up to drys or reds. I really like being able to    try wines before judging them about whether or not it’s something that I will enjoy, because  “wine not?." There have been times when wines have really surprised me and I have found a wine that I really do like. Since I am a true "townie", being born and raised in the NRV, I definitely have a love for our local wineries. Since I was a child, Chateau Morrissette has been a staple in my life from being a place for an awesome picnic and playing outside, to a place where my family will now go to enjoy their wine tastings and events. Having extended family throughout the South I have also become a true lover of the Muscadine variety wines Duplin Winery, which has a few different locations throughout North and South Carolina make some amazing wine that pairs really well with their pimento cheese dip.

Most of my wine tasting experiences have been at wineries and in a setting where     friends have suggested a certain type of wine. I honestly really enjoy sitting at home and     drinking a glass of wine in the evenings. When I go into a wine shop or somewhere that sells wine I’m still pretty uncomfortable picking out and trying something new. I hope that this class can help me build a confidence in being able to pick out and try new wines. I also very much agree with the comments about the linguistics of wine and being comfortable drinking and talking about wine with others. I feel like these skills will be so beneficial for my personal life, but also for my professional life. Being able to attend work lunch or dinner and knowing what I’m doing when ordering and talking about wine.