Here in Napa Valley (the “Valley”) it is Memorial Day weekend.    Throughout the Valley, there is the echoing sound of corks popping everywhere.     Given that it is the proverbial first weekend of summer, many wine bottles are being opened:  whether it is happening in the countless wineries that inhabit the Valley to welcome its visitors or in people’s backyards as folks are getting together for barbecues.   Slightly narrowing the focus of my imagination, perhaps at these barbecues the host is opening the choice of chilled chardonnay (a white wine) or a zinfandel (a red wine).    Some people may have an inkling as to what their preference is.    Other people may not.    Other people may still have a misconception as to what their preference is:  

“I only drink white wine…”   “I only drink red wine…”  “I do not like chardonnays…”  “Zinfandel… isn’t that what my parents used to drink?”   

Sadly, I overhear these misconceptions all too frequently in the tasting rooms of the wineries, too.   And of greatest concern, I often hear people uncomfortably say,

“We do not know anything about wine… what should we be looking for?    What should we be tasting?”

Wine historically has been accompanied by a pretentious urban legend that there is some mythical way to consume it, to experience it and moreover, to enjoy it.    Certainly a fine wine will go splendidly with a delicately prepared complex gourmet meal.    But that same wine will often go just as well with a simple salad, something straight off the grill, or perhaps as an aperitif accompanying fresh sliced fruit and a handful of cashews.    And even more importantly, that same fine wine can be enjoyed just as easily in your favorite lounge chair in the backyard, watching those fading rays of sunlight dissipate into the horizon and perhaps render a momentarily sensation that the world can wait.

Wine, in my opinion, is simply to be enjoyed.     Why should it not be?    It can tease your senses with its rich aromas and awaken your palate as you experience nuances of different fruit, flowers, spices or even tobacco.    Paying attention to these nuances and taking the time to intimately understand your own palate will allow you to build your confidence as to what you truly do like.    And that is the point of this website:   to help share knowledge about good wines and to garner confidence that those same good wines can be enjoyed in any setting, whether casual or formal.     And the wonderful thing about wine is that you never stop learning.    No matter how seasoned the connoisseur of wine, there is always something new to learn and a wine that will blow your mind and senses with pleasant surprise.    On that note, bring on the vino fino… Cheers!