Skoll!

In the spirit of Let's Dish, here comes Let's Drink to further our Bacchanalian endeavors.

I've been reading about wine since I was about eight years old, and for a while, in my junior high years, I wanted to be an oenologist (until I realized that (a) wine production is all science and (b) I do not have a knack for science). I would sit on the couch with my parents and my godfather, listening to them discuss politics and art and comment on whatever wine they were drinking. Every once in a while, I would be allowed to take a little taste -- but only after I looked up the wine in the Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine. At twelve, my tastebuds still weren't quite conditioned to actually enjoy the tastes of these oft-forbidden drinks, but I knew -- knew -- that one day, I would appreciate them.

That day came. Quite a while ago, actually. I'll often sip a wine, maybe even comment to whichever friend or companion I'm with (or, let's be honest, to myself, on occasion), and think "That was definitely worth the price tag. I'll have to buy that again." Sometimes I do. More often I'll go back to the liquor store, stand in the aisle, and look at the same few labels I bought last time. Trying desperately to remember which was a great find, and which was a disappointment. I realized I needed a system. I scoured bookstores and wine specialty shops for the perfect tasting journal, but never found one that seemed quite right.

Inspired by some of the vino-themed reading I've been doing recently (particularly a spectacular newsletter called the 30 Second Wine Advisor, which shows up each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in my cluttered inbox) and the recently established Let's Dish, I decided it made the most sense to blog my notes.

Following Robin Garr's model (at 30SWA), I propose we use the general format of:
Title Line: Name of Wine, Vintage (Cost)
Body of Post: Wine producer
Variety
Appellation or Growing Region
Food Pairing, if applicable,
Tasting Notes
Link to site and/or picture of label when possible

Of course, this is a rough guideline. There's no need to get too fancy with tasting notes, but at the same time, this is a place to practice descriptions and really get a sense of different notes and flavors. Do as much or as little with it as you like. I think the broader spectrum of wines -- regions, varieties, price points -- the better.

And so:
Skoll! Let's Drink!