Introduction

Neither of my parents are wine drinkers.  My mom has alcohol intolerance and my dad will drink one Sam Adam's seasonal beer with dinner and that's about it.  So, I think my first experience with wine was at a family dinner.  I'm sure exactly when this was, but I'm certain it was Pinot Grigio from Ecco Domani.  It's what my uncle brings a full case of to every family function.  I liked it, so when someone asked me what kind of wine I wanted I would say Pinot Grigio.  When my friends were drinking Franzia, they got something like "sunset blush" or "fruity red sangria."  I didn't really like them, so for a while I assumed I didn't like red wines.  However, I was wrong.
After I turned 21, I started drinking wines besides Pinot Grigio. I'm not sure when, or really how I branched out, probably just from someone telling me to "try this."  My first wine tasting type of thing happened when I went to visit my sister in Atlanta.  When we got back to their apartment after dinner, she brought out a plate with cheeses and wines from places they had visited.  My boyfriend and I were so blown away with how much different the lives of these 30 year-olds were, that we didn't stop talking about how weird of a transitional period they were in their lives the whole ride back to school.  I'm starting to realize that it's not that weird and they'll won't be transforming their lifestyle any time soon.
Since I started being open to trying more types of wine, I've been through some more phases.  The significant phases I went through were Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, and a pretty long Pinot Noir phase.  I think I've exhausted the idea of phases and just want to try something new each time.  There are not many wines that I don't like--I can only think of Moscato.  I don't want to say I don't like sweet wines, because when my boyfriend and I go hiking, we'll split a bottle of Ripidan River Blackberry wine which is incredibly sweet.  I think I just don't like wines that are sweet without having a reason driving the sweetness.
From this class, I hope to learn more about what makes certain regions unique, how to pair food and wine better, and most importantly how to pronounce wine without sounding like a foul.  

My boyfriend, Tyler, and I at Angels Rest