My journey in wine was being initiated by sipping a light yellow liquid in a local restaurant in Brussels some years back. At least it was how I remember it. I remember loving it and with my cultural upbringing, wine is associated with luxury and the only encounter I would have had with wine, would be in a Chinese wedding dinner. Although wines were served along with beers and whiskies, I did not have the luxury to taste them as I was way too young. Somehow, alcohol was negatively associated by the way I was brought up.
The little restaurant in Brussels opened my eyes to the pleasurable side of alcohol. What great joy a wine can bring when enjoy with nice food and nice company! I was then, a fairly innocent young person with little engagement to the wider world, but thanks to my job, managed to bridge that for me. I was feeling so at home with the whole European setting and sipping the liquid I was told is wine. I did not get any dizziness from drinking it but a slight feeling of being lifted, a state I came to know as the "godliness" state, where life can just end with that sip and feeling fully content with just having that sip, as the last moment of my life. From there, I know I enjoy wine.
Every now and then, having wine with meal would be such a treat and has always been a highlight for me. When I resigned from my job, I brought this little learning with me that wine should be enjoyed in happy occasions which I gladly shared with my close friends even we weren't earning much for a living. How excessive it may sound, but that's how wine portray itself, a pleasurable indulgence. I remember how happy we felt to discover how nice Ernest and Julio red wine tasted, a bottle my hubby brought home. Most of the time, it was order by the glass whenever we club, pub, dine or simply chilling at hotel lounges for a good relaxing live music. I truly enjoy those times thanks to my ever-supportive hubby and the company of my dear friend. I was enjoying wine, but I didn't really know about wine.
Coming back from my stint in acquiring a bachelor's degree, I was earning again and I was glad to have more opportunity to learn about wine. I started by buying a bottle that I could afford, mostly German Rieslings in Penny Mart, Frankfurt and then gradually began to explore generic Bordeaux wines. I had no idea, the difference between a St Emilion or Medoc. I was a typical non-informed, under-educated wine drinker. Then, there was this gentleman who formalize my interest for wine when he said, palate can be trained and there is so much to learn about the world of wine. I began studying for WSET exams and miraculously, I passed each time I sat for the exam. I must have some really keen interest in wine then.
To date, I have yet to taste a lot of wines but hopefully, I am on the right track of training toward becoming a Sommelier, a credible one, I aspire to be. I still love browsing through wine shops and each time, I began to feel more at ease, instead of looking cluelessly like how I used to be. There is never-ending learning about wine, just like any other field. I just wish I could learn as much as I can and I will.
