Welcome to My Wine Blog!

Hello everyone! My name is Courtney Cisarik and I am taking Geography of Wine at Virginia Tech as a fun elective to wrap-up my last semester of college. I do not know much about wine, but I have had decent exposure to a lot of cheap dessert wines, specifically port, as well as red wines at college and during the holidays. What really sparked my interest in wine and motivated me to take this course is that my boyfriend's dad, Mr. Rider, collects wine for a hobby. He has a giant wine cellar in his basement that is about the size of a small bedroom that is filled with wine from all over the world, varying in age. Every time I visit my boyfriend's parents, Mr. Rider asks about what we are drinking at school and if we ever drink wine. So far, I have been able to contribute little to these conversations, mostly because I prefer liquor over wine. By the end of the semester, I would love to be able to carry on an in-depth conversation about wine.

So far, all I know is that I enjoy most dessert wines because I have a sweet tooth. I also do not like wine that is super dry or bitter. I never developed much of a taste for alcohol prior to college because my parents did not drink, and I did not party in high-school. However, my father recently started drinking red wine in moderation to raise his HDL cholesterol levels (the "good" cholesterol). Unfortunately, since my parents both do not drink often, they have not learned what kinds of red wine they enjoy. Every time they go to the grocery store to get more, they just randomly select a bottle, and usually do not like it. Whenever I come home, they tell me to pick a wine out to have at dinner because they figure I know a lot more about alcohol than them. After completing this course, I would love to be able to help them out by learning about what types of wine I like. If I discover I enjoy particular kinds, they probably will as well.

I have tried wine in two very different situations: during a family dinner (usually Christmas or Thanksgiving) and at a college parties just to get drunk. One glass of wine usually makes me feel pretty warm, but does not affect me too badly. However, I have a guaranteed hangover the next day if I exceed two glasses of wine in a sitting, no matter how much water I drink before and afterwards. I think part of my hesitation to try new wines has to do with the consequences of the hangover. I am hoping I am not too horribly affected by the wine tastings this semester! Maybe I will be able to work up a bit of a stronger tolerance.