I remember distinctly when I first had a taste of wine. It was during a New Year’s Eve celebration from years ago and I recall hating its taste and how I felt after. However, over time, my palate broadened, especially when we started this food blog. My love for wine though came 2 years after.
I currently handle social media for restaurants based in the US. And if you’re not aware yet, Americans are big on drinking wine with their meals. I’ve always wondered about what it is about wines that they loved so much. Since my work somehow forced me to learn more about wine, I read articles upon articles about it. Eventually, the interest grew.
I took an online wine course to help me understand wine better. It was for work. Though it didn’t completely hook me in, I got quite interested to buy my first bottle of wine ever. It was a scary thought, fearing I’d be encountering snobs who’ll laugh at a wine novice like I am.
After that first bottle of Merlot I bought, a 2010 Louis Chatel Merlot, I started to understand why people loved drinking wine. Aside from the obvious reason that it’s alcoholic and can help loosen you up 😀 , I experienced firsthand how wines enhance the flavors of various dishes. The rule “red for meats, white for seafood” was the only one I kept in mind. But, I’ve broken this rule many times and still found myself enjoying every sip of my wine selections. Oh, and wines make you happy, based on my experience. 😉 And they’re good for the heart too.
Last year, when we got invited to a short wine class at The Wine Museum (which I haven’t blogged about yet – sheesh. Boo to backlogs), imagine my excitement. 😉 Though I already know everything they said, it was good to learn that there are wine experts here in my country who are more than welcoming to encourage us Filipinos to start drinking and enjoying wine over spirits. I’ll be writing a more in-depth post about wine appreciation very soon, so stay tuned for that.
Over the past year, I’ve tasted various wines and I loved each of them. It’s now my choice of drink when I need a good ol’ drink at home or at a restaurant that serves wine by the glass. Right now, I’m loving these Chilean Merlot (right, pictured below), which I highly recommend for newbies to wine. They’re fruity and light.
I especially love the Frontera Merlot. It was so tasty, I think I finished it off in (less than) 2 days. 😀 If there’s one wine I’d buy a case of, this will be probably it. Or Hardys Chardonnay. You’ll need to chill it a bit through your freezer / chiller or a wine cooler maybe from online stores or a local wine store as white wines taste better when they’re chilled. Red wines are best poured at room temperature, FYI. 🙂
Right now, I’m sticking with these Chilean wines, but I might try a new bottle of Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon from California next time.
How about you? What wines have you tried and enjoyed so far? Share below! 🙂