When I first fell in love with wine it was a pinot noir from the central coast of California, Rusack Winery in Santa Ynez Valley. It was unlike anything I have ever tasted. I used to hate wine, it was too sweet, and I like most boys at the ripe drinking age of 22 was drinking beer, whiskey, and tequila. I barely exposed myself to wine before this. I had my preconceived notions about wine and I tended to stick to my cabernet sauvignon. And yet, this Rusack pinot changed my entire perspective. It opened a world into good, enjoyable wine and now I see that every wine is a new adventure and something new to experience. I became obsessed with finding new wines to try and change my alter my perception further. One of these was the Italian grape Barbera, another wine that thoroughly surprised me, catapulting itself to the top of my favorites list. We all remember the wine that made us fall in love with wine, it may have been chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, rose, or even Riesling. However, I have found with most of my friends and family, that once they fall in love with one type of wine that’s all they’ll ever drink. I will say there is no problem with that, people like their comfort zones especially when it comes to booze. Yet, there are over a thousand different grape varietals in this world just waiting for us to try them. Why limit yourself to just a small few? Here are some suggestions that will help get you out of your comfort zone:

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