I could list the 7 Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s that we tried and my corresponding tasting notes for each. But that would be boring. I’d rather make fun of myself and the group.

There were 10 of us in attendance last night, 7 women & 3 guys (gotta love the ratio). The wines we tried were from the ’04 & ’05 vintages. Included in the tasting was the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Beaucastel ’04 – a $100 wine that is considered to be one of the best. And the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Clos des Papes ’04, a $75 bottle and another stalwart.

We do our tastings blind and one of the things we typically find ourselves doing is trying to guess which is the “fancy” or expensive wine. Sure enough we unanimously chose a $35 bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Dom. Saint Prefert ’05 as our favorite.

The point of this post is simply that wine is something we all should have fun with. Don’t listen to critics, bloggers, sommeliers, or snobby know-it-all friends. Go to wine bars, wine shops, restaurants & try as much wine as you can. And when you find one you like, WRITE IT DOWN. To hell with what the critics tell you you should like. Do you listen to critics about what movies to like (ok, maybe) what music to listen to (OK, maybe), or what politician to vote for??? OK, so I guess critics do hold a prominent role in our society. And the bottom line is, these people gain the status of critic because they devote a TON of time to a specific topic and become (so-called) experts on that topic. But when it comes down to it, it is YOU who is buying the wine, YOU who is drinking the wine & YOU who needs to enjoy the wine.

Have fun – Drink wine. And don’t let anyone tell you what you SHOULD and SHOULD NOT like!!!!!
-WTG.