Wine Fridays

Thanks Dan!
I used to work with a man who was all about wine. On Friday's he would bring in a bottle of something we'd never heard of and we'd share it after work at the little park across the way. He'd introduced me to what are now some of my favorite wines: Garnacha, Tempranillo, Primitivo, Rhones, and many others. I began to experiment by buying bottles from the same regions as those I liked. I discovered many of the Australian and other "New World" wines and their forward fruity flavor. I also enjoyed the french wines and the complexities they offer. Soon I began bringing wines to the "Wine Friday" tastings.

Expensive?
Most of the wines we had were in the 10 to 20 USD range. We'd get on mailing lists for the wine club, and K&L and bargain hunt for the real values.

It it hard to know what to buy?
One of the tools I've used over the years is the vintage chart for general wine quality trends from Robert Parker. Beyond this, I would suggest going to a real wine store, not BevMo. I've found the people there really willing to help. If you start by telling them what you like, oftentimes they can lead you in new directions. I've not found them to be snobby, just be honest with them, and They'll be honest with you!

So raise your glass and try something new!