New Wine-O

Recently turned 21, the past 3 months have been fun experimenting different types of wine. For my birthday this past October, my parents exposed me to the world of ~Vineyards~ and wine tasting, which I believe may grow to become my new favorite pastime. I have only been to two thus far, both around the Northern Virginia area-Wilderness Run Vineyards and Morais Vineyards.

At both vineyards, I had the chance to speak with the owners and learn about their vineyards. Morais, a portugese inspired winery, makes 4 of their wines without the use of any machinery in order to maintain the true Portuguese flavor. At Wilderness Run Vineyards, I learned about the importance of the type of barrels the wine sits in following fermentation in order to complete maturation. The size of the barrel, type of wood, and if the barrel has been previously used all contribute to the final product and taste. During the wine tastings, I noted some wines tasted more “oaky” or smoky than others while others had a more “buttery” sort of taste.

I am excited for this class to become more informed and educated on different wines, their geography, and to possibly even find my “favorite type of wine”, a question I often get asked and all too often have to respond with, “I am not sure yet…” I sometimes enjoy red wine, I more so like white wine, and dessert wines are also enjoyable, but only in small amounts after dinner.