Thoughts on Wine

We’ve both had our experiences with wine, which have led us to where we are today.  Read on for our individual accounts of crashing into the wine world….

Hoot:

Having tried wine a handful of times up until 30, to be honest, I thought it sucked. Maybe the wines different people were having me try weren’t too great or maybe my palate just wasn’t ready (I am quite possibly a late bloomer).  When I met Annie, now my wife, she was able to get me in to wine somehow, some way. Was it love? Possibly, they say you’ll do anything when you’re in love. Was it right place, right time, and right person introducing me to it? Indeed, all the above reasons I am sure.

The funniest thing was that I got really in to reds first; then pulled back to whites, and now I love it all. Annie was very easy with the wine, she had no expectations other then wanting me to try different styles and try them with food as well. Now, three years later, I am still learning about wine every day. We have been VERY fortunate to live in Paso Robles, CA and have many, many friends in the wine business. We’ve had the opportunity to become friends with winery owners, winemakers, tasting room associates, etc and they have each supplied us with such a unique insight into to wine and the wine industry.

So, in my opinion, we started our wine blog to journal the wineries we visit, educate ourselves and pass on what we learn, meet new people, add a little positive life message and entertainment to those that watch, explore and adventure, as well as make wine a little more accessible (when I got in to wine I thought it was over my head, guess what, it’s not).

I hope you enjoy our wine blog, I hope you ask questions or comment on what you see and hear, and I hope you are learning while being entertained; because we are. Cheers!!

Annie:

My first standout wine experience?  Umm…well, I guess part of it is what you might consider “standout”.  There was the time that my friends and I discovered Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill wine, at about $1.89 per bottle, we thought we had found out the greatest secret in the whole 7-11 store!  I mean, why didn’t everybody drink this glorious stuff?  Well, that question got answered the next morning, when I woke with furry teeth and a pounding sugary headache; I decided that Strawberry Hill and I were breaking up.  There were some minor flirtations with the random glass of wine at a wedding or family party…but when I truly fell in love, well that’s easy.  It was discovering a bottle of Moscato Allegro.  Sorry, you won’t catch me anywhere near this stuff now, but back in college it was the juice of the Gods!  I even remember the time I stopped at the source of the holy juice on my way back home to Fresno State (yes, that’s where I went to college) and I bought 2 bottles.  Well, not having the well-honed skills that I have now for lugging multiple bottles around, I dropped one in the parking lot of my apartment complex.  I’m pretty sure I shed a few tears.  Okay, maybe I didn’t actually cry, but it was a major setback at any rate.

I remember some wine tasting trips here and there after my Moscato Allegro tryst, but then started getting into Chardonnay.  My Mom is a big fan of Chardonnay and there are a lot of great bottles that one can get a hold of in the Santa Maria area, where I grew up.  Then, moving to the Bay Area to live with my Mom after college, we started developing a pretty good taste for Chardonnays, among other wines.  I remember thinking that red wines were difficult for me to grasp; all I could taste was the alcohol and tannins so I wasn’t too into all that.  I think my palate started to realize what I was trying to accomplish, and it started to kick up the game a little.  Another development was in my early 20’s, I started working in restaurants in the Bay Area.  I waitressed, bartended, and managed, and along with all that, got the opportunity to talk about, learn about, and taste a lot of wines!  I started to realize the magnitude of this elusive hobby.  Took a few trips to Napa and learned more of the magic that is wine tasting!

With all of that under my belt, I had developed quite an appetite for good wine and food experiences.  I have to say, one of my all time favorite pass times is to go out to a good restaurant, order some interesting appetizers, try to pair those with unfamiliar wines, and just enjoy the overall experience.  When I met my husband (yes, Hoot) he was strictly a beer man!  Well, there was a little bit of whisky thrown in here and there.  I’d offer him a taste of my wine when we’d go out, and he started to develop an honest admiration and respect for it.  He fancies himself a wino now, and I’m very proud of him for it!  I mean, it doesn’t get much better than that, right?

We happen to live right in the middle of wine country where we think some of the best wines in the world are produced!  We know that we still have a lot to learn, but are having a great time doing just that!  Wine isn’t difficult…it’s fun!  And that’s what we’re all about…and we’re bringing you along with us as we go.  Cheers!