Why Wine?

I come from one of the least likely families to produce someone obsessed with wine  My parents' idea of a special occasion wine is a $13 Menage a Trois, and my mom once aged a bottle of the stuff for three years (hint: it was vinegar by the time she opened it).  However, I have always been interested in France, and was fortunate enough to study abroad in Angers, a medium sized city in the middle of the Loire Valley.  There, my mind was opened to what wine could be: a way to bond with friends, an agricultural feat, a labor of love, and a piece of history.  We visited more vineyards than I can count over the course of the semester (which, I will note, was an academic requirement) and learned how grapes were grown, the differences in production methods for red and white wines, and an early introduction on how to taste.  I was hooked.

Over the five years that have followed since my French introduction to wine, I've continued to fall deeper into the wine world.  I switched almost entirely from mixed drinks and beer to wine, and found my very favorite spot in Chicago at J9 Wine Bar (do yourself a favor and GO if you're ever in the city!).  There, I made new friends at the wine classes I attended, became "a regular", and began to gain more specific knowledge on the different varietals, regions, and types of wine that came from all around the world to my little hideout in Chicago.  I began to entertain the idea that for me, wine might be more than a casual hobby.  I enrolled in the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 exam at City Winery in Chicago, where I spent three full weekend days learning about and tasting different types of wine. I also began to refine my GSB career goals to include working in the industry.

Flash forward, and I am now fully obsessed with the world of wine, not only because it is a magical and delicious beverage but also because there is an endless amount to learn about it.  The more I learn, the more I realize I have yet to learn.  I'm currently studying for my WSET Level 3, and some of my favorite nights at the GSB have been blind tasting bottles of wine with newfound friends.  This class is yet another way for me to deepen my knowledge of the industry from a strategic, business perspective that isn't always apparent in most wine discussions that center around the product itself.  I'm looking forward to adding some broader global context to what I already know, exploring the potential futures of the wine world, as well as hearing from successful professionals in the industry and drinking some great wine along the way!