In the past ten years or so, I've become a great lover of wine. My husband is from Northern California and ever since we started visiting Sonoma and Napa Valley vineyards (and joined a few wine clubs), I've learned alot about smelling, swirling, swishing and sorting flavors in the wine-tasting process. I've also learned to know bad wine when I taste it.
In days of old, I'd grab a bottle of red from the grocery--any old brand would do. Now I spend an hour on Friday afternoons at Total Wine pontificating over whether to buy a bottle of old vine zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley on sale for $21.95, or spend a little more and go with the highly rated at 91 points Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I just really only want to drink the good stuff.
Last night I realized how far down this rabbit hole I'd gone when, at a waterside cafe in Myrtle Beach, I wrinkled my nose after tasting a happy-hour-priced glass of their house cab. "How is it?" my step-father asked. "It's just okay," I replied, and once we returned home I proceeded to open a bottle of wine-club quality zinfandel, sighing with relief that the bouquet was deep and rich, "legs" streamed down the sides of the glass, the hue reflected ruby red tones, and flavors of blackberry, fennel, and pepper streamed across my palate.
So I admit it. I've become a wine snob.
If you're a wine drinker, what kinds of wine do you like to drink? I'm always up for suggestions!
