I hope you are staying warm this winter as it's been quite chilly across Canada these past few weeks. I thought I would talk a little about my wine evolution from my yellow tail days to what I'm currently sipping. I think we are placed on this earth to explore, to grow, to change and to enjoy the sights sounds, tastes and smells along the way. So where are you on your wine journey?
When I first started sipping wine I think the first wine I loved was Yellow Tail Shiraz from Australia. The wine had a fist full of vanilla, cloves, and chocolate that hit you like a ton of bricks to the face which at the time, I loved. I relate my love of Yellow Tail to the 1990"s souped up Honda civics of the day with white tail lights, sport exhaust and lowered suspension. While this was cool to me in my mid-teens to young 20's it was probably quite hideous to any normal person at the time. #CivicNation
I then moved from the powerhouses of Australia to the powerhouses of California, specifically big Cabernet. I sipped up Knights Valley like a heavy-duty Dodge truck would burn gasoline, way too much. I loved affordable Napa Cab because it was big and powerful wine but with more refinement than entry-level Yellow Tail. I was maybe 23 but wanted to show I had some experience even if it meant faking it until I made it. Sipping affordable Napa cab was like driving an older BMW, fast and fun and made me feel like a cool kid just too bad it was a 15-year-old BMW with a bit of rust on the sides.
I'm trying to remember what I went to next because I stayed in California for a long time and I'm pretty sure I'm an honorary citizen but until Trump is out, no thanks. I then ventured into France and Italy trying to find any wine under $20 I could get my hands on which lead me to affordable Sangiovese from Tuscany and red blends from Bordeaux. I felt like I was now into the middle ground of my wine evolution, much like a newer Volkswagen Jetta, responsible to own and one just like the Johnsons had who lived next door. I was an average Joe wine drinker and no longer a new kid on the block.
After spending my mid 20's in the simple and affordable reds of France and Italy I started to venture into the land of whites. I remember one year my New Years resolution was to not be a nicer person, lose weight or solve the world's problems but to drink more white wine. My stepmother loves this story because she couldn't believe that anyone would actually have such a silly New Years resolution. I'm not kidding either, I really did have that as my resolution. #Mid20'sSayTheDarndestThings
After flirting with Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and a few others I fell in love with the all mighty Chardonnay. I tasted oaked, unoaked, warm climate, cool climate and was fascinated by its many different styles of the same grape. I found this chameleon wine much like a Subaru. The car much like the wine had power, performance and could tackle varied driving conditions from city stop and go to Sahara crossings to mountain snowy roads in February.
It was then in my late 20's that I realized my love of wine was a little more than just the average person. I couldn't read enough, shop for it enough or taste it enough, I was hooked. I enrolled in Wines 1 at George Brown college thinking I would snore my way through because after all, I have been drinking wine for almost 10 years now. It was about 30 minutes into my first class when I realized, I literally knew nothing about wine. We were tasting Bordeaux and comparing right bank to left bank and learning the differences all when I didn't even know Bordeaux had banks. I'm pretty sure I thought the professor worked for TD or BMO because he used the word bank so many times. It was like walking into a Mercedes dealership while driving my Toyota Corolla..."This car has what options again". I didn't even know a seat could move and grove that well. The class was great because my eyes were opened to the wine world from South Africa to South America to Washington & BC.
A year passed and I thought now that I was sipping the world of wine I would try my hand at Wines 2 and improve my knowledge and tasting ability of the world. Tasting similar regions to Wines 1 but much more expensive wines opened my eyes yet again, to just how delicious a well-made wine could taste. I remember sipping about 5 different wines from Bordeaux, all over $100 and I couldn't have been happier. This was like having a friend who tossed you the keys to their newer BMW M5 saying, have fun. I was a kid in a candy shop and cavities be damned. While I only got maybe a 70% in Wines 1 I think I received 85% or higher in Wines 2 so clearly, some progress was being made.
I took another year to hone my wine tasting before I realized I needed to find a way to incorporate wine into my life somehow in a serious way. I was sipping a glass of wine one day while wondering what side business I could have, real estate, finance then it hit me that I love wine more than anything. I enrolled in the George Brown Sommelier program and now I'm about halfway done this one year program. People often ask me my favourite wine but it's a hard question to answer because a musician doesn't have one song, a chef one meal or a car collector one car. I love different wines for different reasons and at different times. I love sparkling wine at Brunch with friends, Chardonnay on a hot summers day in the afternoon and a nice Barolo with a mean steak at night.
I'm currently really falling in love with Northern Italy, specifically wines from Barolo. I think a 10-year-old or more Barolo is one of the most rustic and powerful yet sensual wine's I've had. I'm also into Beaujolais, but Cru Beaujolais not that simple drink as soon as possible nouveau stuff. My current favourite wine for sipping with dinner, in the bath or by the fireplace channel on my TV is a Beaujolais from Moulin a Vent by Stephane Aviron. It's pleasant, light yet fuller bodied and could pair with almost anything. Much like my love affair with souped up, sport-tuned exhaust civics I've grown up and now drive an older Porsche Cayman S that is 11 years old. I love its stylish lines, it's performance and it's timeless look. I couldn't possibly afford a new Porsche or a new Mercedes but by shopping around carefully I bought a piece of the rich life for the price of a new, run of the mill Toyota Camry. I love to sip affordable Barolo, Cru Beaujolais and would like to get more into Burgundy but I'm just not there yet as a wine drinker...but maybe one day.
My wine journey can be summed up going from loud to quiet, raging to smooth, smack in the face to an enticing caress, and as big as I could buy to what fits better. The idea of driving a souped up civic with sport exhaust annoying everyone I drive past horrifies me, muck like sipping Yellow Tail again.
There is nothing wrong with the yellow tail but when I see those loud cars zoom by and I peak in the window to see who is driving it, my two cents are you should be under 30 because at mid 40's that's just sad. Go ahead and sip all the Apothic red you want but again you should be younger, drive a Saturn and live with your parents. Test drive different wines and don't be afraid to spend a few more bucks from time to time because you can't take money to the grave.....besides no one wants to go out driving a Saturn.
"Life is to short to drink bad wine"
Happy Sipping,
Ryan
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