My Personal Experience with Wine

I would say that I have a moderate level of experience with wine. Growing up my parents would on occasion have a glass of wine at dinner. When I first tasted wine I did not like it all, especially red wine. The more times I took a sip of their Chardonnay the less I disliked it. By having two older brothers I have become more of a beer drinker than a wine drinker. However, after spending three months studying abroad in Europe I have gained a new appreciation of wine. When I first started to drink wine I would only drink Rosé' a Riesling or other white wine. But the more I consume wine I have started to really enjoy red wine as well. Traveling through eleven countries in Europe we would always drink the local wine at dinner and I was able to try a variety of wines and really enjoyed being able to experience that part of the culture. It is evident that each region takes great pride in their local drinks, Sangria in Spain, Chianti in Tuscany [Chianti Region], Grappa in Venice and Beer in Germany. Wine is not something I would normally drink when going out for a night on the town. Wine is more of a dinner drink, something you have when you are sitting around a table talking with friends. I do not currently drink wine very often, probably 3 times a month. I am planning on drinking more wine instead of purchasing mostly beer as I begin to learn more about wine. I still feel like I do not know much about wine and the different types. When at the store I still just buy whichever wine is the most affordable or has the best designed label. I am looking forward to learning about the differences between types of wine and especially learning about pairing since I host many dinner parties here at school.