Try, Try Again
by Holli Edwards
After seeing my daughter off to her first day of kindergarten, I was reflecting, through my tears, on how important that “first” occurrence is, no matter the milestone. Will it be fun, exciting, scary? Will it make you want to never experience that event again or want to experience it over and over? These thoughts lingered as I considered my blog entry. When was my first day of wine drinking? Did I enjoy it, what details come to mind, and how did that experience shape who I am as a wine drinker today?
I don’t recall too many of the specifics, but I do remember it being a dirt cheap bottle consumed in a plastic cup. I somewhat enjoyed it and felt an air of sophistication over my beer drinking counterparts. How did I get from there to the wine lover I am today? Patience and practice.
If your first wine experience is reminiscent of “scary” or “intimidating,” or it was too long ago to recall the sordid details, it’s time to give it another try. This isn’t a situation of you’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all - there is that special bottle for everyone! Once you find a varietal you enjoy, you are armed and dangerous to select more winners.
I just got back from a trip to my brother and sister-in-law’s, who have never liked wine. Even though they have a wine connection in me, a stronger bond was developed years ago with a dry, Hutterite wine, given to them by a neighbor. Thinking all wine was dry and mouth puckering, aside from highly potent, their wine drinking days were limited.
Overcome your inhibitions, dare to sip again and find the wine that is your match! I found a match for my brother and sister-in-law, a Black Currant, fruit wine…full bodied, smooth, fruity finish. No, it may not be a wine that some connoisseurs would admit to enjoying, but everyone is their own connoisseur who is more than capable of knowing what they like and more importantly, what they don’t like. What’s cool is that my brother and sister-in-law are now excited to try more wines and are proud members of the wine loving crowd.
So be patient, you may not find your match right away, but don’t give up. Wine drinking is much too fun to pass up, which brings me to the practicing piece. Keep trying new wines with new foods and new friends. That first experience will be easily replaced with a lifetime of wine enjoyment!