Que Syrah, Syrah

My name is Catherine, but no one calls me that. Please call me Catie! As I sit here typing, pondering my experiences with vino, I am happily sipping a riesling (one of my favorite wines), although it is a little too sweet and not nearly dry enough for my taste (SeaGlass, 2013 Riesling). In my book, wine on a Wednesday night is always welcomed, even if the wine is a little subpar. I am a fresh 21 and have recently started dabbling in wine; for my birthday I was fortunate enough to travel to Napa and Sonoma for a super intensive wine tour (a pick up party Matthiasson, Silver Oak has some great cab sauv, Wind Gap has an adorable tasting room, etc., etc.); I have also recently visited the Willamette Valley, in the Pacific Northwest, for some light vineyard hopping.

Over winter break I had the pleasure of going to Portland, Oregon with my wine-snob boyfriend who (shocker) planned a day of wine tasting. We visited Ponzi Vineyards and sampled their pinots and brought home an Italian Arneis, which I am told is a rare find in the states. I'm super excited to try it. We also visited Domaine Drouhin; a french style tasting room. The winemaker is a super cool woman, and her father is the famous Joseph Drouhin who has a wine empire in the Burgundy region of France. What I am trying to say is that I know the tasting routine, and I think I know what I'm talking about, but I really am just learning all of the good stuff and have been lucky to have people in my life that really enjoy great wine.

But, I digress; I love wine, I love trying new wine, but I especially love sharing wine with others and learning about how food can really change its flavor. Wine pairings with tasting menus are ranked in my top 10 favorite things. I am so excited to expand my knowledge and learn more of the "how-it's-made" information in this wine class. If I can expand my palate, learn some new ice-breaker facts and have a good time, I will consider this class a success.

Until next time,

Catie 

Some vineyards I have visited for your viewing pleasure:

http://www.domainedrouhin.com/en/

http://ponziwines.com/

https://www.matthiasson.com/

http://www.windgapwines.com/

http://www.silveroak.com/

http://lambertbridge.com/

https://www.heitzcellar.com/