I can't really pinpoint my first time drinking wine. Growing up in a Catholic household and attending mass with my family meant that I probably tried if for the first time during or after my first communion. I had sips here and there every Sunday so it's a little hard remembering how I felt when it touched my tongue for the first time. It wasn't like I was a wino slugging down bottles of Two Buck Chuck as a seven year old and passing out on playgrounds. Every Sunday was another opportunity to take the Blood of Christ from the Holy chalice, and that was all I ever knew.
The thought of consuming alcohol was out of mind until I entered high school and college. At that point, I only experimented with cheap beer, liquor, and jungle juice at house parties. I stole sips of wine every now and again, but it was never what I would reach for when I would hang out with my friends. It wasn't until I reached my junior year of college when my love affair with wine truly began. I felt like I had outgrown house parties and sought the finer things in life. I became more aware of wine and my curiosity began to grow. I noticed that my mom always enjoyed rose wines, sangrias, or sweet whites while my dad loved bold reds with rich tannins. My roommate at the time loved dry whites and champagne. As soon as I turned 21 my junior year, I became a regular at weekly wine tastings at the Vintage Cellar and would frequent purchases of wines that I wanted to try. I continued my wine-tasting journey over the summer before my senior year by visiting wine bars and wineries with friends.
When I started drinking wine, I approached it from the sweeter, softer end of the spectrum. Wines like pink/red/white moscatos, white zinfandel, and sweet reds were pleasant on my inexperienced palate. As time developed, I became interested in wine and food pairings and found that sweet wines did not always compliment a lot of food that I was eating. My taste grew a liking for dry whites, such as sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. I was intimated of the boldness of spices and tannins in some red wines, so I stayed away. It wasn't until fall of this school year that I developed an appreciation for pinot noir, bordeaux, and rioja. My experimentation with red blends peaked my curiosity for syrah/shiraz, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon.
I would say that I drink wine regularly. The excitement of turning 21 last year had me hoarding 12 bottles in my refrigerator at one time and I would find myself drinking a glass or two at least every day. Now that that excitement has dwindled down a little bit, I still find myself having at least a few glasses every week. I can't deny the connections I have made with wine in my life since my appreciation and fascination with it began to grow over the past year. Wine was there for me when finals stress began to elevate. Wine was there at girls' nights when my belly would swell with laughter (and wine). Wine was there when days were long and unpleasant. Wine was there at my three year anniversary with my boyfriend. I found that wine brought people together in my life and wine helped bring myself together as well.
Watching the documentary, "Red Obsession," opened my eyes to the history of wine makers, regions, and wine lovers all over the world. During the course of this semester, I hope to learn some more history on wine, regions where grapes are grown and its influence on flavor, and how to depict these flavors when I am drinking wine. I am still tasting and learning and I can't wait to continue my adventures with Geography of Wine!
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