A Life with Wine

My name is Nicolas Manfred. But to my friends, family, and to you, the reader, you can call me Cole. Wine has always been an important part of my life and I have had a fascination with spirits since I was a teenager. Wine was always the drink of choice in my family; my mother would have a glass of chardonnay at dinner and then another as the evening unfurled. My father was a bit more buttoned up. Perhaps he would have a glass of red blend while he was cooking every now and again, or opt for a stiff scotch and soda if he were feeling more jovial.

A glass of cabernet sauvignon in my Blacksburg apartment

I had my first taste of wine before I was 10 years old. My mother would let me sip from the glass she was holding without a care. I did not like the dry, oaky taste of her chardonnay; to this day I have mixed feelings on that variety. I wanted to be like my father and his side of the family, the Italians, who drank all types of red wine: chianti, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and a plethora more. I am starting to gain an appreciation for dry white wines (I do not care for the extra sweet varieties), however my go-to is still a full-bodied red.

I enjoy a good party. When I am out with friends I usually opt for beer or liquor, whatever will get me drunker. However, I prefer a milder buzz around family and reach for a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner. And I find that wine is a more romantic beverage to fix a date on a carefree weekend evening as opposed to a vodka cranberry or two fingers of bourbon. It would be nice to have a more discerning palate for selecting wine in these situations.

Family trip to Sorrento, Italy in 2019

Truth be told, I am an aspiring wine snob. I love to learn about the science behind wine, the language of wine, the culture of wine, and everything wine-related. Maybe a (not so small) fraction of this driving force stems from the desire to appear sophisticated and mature. The biggest takeaway I hope to take from this course is how to communicate my feelings about a wine to another person. Because if it is something I love, I want to share with someone why I love it and why they should too.