Whenever we gather with a group of friends discussion eventually comes to wine. Almost apologetically someone mentioned that she has tried many wines and prefers to drink only sweet wines. Most of the others in the group indicated that they would drink sweet wines although the preferences were to drier reds. Why would one need to apologize for drinking what they like?

Part of your wine journey is to search for the wines you like. If you keep an open mind along the journey and try many different wines, what types of wine you enjoy is a personal choice. No one has a right to tell you not to drink any particular wine. If you like a sweet wine then drink a sweet wine. If you like a dry wine then drink a dry wine.

Most wine and food pairing charts are suggestive in nature. Often the suggestion is to drink what you like. Although there are sound reasons behind the suggestions in wine pairing charts, what you like trumps all of those suggestions. Challenges arise when two or more people share a meal and they each have their own wine favorites. Look at this as an opportunity to try something new and different and see how the food and wine complement each other.

You also have an opportunity to explore different wines by visiting wineries in your community and as you travel. Most wineries have tasting rooms and you often can taste a wide range of their portfolio. Other tasting rooms limit tasting to five or six wines, if you go with another person you can double that number and share. When in a tasting room, don’t limit yourself to the types of wine you know you like, explore other wines. If you don’t like them, that’s fine. The experience is your wine journey. Wines that you don’t like are just as important as wines that you do like. There are always surprises. I am not a big fan of a single varietal Cabernet Franc. I like it in a blend but not as the single variety. While visiting wineries in Ontario, I had the opportunity to taste Cabernet Franc icewines. They were wonderful. So I discovered an exception.  Be open to discovering exceptions.