I consider myself a shopping expert. Professional shopper, if you will.
You see, I have a lot of experience in the area, because I spend a lot of time shopping. When I lived in Washington, D.C. certain stores in Georgetown would invite me into the back area to shop from items that had just arrived. I am still apologizing to this day to my parents for the maxed-out credit card situation I often found myself in, but I digress...
Although I'm well-versed in shopping for things like shoes, clothes, and accessories, I don't have much experience when it comes to wine, although yes, I am an expert in consumption. I often hear people describe wine as creamy, complex, silky, balanced, or fruity, and I just nod in agreement, when really, all I'm thinking is... "This wine just tastes damn good!" I also know there are certain wines out there I don't like.
My love affair with wine started long ago.(Gosh, that makes me sound old...but I started drinking when I was under-age, haha...) Wine has always been my favourite alcoholic beverage, first red, and now, mostly white, although really, I'm not too picky.
Whenever I'd go to a party, I'd see bottles of Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay, and I'd hear people talking about how much they loved this wine. It soon become my favourite, and shopping for wine became an easy thing for me to do. I knew if I'd buy Wolf Blass, red or white, any type, I'd be happy. See, an expert would probably have a lot more to say about the process of selecting wine, especially when paired with certain foods, but me, I'm pretty easy to please (sometimes.) Also, the bottles are all pretty, so that counts for something, too!
I recently attended a fabulous event where I met Wolf Blass (THE MAN! Behind the labels we love!) at a wine tasting event hosted by Natalie MacLean (author of Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines) and I learned a lot about Wolf and his story on how he became so successful in what he does, and how awesome and hilarious a man he is. I also found out how cool Australian accents are! Oh, the wine, too, was fabulous, and each one we tried had a distinct, amazing taste. We tried: Wolf Blass Yellow Sparkling 2010, Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling 2011, Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay 2011, Wolf Blass Yellow Label Pinot Noir 2010, Wolf Blass Gold Label Shiraz 2008, Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz Cabernet 2009 and Wolf Blass Black Label 2007. All were incredible.
Now that I have learned a bit more about wine and the process of winemaking, I have a new appreciation for vino. And although I'm still no expert in wine tasting or shopping, I will say this: if you want my advice on what bottle to buy to enjoy at home, what bottle to buy to bring to a party, or what to order off the wine menu in your favourite restaurant? Go with anything Wolf Blass. Red or white, whatever colour the label, you will not be disappointed.
Just like buying a new pair of shoes. Cheers!
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