I’m rounding the last week of my first Whole 30 experience and of all the things you’re required to eliminate from your diet I think I miss wine the most.
If you’re not familiar with the Whole 30, it is an elimination diet designed to pin point food sensitivities. For 30 days you can’t consume added sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, baked goods, highly processed foods and alcohol in any form.
That means no drinking wine.
No cooking with wine.
No thinking about wine.
Wine Is More than Just a Drink, It’s a Story
What fascinates me about wine is that every bottle tells a story.
That specific bottle is a year in the life of a vine. The grape is the main character, of course, but he could never do it without an entire cast of supporting characters: the sun, the rain, the soil, the grower, the farmer, the yeast, the bottler.
Every experience I have with a new vintage is unique. For the past 30 days I have missed the small bit of mystery and adventure that comes with opening up a new bottle of wine. Could it be a new favorite? Will I hate it? Did it get too hot in the car when I ran in to Trader Joe’s?
Making wine is an art form. To quote The Wall Street Journal via Cuvée Corner, “remember the next time you have a quality bottle of wine which someone cared about, you are drinking that persons art and maybe a little bit of his or her soul.” Remember that beautiful red liquid in your cup is the product of a highly complex, wonderfully natural process that turns sunlight in to alcohol. How cool is that?
So, I Decided To Start Blogging About Wine
I gave up wine for 30 days and came out on the other side with a blog about wine. Kind of silly, right?
It wasn’t totally unplanned, to be honest.
The truth is last year I committed that in 2020 I would take my study of wine to the next level through formal courses, tastings and generally getting out of my $15 Bordeaux comfort zone. I know the whats of wine, but I’m interested in knowing the whys.
Holding Myself Accountable With an Expensive Wine Class
Next month I will start the WSET Level 1 course (price tag $275, how’s that for accountability?).
The WSET stands for The Wine and Spirits Education Trust which is a form of standardized testing for wine professionals. It is comprised of four levels. The WSET Level 1 and WSET Level 2 end with a multiple choice exam and the WSET Level 3 and WSET Level 4 with an exam and tasting. After passing the WSET Level 4 you receive your WSET Diploma, which opens the door to higher level wine education.
My goal is to reach the WSET Level 4 Diploma.
What will I do when I achieve my goal? That is to be determined. For now enrolling in the WSET is an awesome way to learn more about a topic for which I have a lot of passion and genuine curiosity.
I created this blog, Louis Drinks Wine, first and foremost to celebrate my love of wine and culture that surrounds it. By sharing my learnings over the course of the WSET courses I will reenforce my learning and teach you, the reader, a little more about wine.