Welcome
Welcome to my blog. Over the course of time I will be interacting with you in various ways including wine reviews, purchasing suggestions and wine education. Ultimately my main object is to get more people interested in wine.
That being said, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Justin. I live and work in Walla Walla, Washington. I’ve been into wine for roughly five years and my passion for it grows stronger daily. For me it all started with curiosity. I had always wondered why people made such a fuss over wine. I started with Riesling. It was sweet, refreshing and fruity. Easy to take down and a good warm up beverage. Riesling wasn’t enough though, I felt the need to drink dry red wines like everyone else. Next stop California Zinfandel, which proved to be a great bridge into red wine. It blossomed my curiosity and I wanted to try more red wines. So I started tasting different varieties and producers–sticking mostly to California. After tasting for a while and feeling pretty good about being able to drink red wine, I still didn’t see what the big deal was. I could see minor differences from variety to variety but I just wasn’t impressed and was ready to go back to drinking beer (keep in mind I had just turned 22). Then, it happened. While at dinner my girlfriend at the time father broke out a ’special’ wine. I wasn’t aware of how special it was until a few moments later. As soon as I smelled it I knew it was different. Not getting hung up on the way it smelled I went for it. Bursting with bright fruit and a silky texture like nothing I’d ever had the first sip blew me away. The flavors lasted for what seemed like an eternity. I knew at that moment It was the best wine I had ever tasted. This single experience resulted in my wine epiphany. I believe anyone who ends up having a long relationship with wine has that special moment–that changes everything.
That day changed my life. I knew right then and there that I wanted to taste more great wines. I started by purchasing a few wine books and tacked down local wine shops. These wine shops and other places had free wine tastings that I took advantage of to increase my understanding. I was hooked–tasting sometimes two to three times a week while reading wine related literature in my free time. At that point it wasn’t just tasting wine that I enjoyed but also all of the cool things I was learning about it . The history of wine alone is enough to keep one immersed for a lifetime. Wine is made almost everywhere and made from things other than grapes. Its an amazing product–with an equally amazing history in addition to having enough trivial content to fill even the deepest of minds. It still wasn’t enough though. Now, I needed to know how to make it.
In August of 2005 I moved to Walla Walla and enrolled at The Institute for Enology and Viticulture. Two years later I have a degree in winemaking and a new found respect for the way this product makes its way from the earth to our glasses. I’m hooked for the rest of my life but I’ve known it for a while now. More than wine itself, I love learning about it and sharing any knowledge I have gained with others. I take great pleasure in spreading my love of wine to others and watching their passion develop as well. Now that we’ve met, enjoy the forthcoming blog posts and feel free to ask questions, post comments and most importantly–grow your love for wine
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