My wife Susie loves to plan our trips abroad. She does her research and finds great things for us to do wherever we plan on visiting. Our next big outing is to Spain. We have both been there in our past lives, but not together. The plane tickets have been purchased, and the hotel rooms have been booked. We are excited, but do not want to wish time away. The trip will be in October, so we have the spring and summer to enjoy before we head out.
It will be to Paris first, then a train ride to San Sebastian. Four nights there, then off to Jerez and then Seville. You know wineries will be involved! I have arranged an appointment to visit a sherry-producing winery in Jerez, which I am super stoked about. We are also working on a trip down to Rioja to visit a couple of wineries while we are in San Sebastian. Rioja is an iconic wine -producing region of Spain. I will be filming some of the trip for my YouTube channel and using TikTok. I am very thankful for all my wife’s planning and her willingness to go along with the wine part of the trip. She’s the best.
I watch a few wine programs on Instagram and YouTube, and I have to say that there are only a couple that I really enjoy. I will not mention names or channels, but there are a few that really annoy me. My biggest issue with the wine world right now is wine snobbery. Although some of these wine folks act like they are down-to-earth, they really are missing the mark. As an example, one individual said on his channel that less expensive Pinot Noirs “are not up to the level that Pinot Noir lovers or wine geeks are accustomed to.” Basically, he is implying that if you really like a less expensive Pinot Noir, you might not qualify as a Pinot Noir lover or wine geek. Excuse me! If that isn’t pure wine snobbery, I don’t know what is. I feel sorry for the person who watched that and was embarrassed that they actually liked a Pinot Noir under twenty bucks better than that fifty-dollar version someone shared with them. Never question your palate and pay no heed to such wine snobbery. People like that drive me up the wall!
One must remember that price is often driven by marketing, reputation, and demand. Yes, there are other, more tangible reasons for wine pricing. Things like labor, cost of goods, and land. All those factor into the price of a bottle of wine. However, marketing and demand are among the biggest reasons for the cost of a wine. Yes, there are expensive wines that are amazing. I don’t live in a cave! However, I will search high and low for that bottle of wine that over-delivers for the money. And, guess what? I’m a Pinot Noir lover and wine geek who appreciates a wine I don’t have to take out a loan for to enjoy.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
