Hello fellow wine lovers. Whether you just simply enjoy sipping wine or you are as mesmerized as I am about the entire process of how these grapes get into our glass; welcome to The Traveling Grape. I want my blog to be an open forum so everyone can share their experiences, ideas, thoughts, new finds…..just anything and everything about wine. To me a glass of wine signifies bringing people together so please share with me what it means to you.

My first visit to California’s wine country was in April of 2001. My sister Kim and I shared this amazing experience together, and I have never looked at a glass of wine the same. With each visit I learn so much about the processes and just how many different schools of thought there are about growing grapes and making wine. Also with each visit I hope to come back with a clear definition of what makes great wine. Sure; Harvest is in the fall, but when do you pick the grapes, which grapes get picked first – hillside, valley, certain appellations, certain varietals? What barrels produce the best wine? French Oak, American Oak, smooth barrel, ridges in the barrel, 12 months, 24 months? How long should a bottle age before it shows it’s best? Do estate grapes make a better wine than those sourced out? All these questions plus more, and I learn the most beautiful thing of all! There are no rules. Every grape grower and every wine maker does things so differently. Every critic has something different to say. I find this so interesting and intriguing. With this experience I enjoy every sip that much more.

I think the same thought process should go towards drinking wine. There are so many rules that it can intimidate people and actually keep many from not only trying new wines but enjoying them. We should all just savor our wine, share what we love, and have our own ideas about what wine means to us, the flavors we get out of it, what food we enjoy best with what varietals we prefer. I do give allot of credit to learning about wine and sophisticating your palette, and especially to training your senses so you can pick up aromas found in wine to heighten your enjoyment. It will also help you find what it is in wine you enjoy so you can try new varietals and new labels and expand your own personal enjoyment.

But when it really comes down to it, wine is about enjoying what’s in your glass and bringing friends together. That is what I want my blog to do. To grow a community of new friends made up of wine drinkers (all of you, even those sipping on White Zinfandel), grape growers, wine makers, winery owners, wine store associates, wine distributors – so we can learn and grow our appreciation from all view points. So again welcome to The Traveling Grape, I am so excited to hear from each of you!

~Amanda