Bacchus
Hi, my name is Chris, and I have a problem. I cannot say no to good wine, even when it is out of my price range. For a long time, I have managed to overlook necessities (car repairs, clothes needing replaced, etc.) and have instead attempted to join all the mailing lists, searched low and high to find rare wines, and strived to build a ‘collection’. Over time, my car limped to a halt, my clothes fell apart, my palate grew dry, all while my small collection continued to age.
Long story short, I am on the road to recovery. Expensive wine is no longer a priority, tempting, but I plan to put more time and effort into buying great wine within my means. So, my hope, is that you will join me as I look to uncover some bargains that will put more bottles on the table, and leave some money in the bank.
To sum up how I got to you; “I am a Tarheel born, I’m a Tarheel bred” with a little dose of Europe thrown in for good measure. I grew up in North Carolina sipping on Cheerwine until I moved to Switzerland when I was 15 and began drinking…..Bier. I know, had I said wine this story would work all too well. The truth is, during high school my folks lugged me around to wineries in Switzerland, France, Italy, and Germany. I can’t say I appreciated every moment with all the swirling, talks of nuance, and spitting. I was lost in translation and ignorant when it came to all the tradition surrounding wine.
Fast forward, back to America. I was off to college where by law I was not allowed to drink for three years, talk about a reverse culture shock. Somewhere between classes my junior year I began bartending at a place with an emphasis on wine service, which involved wine exploration and the copious amounts of geography it encompassed. I was hooked and knew I wanted more.
Graduation came and I was cut loose. Time to get my hands dirty I thought. I followed a friend out to California to work a vintage as a Lab Intern (not as dirty as I hoped). This, however, quickly led to my second problem - the search for ‘The Endless Harvest’. Early on I knew I didn’t have the chops to be in a band - so a world tour was scratched from my bucket list. How can I see the world I thought? It hit me - be a perpetual intern.. Motto in place, I was off to the races. I hit the road’ to work vintages in New Zealand, Oregon, South Africa, Washington, and Germany. Coming full circle (though there is still plenty to be seen), and to be thorough in my ‘research’, I am currently working in the vineyards of North Carolina, getting to experience the other side of tobacco road. So here we are, and while I attempt to find wine to fit my budget, hopefully we can explore the vast world of wine together. I look forward to it! - Cheers
