Yes, I'm an oenophile...or a wino, if you prefer. I used to be an avowed beer drinker, but as I got older I came to prefer the subtlety and complexity of fine red wines, and to a lesser extent white wines. I not only enjoy the olfactory and gustatory pleasures of the drink, as well as the cheering influence of the alcohol, naturally, but I'm fond of the wealth of lore and history behind wines and winemaking. Since classical times, wine has been an integral part of culture, and the variety of modern wines is never-ending.
I particularly enjoy the great red wines of the Rhone valley, and of course Bordeaux. I've enjoyed some Burgundies, but am generally put off by the minerality and lack of fruit. I guess I prefer New World pinot noirs. I'm quite fond of good zinfandels, which are in abundance here in California, and of course, I live in the middle of one of the oldest wine areas of California, the Santa Cruz Mountains, where we get very nice pinot, chardonnay, and even some good zins in the hotter areas.
We belong to five winery "wine clubs," whence we get several bottles a year:
- Hahn Estates (where we were married)
- Bonny Doon
- Deux Amis
- Armida
- Chalone (used to be a shareholder, before they sold to Diageo)
No comments:
Post a Comment