Wine Blog Introduction

Welcome to my wine blog! My name is Emily, and I am excited that you have decided to join this wine journey with me. Like many others, wine was the first alcoholic beverage I had. It was that time in life when parents think their children are mature enough to have a glass at Thanksgiving. I cannot recall what type of wine it was, but it was a red. I remember pretending to enjoy it in front of my sisters. It was not terrible by any means, but I did not understand why everyone loved it so much. Fast forward to now, I very much understand what all the fuss was about.

When I first began enjoying wine on my own, I admit I drank some pretty crappy ones. It was the Yosemite wine from 7 Eleven, and yes, it is as bad as it sounds. 7 Eleven has some variety: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Moscato, Pink Moscato, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Initially, they only sold the first four and not Cabernet Sauvignon. Of course, my friends and I tried all the flavors. I have to say a lot of my friends enjoyed the sweeter wines—Moscato and Pink Moscato. I could not disagree more. Those were always too sugary for me. My go-tos had to be Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay and later Cabernet Sauvignon.   

The college wine scene was quite different from the wine I had at family functions. To preface, I have three older sisters, ranging from four to seven years older than me, one of which took a wine class when she was in college. I have to say, she knows wine well and has travelled around the world tasting different wines. To this day, whenever we go to upscale restaurants or want a bottle for the table, I pass the menu to her. 

From the experiences I have had at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family dinners, I feel that I have enjoyed some nice wine—a lot more refined than the Yosemite one. This is not to say that cheap wine is always bad, and that wine always has to be expensive because that is definitely not the case. I will say, I have enjoyed the wine I have had with my sisters’ more wise palates.

Overtime, I have realized that I enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, and Sauvignon Blanc the most. Nonetheless, I do not know nearly as much about the history and all of the work and flavors that make wine so unique. I am excited to take Geography of Wine, so I can appreciate all wine—expensive and cheap—and have a deeper understanding of what I am drinking and how it pairs well with certain foods.

I cannot wait to continue my wine journey, and I hope you enjoy the ride as well!

***The picture below is from my 21^st birthday at Quattro Goombas Winery in Aldie, Virginia!