"Little Ole Wine Drinker Me"

I matched the man behind the bar for the jukebox/ And the music takes me back to Tennessee/ And they asked who's the fool in the corner crying/ I say a little ole wine drinker me/

While I like Dean's version, I think Merle really captures the essense of that song. I need to seek out that record!

I've been spending lots of time (months, actually) learning about wine, viticulture, terrior, regions, sensory evaluation of wine and beer. I have tried over 100 different wines and beers from all over the world. It's a tad overwhelming what it takes to be a Somm. It is an end goal. It's like having a PHD in wine. The Intro to Wine class was a breeze compared to Sensory Analysis. It is intense.

I have to choose a wine region to research. I have narrowed it down to 2 regions not too far from each other--- Alsace (Northeast France) and Mosel (SouthWest Germany).

I dream of visiting these places and taking it all in. In my younger years I focused primarily on dry reds. People who drank sweet wines were uncouth and didn't have a refind pallate. Man, I had a lot to learn. I used to think Kendall Jackson Chardonnay was "the good stuff" when now I know that buttery malolactic fermentated oak fwd stuff is trash.

Studying the whites has been pivotal in my wine journey. I never knew that each region, the soil, the climate, the viticulture can change what you see, smell and taste. In Intro to Beer, I learned that the water from the region changes the end product too.

I am also dreaming of visiting Tuscany again, but this time at a slower pace and more focus on the wine regions. I fell in love with Florence and vowed to return. Venice and Verona were also stunning. And now, with my ever-growing knowledge of wine, the trip will be more fulfilling. I'll make it back there someday.