Ever since I was in college I have loved wine. When I turned 21 I was more excited about sitting down to enjoy a good Merlot with a hearty Italian dinner than I was about buying a pint of Stout or Ale. I longed to have the prestige and class that wine connoisseurs had but I had no idea where to start. So after buying a Zagat guide to wine and tasting some "affordable" White Zinfandels, Chardonnays, and Merlots I gave up on my quest for knowledge and enjoyment of wine.
In my opinion that is the worst thing about wine. There is so much to know about wine and it is so very easy for one to get overwhelmed. In the end we just give up and settle. I don't know how many times I have heard, or said, "I wasn't sure what wine I wanted, but this was affordable and it has an attractive label." and this is why I am starting this blog.
About four years ago this all changed for me. Completely.
On a warm afternoon, my fiance Jordanna and I were walking around Portsmouth, NH enjoying a stroll along the water when I decided to step into a small wine store. I should have known that this was not your average liquor store when the store hours listed: "Tuesday thru Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Sundays, iffy."
The man standing behind the counter welcomed us with a wide smile and a heartfelt "hello". Introducing himself as David Campbell, he proceeded to pour us some of the wines he had opened that day and described the flavors and scents that he found to be prominent in them. As I allowed the wine to swirl on my palate and envelope my senses, I realized that David was spot-on with the descriptions. The wines were amazing and almost immediately my infatuation with wine culture came rushing back to me. I was filled with the curiosity and wonder of a child at an amusement park- eager to experience new and exciting things about wine.
David told us that he was in fact the owner of the store and that he had been a very successful business man but that he refused to spend the rest of his life doing something he did not love. I knew instantly that this was why he was so happy. Who wouldn't be happy owning and operating a store that was filled from floor to ceiling, wall to wall with bottles of sensational wines? Wines from the largest vineyards in California or the smallest villages in Italy with prices ranging from $8 to, well, hundreds.
There, tucked into the corners of Portsmouth, NH was the fiery beginning of my love affair with wine. And here, in this blog, I will be sharing with you my experiences and tastings throughout my journey to discovering all the beauty that wine has to offer. I'll be posting my personal questions on wine and if you ask questions too, I will do everything I can to find the answers. I wish to make wine more attainable and prevent others from giving up and settling like I once did because choosing the right wine can make all the difference. I hope that you will continue to read and deliver feedback as I grow and hopefully you'll grow too. Your help means so much to me, thank you.
Oh yeah, here is the link to David's website, if you are ever in the Portsmouth area, stop in and say hello. He will take great care of you.
*I have written this on my own free will, I was not asked to promote Ceres St Wine Merchants.
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One of the best things along the way to enjoying wine is a good store, preferably near your home. I always try to find the best wine dealers in my area so that when I need to go find a wine I'm interested in, or hope to bump into a good wine, I'll know where to go.
ReplyDeleteI'm a strong believer in finding good wine that you know nothing about and that good wine can always be found fairly inexpensively. A good wine store keeps plenty of options on the shelf.