My Wine Experience Thus Far

 Hello and welcome to my wine blog. My name is Kurt Baumgartel and I'm going to be using this blog to document my exploration of wine. Up to this point in my life I haven't had much experience with wine, but I have generally liked each of the wines I've tasted. Whenever I drink wine, it tends to be a flute of Champagne or Prosecco during holiday celebrations. With the few times that I've bought myself wine, I have gravitated towards buying red wines more so than white wines. 

As for my personal tastes, my beverage of choice isn't wine, it's actually whiskey. I have found that I rather enjoy the bold flavors of whiskey, especially the unapologetic boldness of single malt Scotch Whiskeys from Islay. It should be no surprise then that my penchant for bold flavors has carried over into the wines I typically reach for, mainly drier red wines. I have tried sweeter wines before, but they just don't pique my interest as much. With that being said, my tastes are always evolving and I'm always open to trying new things. 

As of late, I have taken a sizeable interest in learning more about the alcohol-making process. I have recently toured a Bourbon distillery here in Virginia, but I have yet to tour any wineries. I think I understand the basic process of making wine, but I am interested in learning more about the fine details that tend to go unnoticed by the average consumer. I am also hoping that through creating this blog and recording my experiences with wine, I am able to further my appreciation of wine and the culture that surrounds it. 

As one final note, It was a pleasant surprise to me when I found out that wineries are very transparent about the exact percentages of each grape varietal. Coming from the world of whiskey where the exact composition of mash bills is a closely guarded secret, there was an element of "culture shock" for me.