I started learning about wine in the early 1980s. I was living in the Schwabisch area of Germany and instead of going to the many beer halls found in the region a friend and I started visiting the Wine Cellars to partake in the wine experience.  Being on a tight budget we appreciated the fact that with  a glass, or in our case, a bottle of wine you could eat baskets of dark bread with pots of mustard with your wine free of charge.  With train travel being cheap and readily available I was able to make frequent trips to Italy, Austria and France for sightseeing and wine tasting.

 

Upon my return to the States I continued my love affair with wine. I started reading, tasting and discussing wine at every opportunity to absorb as much information as my mind could hold.

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Determined to understand and appreciate wines I spent several years diving into a wide variety of wines. I devoted two years drinking only Pinot Noirs to experience the difference between French, Oregon, California pinots, Willamette Valley versus Dundee Hills, and more.  Once I sampled a large selection of Pinot Noir I moved on to Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec, Merlot, Zinfandel, Viognier, Verdicchio, Rioja and a multitude of varietals, too many to list here, intent of learning something about all the wines I encountered.