Don’t be afraid to like what you like, and how you like it.

I have been getting a lot of, what I am going to call apprehension, when I ask folks why don’t they come to the wine tastings. Sadly not everyone reads our posts, at least not yet, so they think wine tastings are full of wine snobs. Or they are just going to somehow embarrass themselves because they “don’t know wine.” It’s actually really sad. Not only are our local wine tastings full of really fun and friendly people, but we at Gulf Coast Wine are actively hunting down wine snobs. We find them to be quite tasty after a brief “roasting.” But seriously, there is no reason to be afraid of going to a wine tasting. If you like to drink, not just wine, and like fun people, then you should go. I am probably preaching to the choir here, but if you are trying to convince a reluctant friend maybe this will help.It is also okay to like what you like. This does not mean that it is okay to not try every wine, because one of the best parts of wine tastings is tasting something that surprises you. More on that in a bit. I spoke to a group of folks that were relatively new to our local wine tastings. One mentioned how they use a milk frother to aerate their red wine, and that is the only way they drink red wine. I was impressed in two ways: first, good ingenuity; second, confidence in sharing what they liked and how they liked it. On a wine science level, not every red wine needs to be aerated, and you can very easily over aerate some reds. I like to share wine knowledge, but I was adamant in saying “don’t change what you are doing if you like it!”So, as long as you try every wine, I don’t care what you do, and I love to hear about clever tricks. If you don’t try every wine then you might be missing a chance to be surprised, in a good way. Tonight’s crowd favorite was described by many tasters as “I was so surprised that I liked it.” Tapiz Sparkling Malbec Rose Extra Brut was refreshing with slight under tones of red cherry and strawberry. Those flavors appear a lot in Rose wines, but what did you feel? The bubbles, the acid, the way in which it made your mouth feel. Taste and feel, that’s what you get with wine. Knowing that will help with liking what you like. So don’t be afraid to come out and drink some wine, you might be surprised by the entire experience!