We're all guilty of it at one point or another - only drinking a specific style of wine, because it makes us feel comfortable, and we know what to expect. You know the clichés - the real housewife types who guzzle pinot grigio by the magnum, or the Dad's who refuse to try anything but Napa cab - they might spring for merlot - but only if there's nothing else!
I've been guilty of it throughout my wine career - even as of late, after visiting Slovenia on a wine trip. I visited wineries described as minimal intervention - grapes grown organically and made in the most natural way possible. Presumably, it's the purest expression of wine that can currently be found on the market - and they were iconic. After the trip, it was the only style of wine I wanted to drink.
When I formerly used to work in tasting rooms, I would always delight in expanding people's horizons - Grandpa's - specifically. They'd come in, always looking for the "biggest red" you could pour for them and I'd refuse until they'd agree to try a sip of rosé . Yes - your suspicions are correct - they would almost always leave with a bottle of whatever I'd convinced them to try.
We get so stuck in archaic mindsets, that we forget to live playfully and experiment.
Don't get caught up in the snobbery of wine, and convince yourself that one bottle of wine is better than every other one out there.
Regions historically not known for wine production, are now making it - Japan, every state in the US, China - and who knows, it might be your new favourite. It's an exciting time in the wine industry.
I've been guilty of it throughout my wine career - even as of late, after visiting Slovenia on a wine trip. I visited wineries described as minimal intervention - grapes grown organically and made in the most natural way possible. Presumably, it's the purest expression of wine that can currently be found on the market - and they were iconic. After the trip, it was the only style of wine I wanted to drink. The problem with this type of mentality is that it perpetuates a self limiting belief. We convince ourselves the type of wine our palate is most accustomed to at a certain point in time is somehow "better" - looking down our noses at anything other than what we're familiar with. It presupposes that organic, or natural wine somehow makes conventional wine "unnatural". It's a slippery slope and one you need to get off of, immediately!
If you're unsure where to start - head to the bookstore, Google, Instagram, or your local wine store. Without a doubt, there will be a passionate wine lover happy to share what they're currently drinking, and it'll probably be something you've never heard of, and will inevitably fall in love with.
What's a style you've recently tried that you're loving?
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