This morning, as I was reading my daily emails, I received an email from a friend of mine, Patrick Kelly, who runs Cavaletti Vineyards out of Moorpark and the Central Coast. Patrick and I go back quite a few years. We both use to make our wines at the same facility and eventually decided to go our separate ways from that facility. Patrick now makes wine in his own beautiful facility in Moorpark and you can visit him for tastings Saturday and Sunday from 11:30am to 6pm.
He and I love to pour our wine at events from time and time, and of course have been doing our best to get our wines known throughout the Conejo Valley area. Patrick sent out this email this morning and I thought it was worth a read, especially if you're particular about the wines you drink.
So here's what Patrick wrote...
"I don't drink (insert wine style or variety here)"
I had a great conversation this week with the owner of a new wine bar in Thousand Oaks. It is called West Tasting Room, (Cool spot - check it out if you are in the area). During the course of our tasting appointment we talked about our respective experiences with people's pre-conceived notions of what they drink and don't drink for wines. We typically have people tell us that they don't drink a particular wine. It could be rose, a white, or something like Cabernet Sauvignon. We usually ask people to be open their palates and taste what is in the flight and suggest that they dump what they don't like. 75% of the time they tell us some variation of, "Oh....I like this. It doesn't taste like the (Example:Chardonnay) I've had before."
There are over 10,000 grape varieties around the world and nearly as many different combinations of ways to grow, pick, and produce those wines. This evening I sampled three wildly different Syrahs from three different producers. The wines were all sourced from the same vineyard and were the same vintage. They couldn't have been more different. The beauty of wine is experiencing new and varied flavors from winemakers around the globe while also enjoying the classic varieties and familiar flavors that we all know and love.
We suggest you lean into variety in your wine choices.
Thanks for sharing such great words of wisdom, Patrick. You never know, if you never try! I always recommend trying more wines. The more you try, the more you learn. And the more you learn, the more you realize that the wine world is so massive that it's impossible to really only like one particular style. That's why Sommeliers and Winemakers exist! They are there to reach your palate's potential. So next time you're out to dinner, if you see a wine you don't know on the list, as the sommelier if you can try a splash before you decide your glass choice. Most of the time, they'll let you try it before you buy (if it's already open behind the bar) and you may find something new that you LOVE!
Cheers y'all,
Happy Friday!
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