Pursue your passions

Wine fascinates me. There are thousands of different wine grape varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Malbec, Vinho Verde, Pinot Noir… the list could go on forever. And each is impacted by climate, soil, terroir, viticultural approach, growing season weather, etc. For example, Chardonnay grapes grown in Napa, California are going to be extremely different from Chardonnay grapes grown in Chablis, France, due to many factors, not the least of which being temperature.  And THEN the winemaker gets to have fun and work their magic. They are able to choose how they want to ferment the grapes, when to stop fermentation, how to age the wine and what amount of time, and finally, if and how they want to blend different varieties together. They then get to decide how long that bottle will sit after bottling before the customer can start drinking it. All of these factors affect what exactly you end up sipping.

There is always something to learn about wine. Plus, it’s delicious. I could spend all day (or week… or month) touring wine regions and tasting different local specialties. Is that just me? There is always something new to try just around the corner.

Because of my interest in wine, I have not only actually studied the various major wine regions and grape varieties, as well as viticultural and winemaking trends that affect wine style, through the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) program (yes, people actually STUDY wine, instead of just drinking it. Don’t worry – we do a lot of that too!), but have also worked the end-to-end process first hand. Let me tell you, it’s hard work. I appreciate that glass of wine so much more now. At Cellardoor Winery in Maine, I was able to participate in the process all the way from harvesting the grapes in the vineyard, to sorting the grapes before crushing, to pumping over the fermenting grape juice in our tanks, to pressing the wine into barrels, to bottling the finished product, and then selling the wine to our customers at the tasting bar. It can be overwhelming, but to me, it’s fun. So why wine? Why not?? Pursue your passions.

What’s your favorite wine? Cheers!