Welcome!
Welcome to The Virtual Wine School’s blog! For its inaugural post, it feels appropriate to say a little about my personal approach to wine, and how these classes initially came about.
Before I worked in wine, I assumed I would end up working in a field tied to the liberal arts: drawing/painting, film, philosophy, language — if there was something to interpret and explore to infinite depths, I was interested in it. Looking back, it’s really no surprise that I eventually found my way to the wine industry. As a combination of science (geology, geography, climate, biology, chemistry), philosophy, language, and sensory perception, it offers an endless number of avenues to explore, none of which can possibly be exhausted. But beyond all this, it is something physical and impermanent, quite literally created to be consumed. It is social, fascinating, transportive. And as much as I value the knowledge that I have accumulated and continue to seek out, it is these more intangible qualities that truly inspire me.
It’s not a new concept to discuss wines in terms of personality. A juicy, refreshing, fruited white as a light-hearted friend ideal for casual gatherings; a niche, savory, nervy pale red as the funky art kid you want to hang out with; a smoky, velvety, deep red as the trusted confidant who seems to slow down time. But there’s more to it than style. Something between acidity, body, and minerality — there can be a sense of energy or tension in a wine, something that escapes formalized wine tasting sheets. Fruit can feel more alive, or less. It’s common to talk about a sense of cohesion or a sense of place, but I can’t help but feel that there’s more at play than plain quantitative assessment and the coming together of “parts” like body, fruitiness, and structure.
I’ve been lucky to work with incredibly curious, intelligent, and thoughtful people, a number of whom I helped to educate as part of a restaurant’s wine team. There has been no reward in my career greater than watching someone have their “a-ha” moment: the switch flips and a light bulb goes off. They catch a glimpse of something: liveliness, personality, imagery. I remember my own experiences of “Wine can do that?” — a thought that still comes to mind in moments of pure beauty, clarity of expression, or overwhelming force. It doesn’t take anything more than intentional tasting and exploring the aisles less traveled.
This is what I hope to give to others: the opportunity to have those “a-ha” experiences. Wine is analyzed, traded, marketed, written about, idolized, scoffed at, taken for granted. What other beverage creates such dichotomy? My aim is to make wine as accessible as any other beverage and spread honest, contextualized knowledge that empowers the public to decide for themselves what they do or don’t like, yet also to convey its infinite potential of expression. With confidence comes the willingness to branch out and see more of what the world of wine has to offer. If we pay attention with curious and open minds, it will continue to surprise us.