From what I can remember, I had my first taste of wine at
age eight. I should probably
elaborate on this: I’m Catholic, and my first sip of wine was during my First
Communion. Not to worry, I wasn’t
a regular wine drinker as an adolescent. Every time I attended church I would have a sip of whatever
kind of [horrid] red wine was used for the Eucharist. There were a lot of times where I would skip the wine
because; lets face it, that stuff was nasty. What I like to call, “church wine,” definitely put me off alcohol,
especially wine, for much of my early years. However, over the years I realized that adults actually
enjoyed drinking wine. I began to
think that I might enjoy wine one day too.
Moving onto my next wine stage of life, I had my first glass
of wine at age 13. My family and I
were traveling around Europe for the summer, and I had my first glass of wine
at a restaurant in Paris. You
know, I wanted to seem European and sophisticated. My family shared a bottle of white wine, but I didn’t
like it. My mom always preferred
white wines, so I figured they probably tasted better than red wines. The white wine tasted bitter and sour,
but it wasn’t as terrible as the red wine. I also experienced my first stein of beer on this trip, while
in Germany. If I learned one thing
from my alcohol-related experiences in Europe, it’s that Europeans start
drinking at an early age, probably around the time they were born. I’m not sure which I didn’t like more, the beer or the wine;
but I definitely wondered why adults enjoyed drinking alcohol so much. My dad told me alcohol is an acquired
taste, and now I can definitely agree with this statement, as I am now an avid drinker of alcohol.
Eight years after hating my first glass of wine, I now love drinking wine! Somewhere along the way, I
acquired the alcohol taste. The
first time I remember enjoying a glass of wine was during my second trip to
Europe the summer before I started college. I was back in Paris and ordered a cheap red wine, which I
actually enjoyed [see picture below]. I was in my
favorite city in the world, chilling on the Champs-Élysées with friends,
enjoying a nice glass of wine – it was heaven. It wasn’t until this moment that I starting appreciating
wine. Alas, I didn’t become a
regular wine drinker until college.
I’m not going to lie, the main appeal for me was how cheap a bottle of
wine could be, compared to a case of beer or a handle of liquor. I’ve tried all the cheap wines, and I’m
talking “$2.95 Walmart special” cheap.
I can’t afford to be selective on a college budget, but I do get to
enjoy a nice glass [or whole bottle] of wine occasionally. When I go home, my mom and I often have a glass of Vinho Verde during
dinner, my absolute favorite wine.
I’m usually not picky when it comes to wine, but I prefer the white,
fruity, sweet but not too sweet, and maybe a little bitter taste.
I want to branch out of my comfort zone and try many
different kinds of wine, cheap and expensive. Currently, my favorite wines are Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon
Blanc, and of course, Vinho Verde. I also want to learn to love red wine, especially for its
health benefits. I would like to
be able to know which wines to pair with certain types of food so that I can correctly pair a glass of wine with dinner.
Mostly, I would just like to raise my appreciation and knowledge for
wine. Now that I’ve written out my
whole wine-life story, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for my future of
wine drinking.
JR
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