Good Morning!

I just had an interesting conversation with an elderly woman at the grocery store, she and I were standing in the same row of the wine section and she was talking out loud to herself and I heard her say, this used to be easy, now there are too many wines. I looked up and smiled and said, do you need some help finding a wine? She ask if I worked there, I said, no, but I am kinda familiar with a lot of these wines and if you want I could help you.

She went off on a tangent about how “back in the day” she could come in and get a bottle of red or white and that was the end of the decisions. She then went off about if you go to the wine shop, they have the expensive “fancy” wines and she thinks french wines taste like dirt. She also said the Texas wines she has tried are not good to her. She said, I used to like that Mondavi red and the Chardonnay made by the Toasted Head guys (you know the one with the bear on the label). She said she sees no reason to spend more than 11.00 on a bottle of wine. Then after going off about all the choices and trying to help the american economy by buying only wines from the US, but the state of California needs to get control of those liberal hippies out there (Hahahaha). She grabbed two bottles of whatever was on the end cap and headed to the produce section. I felt used….She just needed someone to rail on today (that’s how I chose to look at the conversation that transpired).

So, I took a deep breath and thought about what she had just told me. I will keep in mind that she was probably about 80 years old and likes a glass of wine every night so she can sleep a little better. If you think about what has changed in the wine industry since she started sipping Carl Rossi’s jug wine back when she was 30 years old. The California wine industry went through a revolution and to the average wine drinker this was all overwhelming. I am sure she is not even aware of the grape varietals she has been consuming. I am also sure most of her buying decisions came from what she has drank in the past.

I did not really start drinking wine until I was in my mid 30’s and I still learn something every time I buy or drink wine. If you buy from the labels you recognize or if you understand what regions grapes are grown or if you at least understand what varietals you enjoy, you can start to navigate the rows of the big box superstores. I just got a huge kick from the woman’s rant and I could honestly hear so many people I know that just want to drink a reliable and enjoyable wine without spending much money.

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi