Everyone starts somewhere...sometimes we forget where we began.
I'm by no means or would even consider myself an "expert" per say in the field of wine. I simply do this for a living about 60 hours a week, 6 days a week. I taste anywhere between 50 to 75 new wines a week depending on the season and the promotional push from the sales people. I just like what I do and probably taste more wine than the average person who does not work in this field.
My palate is no better than yours know that first and foremost! Your senses are like muscles, you have to work them out constantly in order for them to work in sync like a machine...or they get all flabby to the point where you get what I call "nonni arms". If you have an old Italian grandma, well you get the picture.
Let's face it, wine buying is intimidating! Nothing like a Poindexter ridiculing you over your choice of wine just because you like the pretty kangaroo on the bottle. You like it right and who is he to say otherwise. Wine should not be scary or intimidating rather it should be inviting and welcoming.
When did we all become wine snobs? Did we all just pop out and start drinking Screaming Eagle? I bet somewhere down the line all of these so called wine experts started drinking White Zin or Blue Nunn. Something brought you to the point where you wanted to drink wine, now it's just a matter of expanding your pallet and getting out from the rut you've been in.
My "colleagues" in this field all have their own swagger about explaining wine to you. Some throw out big terms while others like to name drop big vineyards which makes me believe that there is something more of a self confidence issue there that Dr. Phil hasn't fixed yet. Whatever the case may be, you the customer should feel at ease when purchasing a bottle. This isn't buying your first house. It's wine!
If your wine guy looks like my profile pic run! No just kidding. But if you hear someone spitting out that "They bottled left over Cherry Block juice ($100 a bottle) and are now putting it into XYZ wine for $10", run. It's a good sales pitch, but it's one of those too good to be true stories.
Ratings are all good to use as a guide line and I respect all of the wine critics, writers, bloggers, etc out there but sometimes you gotta pick you head up out of the Thesaurus and talk to people. I mean, fruit sounds appetizing but "gnawing on fresh upholstered saddle leather seats dipped in #2 lead pencil" does not sound like the optimal purchase for me at least. Again, to each their own just understand what you like. That is key! It helps me, the waiter, friends,etc. pick out better wines for you.
It's all about YOU! Don't let anyone tell you differently! If you've never had the pleasure or interest in drinking a first growth Bordeaux then all that jibba jabba isn't going to have any lasting impression on you to make a choice. There's a great scene in Jerry McGuire where he's yelling at one of his clients..."Rod! Help me help you Rod!" That's what we need from you. Know what you like...fruit, dry, earth, tannins, red or whites. There's nothing wrong with what you like after all it is your palate, but once in a while get out of your comfort zone and put something new in your glass.
So with that, I open up this chapter of my day to day life in the wine world to you with the hopes that one day we can sit around a table together and share a glass of vino! CHEERS!
