I believe...

Several of the posts this week have been more about my company, and less about wine. Yesterday, I had someone ask me what my philosophy on wine is. Since I have started my blog, I have sprinkled little tid-bits of my philosophy, but I want to sort of combine them all into one post. Stealing from "Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again," I'm going to list things that "I believe..."

Sing along.

I Believe:

that if you like a particular wine, then it is good (to you). Unless it's Charles Shaw or Yellow Tail- in that case, we need to talk.

that, if you BYO a bottle of wine to a restaurant you should expect a corkage, tip on the value of the bottle (at least 20% of the retail value), tip on the corkage, and leave a taste for the sommelier, waiter, or manager.

that you can drink rose' all year-round.

that sometimes wine out of a plastic cup is just fine.

that buying really expensive stemware for each varietal of wine you drink is ludicrous.

that you should have a once a day, week, month, year, and lifetime wines picked out.

that you should not drive drunk.

that most people think they know more about wine than they really do, and that's okay.

that if you are a wine geek, you should watch Sportscenter at least once a week so you can have a normal conversation with non-wine geeks.

that sometimes beer, a cocktail, iced tea, diet coke, or water is a better decision than wine.

that dry champagne tastes terrible with wedding cake.

that, if a restaurant is sold out of a particular wine, you shouldn't be upset.

that there's a certain protocal/etiquette to follow at wine tastings that you should follow- mainly, be polite.

that a big, fat, bold wine on a hot day doesn't taste very good, but the same wine while it is snowing might taste delicious.

that people should chill out with the "what did it score" when talking about wine.

that most people make up stuff when they talk about what they taste in a wine- me included.

that you shouldn't worry so much about what wine will pair exactly with every detail of your meal.

that riesling is a more intellectual grape than pinot grigio.

that there is plenty of wine out there for less than $50 that is really good.

that champagne should not just be drunk for celebrating, and that it tastes really good with potato chips.

that New Year's Eve prix-fixe wine dinners are a waste of time and money- stay home and enjoy yourself!

that a cheap corkscrew will open a bottle just as well as a really expensive one.

that Americans tend to drink red wines too hot, and white wines too cold.

that you should keep a case of inexpensive wine at home, just in case your neighbor drops by.

that trying to show off by bringing the most expensive bottle of wine to a party or dinner makes you look like a jerk.

that most restaurants have poor by-the-glass programs for wine.

that people should slow down, and enjoy their wine and food- post/twitter/blog about it later, not at the dinner table.

that screwcaps are the future of wine, and that's okay.

That I have gone on too long.

Cheers everyone- have a fantastic weekend!