That was the first offline I attended. Pretty sure we met at one of those early events and talked about Champagne and Detroit.
Tasting some communist era Tokaji-aszu that my parents had somehow received from someone. I realized that wine could be good and resolved to find out more about the good stuff. I would have been under ten at the time.
Tasting an old bottle of Chianti in a straw fiasco. My parents opened it, didn’t like it, and somehow stuck it in the basement. I was a kid and read a lot of historical novels, etc., and I knew that people kept wine in the cellar and they’d go down and get these old bottles for dinner. So for about ten years, I kept trying that bottle. I’d pop the cork out, take a swig, almost gag, and put it away for another year. One day my parents found it and threw it out. They’d never given it a second thought and didn’t even remember that they’d ever opened it, but they had no idea what was in the bottle and weren’t about to try it. This made me skeptical about old wine.
My in-laws. They weren’t in-laws yet but my wife decided we were going to have them over for Thanksgiving. They were world-travelers and unlike my own family, really enjoyed restaurants and long dinners with good food and wine. I didn’t want to seem like a complete moron so I started trying a different wine every day. This was sometime in the summer. I had no idea what to buy so I’d ask people browsing wine stores, the clerks, the owners, everyone. And I’d read every wine-related article I could find in the NYT, WSJ, and anything else. This was pre-internet so it wasn’t easy to find much. Also, each day I’d buy something cheap, take it home, and try to choke it down. One day my wife and I decided to splurge. We paid eighteen dollars for a bottle. We carried home with both hands since it was the most expensive bottle we’d ever bought. It was a revelation. Quite delicious actually, as compared to the swill we’d been drinking.
Eventually Thanksgiving came around and by then I felt quite sophisticated because I knew that you were supposed to have some Zinfandel and possibly for fun, some Beaujolais. I wanted the Beaujolais to be slightly chilled so I opened the window a few inches and put the wine next to it. The radiators were kicking out heat so the slightly opened window didn’t matter. But it was one of those Thanksgivings when we had a cold snap. When everyone arrived, the wine was ice cold. Dinner was good and the rest of the wines were OK.
Next day I was going to make a cold turkey sandwich. I looked at the few wines we had. One was a Pinot Noir and I didn’t want that fruity flavor. One was a tannic Cab and I didn’t want that harshness. There were three or four others that I rejected and then I noticed the Rioja. I didn’t have the sandwich and didn’t have the wine but I knew that’s what I wanted.
And suddenly the lights went on! I ran to the stairs and excitedly yelled to my wife. She peeked over the rail. “I know why people like wine!” I exclaimed. “It’s like cooking! You just need to know the flavors!”
“That’s nice,” she replied and then went back to whatever she was doing.
At that moment I realized that wine was something you could learn about. It was more than just flavor - each wine had its own personality. You just had to find the good ones. I resolved to do exactly that and figured as soon as I learned which were the good wines, I’d just buy those. So I set about learning everything I could and taking every opportunity to taste as much as I possibly could. Eventually I met some other wine lovers and joined a few tasting groups. I had an uncle in Napa and made it a point to visit him as much as I could. After a few years I ended up in the business. I took trips to Europe and to domestic wine regions whenever I had an opportunity and over the years I’ve met hundreds of people I would never have met otherwise and have developed close friendships with dozens of people, all because of wine.
After around thirty years, I’m still as excited as ever to try new wines and learn new facts.
Brother-in-law introducing us to real wine
Discovering Silver Oak Cabernet
At a St. Suprey event, Justin Meyer, (Silver Oak), showed up wearing coveralls with a bottle of Silver Oak, poured us a glass and visited for ten minutes
The first bottle of Leonetti Cab, (from bro-in-law), that showed us the wider range of excellence we were missing
Introduction to Sassicaia and Gaja proving there is wine with flavor and body in Europe
Opening a wine retail shop
Falling into the Aussie fruit bomb cult courtesy of Robert Parker
Drinking left over bottles from a 3,600 bottle order of anything Oregon Pinot. Warm year and they had fruit flavor that sucked us in
Discovering some Sauvignon Blancs have acidity that cleanses your palate and makes you hungry, so white wines can be enjoyed
Discovering Sauvignon Blanc goes very well with some Chinese food. Bonus and caused us to order more Rieslings to go with spicy foods as described by members of this board.
I had a few winemaker friends, one who managed to land jobs with a few of the cultiest of cult wineries in the late 90s and early 00s so that was a bit of luck. But, almost entirely from working in restaurants while in college, one place in particular that included wine training and education. Lots of access to amazing wines to taste from customers, and wine tasting events given by winemaker guests for the employees. Shortly after being hired there the F&B guy gave me a bottle of aged Heitz Martha’s for Christmas. After drinking that bottle it sealed the deal and I started collecting after that. I always liked wine but never made any effort to learn more about it and seek out great stuff until those things happened.
Yes. This was my second tasting with any wine board people. Certainly I had a few friends that really liked wine, but not an entire wine group like I have today. I did not know anyone at the event and this is where I met Randy. Really glad I went there.
Wish you were closer. Someday we need to figure out how to do a joint DC/Baltimore wine tasting somewhere and get us all together (need to include George). Years ago, for about two or three years in a row our group did a dinner at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and then people stayed at the Inn overnight. Visited Antietam Battlefield for the first time at our first such dinner. Wonder if there is someplace to do something similar somewhere between us. Of course, it could be a while before we even can leave the house.
Howard, now that I’m retired getting to DC for a wine dinner, even on a weeknight, is a lot easier. Let’s plan something together when the pestilence passes.
Great.
Yes, I am sure we met there, but your memory is obviously less fried than mine, because I cannot remember what we talked about.
great thread and really makes one think:
- Randy, who took me to dinner in 1984 and brought 1975 BV. He became allergic to wine and sold it all.
Private Reserve, opening my eyes to the world of wine. - A little wine book by Alexis Bespaloff which I devoured in an all night read after tasting the BV.
- Jeff, at LA Wine, who guided me in exploring California wine and later Rhône and Bordeaux. Bought my first case at his urging, 82 Dunn Howell Mountain for $12.50 a bottle. As I wrote the check, I steadied my writing hand with the other, as it was shaking.
- My biggest influence, Steve Zanotti at Wine Exchange, an amazing store that was just a couple miles from my house. Steve is the most amazing taster I’ve ever met with incredible palate memory and evocative prose. He can’t spell worth a damn and I ”edited” his handwritten newsletter for years, and in return he gave me first shot at many cherries—Coche, Ramonet, DRC, many others. I would sit with him almost every Thursday afternoon after finishing surgery and learned hugely as we tasted wine after wine. He introduced me to Burgundy, now a 30+ year passion. He’s simply brilliant.
- Going to Burgundy the first time, tasting at many great domaines including 99 DRCs from barrel in a tasting with Bernard Noblet, other great domaines I had only read about. I was like a kid meeting his superheroes.
- Learning French, a process I started and have continued since my Burgundy visit, allowing me to read wine journals and speak with vignerons, expanding my wine knowledge and brain.
- A second visit to Burgundy with Doug Barzelay and others who have incredible long term Burgundy connections, meeting the Mugneret sisters and having lunch at their home drinking old Echezeaux, dinner with Christophe Roumier at his home with him pulling bottle after bottle of old Bonnes Mares from the cellar, the Drouhin Paulee with Véronique and her family and an intimate lunch for 20 at her family home, many other amazing experiences that are lifelong memories.
- Friends in person and via the web who love Burgundy coupled with their amazing generosity at small and large wine events—Jerry, Fred, Don, Jeremy, Chet, many others.
- The internet and sites such as eBob and then this wonderful site where I’ve met so many great people and learned so much.
- A few great epiphany wines—90 and 99 DRCs, 90 Leroy Musigny, 29 and 45 Vogue Musigny, 78 Arnoux Suchots, 86 and 96 Ramonet Montrachet—that keep me chasing this hobby emotionally and intellectually.
On my first visit to Burgundy in 1984, I visited at Arnoux. Very different from today. No appointment, there was a sign in front that said (in French of course) taste and sell. So, we stopped there. Had some excellent wines. Unfortunately, they did not have any 1978s left and we bought some 1979s and 1980s. The wines were excellent, but I am very sure the 1978s would have been better.
had it courtesy of Steve Plotnicki at a small NY dinner 15 years ago. Taught me what premier cru could do with age.
I am also a big fan of good premier crus - often do the best job of great flavors and complexity in an almost “weightless” wine.
-
Growing up with wine at the dinner tables and my parents allowing my sister and I to have sips here and there.
-
Going to law school and taking the time to cook a nice dinner most evenings to enjoy with decent wine (pops was generous with my budget).
-
Joining a law firm in 1992 at the same time as other similarly-minded new grads, and we immediately started a wine club and had regular wine dinners. Still good friends to this day.
-
Introducing my then-girlfriend, now-wife, to the family over a Thanksgiving and then Xmas holiday where family, fine cuisine and wine were celebrated. This was in like 93/94 and I had started experimenting with Bordeaux, and brought some killer wines to those dinners - babies but still great, like 1986 Montrose, 1989 Pichon Baron, 1990 Lynch Bages, 1990 La Louviere. Some of those wines closed down latter but where enjoyable them, with the La Louviere stealing the show. Had a lot of Caymus during this period, and was quite the experience comparatively.
-
A 1995 honeymoon in Paris, Loire and Bordeaux. Fell in love with Chinon, got to try some killer 1989 and 1990s and older from the cellar of our accommodations, Chateau Noizay (worth a stay if you go to Loire).
-
A 1996 trip to St Remy de Provence, my folks rented a quaint villa there for the season. We cooked great meals, had fun day trips to all surrounding wine regions, visited some historic wineries, like Beaucastel. Was introduced to Northern Rhône Syrah, wowser.
-
Started building my “cellar” at that point, reading voraciously, organizing cool tastings with my buddies, etc., broke with Parker and Wine Spectator shortly thereafter, concluded I no longer need them and they were celebrating “cults” way too much.
< Wine hiatus around 2000, my first year as an equity partner, new dad, too poor with capital contribution and dual income disappearing, then got into Ironman triathlons, so had an obsessive health focus, culminating in the 2004 hurricane season and sustained power outages in high 90 degree weather damaging a lot of my wine >
-
Cannot recall the catalyst, but popped back into the wine arena, 2003 and 2005 Bordeaux was being hyped, Parker was King, and somehow I stumbled into and joined his wine forum. Learned a lot on that forum, to be candid, and met some great friends, like Marc Frontario.
-
Dropped a lot of coin in Parker faves without fully understanding that that his palate was dead, so bought a shit-ton of 2003 new releases, 2005 Bordeaux futures, including many of the St Em Frankenwineshe heavily touted, followed up with lots of 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape. A painful lesson but an important one as well. The Emperor no longer had clothes. #neveragain
-
Came over here, have made great friends, learned a ton, and introduced to lots of new wines and winemakers. Some of my favorite recent wine discoveries have mostly been through this site and socializing with members on and off-line. Gonon, Rougeard, Vatan, Baudry, Levet, etc. Kudos to Todd, Fu and Jorge for creating this venue.
Great thread and really interesting to read about other people’s journeys into wine. FWIW here is mine
- NZ mid 1960s: My father worked for NZ Forest Service and had friends in the Ministry of Agriculture and thru these connections he got access to experimental wines made at the Te Kauwhata Viticultural Research Station. Wines made by scientists who were also government employees. Wines were ghastly as the focus was on yields, disease resistance etc etc but for some reason it left a big impression on me.
- Sydney 1981: Moved from NZ to Australia and quickly took a trip with a friend to the Hunter Valley. My first exposure to small family run wineries making wines with passion. Especially remember Robson Estate (long gone now) and their wonderful shiraz and semillons.
- Sydney 1987: First major cellar purchase in Sydney; 18 bottles of 1982 Penfolds Grange for AUD 40 a bottle
- London 1992: started going to Christie’s wine auctions and bought Rieussec, Fonseca, GPL and many others.
- Burgundy 1993: first serious wine vacation. After going to way too many commercial 'vent et degustation" places, got a booking at Domaine Chandon de Brailles and tasted the 1989 and 1991 Cortons and loved them. My first serious burgundies
- Melbourne 1995: Went to Yarra Valley and met Dr Bailey Carrodus of Yarra Yering and loved the wines and joined my very first mailing list. Others quickly followed including Rockford, Wendouree, Yeringburg.
- Houston TX 2000: Met a new neighbour Paul Basinski who had an incredibly wide and deep and mature cellar. Paul was completely wine mad and a great guy and we became good friends, he introduced me to so many great wines. Paul was into old world classics and was a really talented taster. Sadly he passed away 2 years ago but he is loved and warmly remembered.
- NZ 2002: My father passed away, we flew back to NZ for the funeral and afterwards bought our retirement house in Auckland. This gave me the excuse to start a NZ “retirement cellar”. Spent the next 13 years buying wines (mostly French) in NZ whilst living in USA and Middle East.
- Tampa 2011: my first visit to Berns and the experience of drinking wonderful old wines with a group of other wine nuts. Just amazing experience
- NZ 2015-2016: Return to NZ, retirement, house renovation and construction of a purpose built cellar- finally reunited with all the wine from NZ, Australia and USA.
Brodie
It’s tough to place specific points on a continuum, but here goes…
1)When I was really little, 6, or so, my sister was married to a guy whose dad was from Italy. “Grandpa Joe” lived in a giant dilapidated farm house that he has subdivided into 4 or 5 apartments. His unit was on the bottom floor, with a basement, and the basement had a basement! It was a true underground stone cellar and he made wine. He had two barrels and the other winemaking stuff, even a press, and that room smelled like Heaven on earth. I loved to help and he would let me tastes the crushed juice and tiny bits of the wine as he went. At family meals, he’d put a tablespoon of wine into my water. So, I didn’t understand, but appreciated what was going on, and he treated me well.
(He also had some old Italian buddies he’d hang with and they let me taste other drinks. They gave me a snort of Sambuca once and that was the last time I ever tried it!)
- Grandpa Joe would go get grapes in Napa and I would ride in the back of his truck (pre-seat belt era) and just be around when he was picking up grapes. I could have sworn he got grapes at a place called Chateau Diana but I looked them up and they started in 1981, so I must be wrong. But, I learned that there was a valley where grapes came from, to my mind.
This was all prior to actually ‘drinking.’
- In my mid to later teens, I would work at a place in Reno called “Spaughi’s Italian Inn” and the owner, Rick Panelli. I started out busing and washing, but when it would get busy or if someone was out, he’d let me make and serve the “wine spritzers” and “wine coolers.” I was an active participant in alcohol consumption at that point, and he would have me try “the good stuff” when people didn’t finish a bottle, or if there was an unfinished bar bottle at the end of the night. It was my first time with experiencing what someone called “the good wine.” Obviously, lots of straw basket bottles, candle-wax bottles as table decor, etc. (I was also figuring out that regular liquor was ‘too strong’ for my palate, and I didn’t have the bladder/kidneys for beer, so started migrating to drinking wine.
Up to that point, I don’t recall white wine in my life.
- Spring break of sophomore year in high school, my friends and I stayed at the Lighthouse Inn in Pacific Grove and surfed and frolicked and hunted at a great record store that specialized in booltegs! We somehow managed to buy some wine from a young clerk at a liquor store that I think is still in southwestern Monterey. We each got a bottle of Wente Brothers Grey Reisling, don’t ask me how that decision was made. We decided we would start at the far south end of Asilomar Beach and walk up to Lover’s Point. At that time, I was about 5’3" and 90 pounds. I recall rejoining this world while lying on a bench at Lover’s Point…alone. I started walking back to the Inn and came across various friends in various positions of repose in various places where we had tread. It was great. We’ve done it many times since, using that wine as a tradition. My sense memory, the wine was not overtly sweet, but fruity and OK for its purpose. It was the first time I specifically filed a brand name away in my wine brain. We even had a 40th anniversary trip to do that several years ago.
(This bit doesn’t count: but I had a girlfriend in high school whose dad had a cellar and she and I put some dents in his leftovers after he went to bed, but it wasn’t me being a connoisseur, or anything.)
- Later on, I forget the exact year, I saw an article in the Reno newspaper that was reprinted from the SF Chron about Napa Cab. They listed the 1975 Caymuss SS, the Caymus 1975 regular bottling, Silver Oak “North Coast” 1974 cabernet, and three others. My friend’s mom owned "Ben’s Fine Wine and Liquor,) and we convinced her to have a tasting if we promised not to leave the house (I think we were 18) …and she went for it. We put together a 4 couple ‘tasting’ and compared what the article said, etc. That was the first time I think I directed my attention to ‘wine tasting’ vs. ‘wine drinking.’ (There was a lot of overlap.)
That really started things.
As I recall, Arnoux’s 80s were surprisingly good.
So were the 79s.