Are you passionate about wine? Have you had your first "ah-ha"
wine moment?
All it takes is one experience...
I've always been interested in wine, having lived in Italy, where wine was part of the culture and everyday life. Even when I was young, my dad would slip me a little glass of wine during our big Sunday dinner. I also had several uncles who grew their own grapes and made their own wine.
I began studying wine around 1993, but my first "ah-ha" moment didn't come until 1995. My girlfriend at the time knew I was very interested in wine -- she heard me talk about it quite a bit -- so for Christmas she gave me a bottle of 1991 Far Niente Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The first sip I took of that wine changed my life forever. It had such an incredible mouth feel, almost like velvet and the complex aftertaste seemed to last for 3 minutes. I had never tasted a wine like that before; I was floored. The relationship didn't last, but my passion for wine flourished. A few weeks later I signed up for an adult education wine class (Wine Tasting 101), and started reading wine books anytime I had a free moment. I also started attending wine tastings on a weekly basis. Over the years I've continued to take classes and seminars, as well as attend special tasting events. I've had several wine "ah-ha" moments since 1995, but my first was that life-changing experience with the 1991 Far Niente. As the Romans used to say, "Wine is life" -- and that Far Niente definitely changed my life.
Cheers,
Matteo Ursino