I am not exactly sure when this happened, but it has been confirmed by family and friends that I have become a wine geek, aka wine nerd. This transformation was not intentional, but like most things I do, I went “all in” so I should not be surprised.
For the record, this confession does not also translate into me being a wine snob. The term “wine snob” implies a condescension of others about their wine drinking habits. Should I ever become a wine snob, I hope someone will take me behind the barn and give me the proper whooping I deserve.
I learned of my wine affliction during a recent conversation with one of my sisters. And to say it was a surprise to me was an understatement. I really did not see it coming yet the signs were all right in front of me. What are the signs, you may wonder?
You know you are a wine geek when…
… your first sip of any wine is preceded by several sniffs and pensive stares into space even when you drink the wine all the time.
… you shop for wine at several local wine shops AND online as you search for the holy grail.
… wine shopping can take hours as you wander the aisles and peruse every rack. Now add in conversations with the proprietor and you should order in lunch.
…your wine cooler fills up, so you buy another one, and then another fills up, so you do it again… wash, rinse and repeat.
… as a man, you are totally not afraid to drink rosé in public.
Or even when…
… you have well over 50 bottles of wine in your possession, and most are single bottles that you purchased to expand your palate.
… your nose and palate are more than just parts of your body.
…you know what Tuesday wine is.
… using a term like earthy, or wet slate, or river rocks or mineral-driven are not turn-offs when it comes to wine but turn-ons.
… speaking of wet slate or river rocks, you have probably licked them so you can recognize the taste.
…you look at your reading list and you see The Dirty Guide to Wine: Following Flavors from Ground to Glass. Yes, you are correct this is an entire book about dirt.
… your income and your wine budget are severely out of whack.
… you keep the empty bottles of exemplary wines like trophies from your sporting achievements (like I had any sporting achievements!)
… it matters into which glass you pour the wine and that you have different glasses for different wines including your Tuesday wine.
… your spending limit per bottle has climbed beyond $50.00 a bottle. (for research purposes, ha ha ha)
… you can use bunghole in a coherent sentence and not be referring to a body part followed by laughing like an 11-year-old boy.
Yes, I can affirm all of these statements. If you see yourself as well in even half of these statements, I will venture to guess you on your way to becoming a wine geek as well.
What does this mean for you?
Is it possible that I “might” be waxing on a bit too long regarding one of my wine selections? Or am I not telling you enough? There is just so much information that I think is interesting. I am just not sure where to stop. That said, I want to learn what is important to you. Wine Geeks, leave me a comment if you are out there.
For the rest of you, please know I am putting together a survey that I would love you all to complete so I can learn more about my readers and deliver the information that interests you about wine.
That is all for now!
Cheers,
rick
hahah! I love the bunghole one! I guess I am rather immature! LOL
From one Wine Geek to another, I can only say “Cheers!”
I hate to tell you how many of these I recognized in myself! (Although, I prefer “Wine Enthusiast” to “Wine Geek!”)
And I totally concur that there is no room in the world for Wine Snobs. Good wine is wine you like, bad wine is wine you don’t. Everything else is simply opinion.
Enthusiast is a much nicer word…but well, I am what I am and what I am….