Bonjour

Hello!

I suppose the first post should be an introduction. My name is David, a 4th-year student at the University of Waterloo, majoring in Economics with a specialization in Finance. I've lived in Toronto most of my life, so for now, that's home.

In terms of wine, we're serviced by the LCBO, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The LCBO is basically a monopoly controlled by the government of Ontario, and regulates all alcohol purchase and consumption in the province. What implications does it have on wine-drinkers? Well, I guess we're lucky in that we have an enormous selection of wine to choose from and we have access to some of the rarest bottles in the world.

I have to mention that I was born in Shanghai, China. Being a 21 year old Chinese person, no one expects someone like me to enjoy wine. And why is that? One of the purposes of this blog is to share my experiences, to make it known that it's acceptable and quite noble in fact, to learn about and to enjoy wine.

My previous attitude towards wine was that it was for wrinkly old white men, and that I would never grow to like it. To me, they somehow all tasted the same; the only difference I could distinguish was the difference between red and white wine. Namely, they were two different colours. But starting from about 15, my entire disposition towards wine began to change.

I've always had great tolerance for alcohol. I'm not bragging, that's just how my metabolism's always been. No really, I'm serious. From when I was 2, my grandfather used to feed me rice wine off the tip of his chopsticks. I started drinking small amounts of beer and whatever my father was drinking when I was 7. My father's never been much of a connoisseur. I suppose he enjoys alcoholic beverages, but he's never been the type to really examine what he drinks. He just drinks it.

Around 15, when I was just about to graduate junior high, somehow my father stopped drinking beer. To him, wine's always been more of a natural product than beer, with less manipulation. And then he read a lot about how red wine supposedly has health benefits. So our family began to drink wine. And thats how my tiny flame of interest was sparked.

It wasn't until I was 18 that I really began to research into the subject. There wasn't a single bottle of wine that did it, or something significant that happened. I just fell in love with the entire culture involved with wine. It just facinated me, how the grape could be transformed into such a sublime form. Once I entered first year, it really started. I bought books and went to the LCBO with my father to pick a new bottle every week to try.

All my education regarding wine is from books or from actual practical experience. All of it. And from my neighbour Frances. Frances is retired, and is very much into European culture. He keeps a house in Villefranche, a city adjacent to Nice. He's a true oenophile, not only in his book knowledge but his practical knowledge as well. We've had many conversations, not just talking about anything wine-related, but also about cuisine, art, and culture. Talking with Frances is amazing and eye-opening.

So that was how it started. Things just snowballed. Apart from building a wine book library, I've started to build a cellar. I discovered quite early on that my true love was French wine. I began to purchase Bordeaux futures, from the 2005 and 2006 vintages. I've begun to follow specific estates, and in general, just getting my hands on whatever I can afford.

At present, I try to taste around 2-3 bottles a week. It's hard moving back and forth between Toronto and Waterloo every week but I try to have a bottle at home, and at least another bottle while I'm at school. My plan for now is to just try as many new regions, and not only from France. The exciting thing about wine is that there's a limitless amount to explore.

I've discovered that wine has become my passion. I don't think I've ever had anything I've loved and obsessed about so much. So please visit often and I'll try my best to post as much as I can. I don't want this to be like the other million or so wine blogs, where I give out my tasting impressions on the bottles I try. I want to talk about EXPERIENCE. Because wine is an experience, not just hints of ripe fruit amid overtones of oak and spice.