My Wine Journey
Updated: Nov 10, 2021
I suppose it is inevitable that I would have an interest in wine having lived in London between 1987 and 1996 and traveled frequently in Europe and Asia during my career in the information technology industry.
My first instructor was David Glancy MS who created and taught an in-depth program at a culinary school leading to my certified sommelier credential. I also had the privilege of taking the California Wine Appellation Specialist program from David at his San Francisco Wine School. This is where I became aware of the Society of Wine Educators, the Wine & Sprits Education Trust, and the Wine Scholar Guild (called the French Wine Society then). I've since learned more about wine by visiting wineries in many countries, enjoying wine with friends, and earning various certifications (see my Wine Certification blog post).
2011-06-17 Certified Sommelier
2011-08-13 Certified Specialist of Wine
2012-03-15 French Wine Scholar
2012-09-11 WSET Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits
2012-11-12 California Wine Appellation Specialist
2013-09-19 Sud de France Master-Level Certificate
2014-01-10 Bordeaux Master-Level Certificate
2016-04-04 Champagne Master-Level Certificate
2016-06-27 Bourgogne Master-Level Certificate
2017-12-21 Rhone Master-Level Certificate
2019-01-31 Italian Wine Scholar
2019-05-09 Provence Master-Level Certificate
2020-02-19 Rioja Wine Diploma
2020-12-22 University of California at Davis Chemistry for Winemakers
2021-01-19 Certified Specialist of Spirits
2021-11-04 Alsace Master-Level Certificate
Much of the information about wine found using general purpose web search engines proves to be outdated, misleading, and inaccurate. It is also often difficult to find the official regulations governing viticulture and winemaking because many exist in government databases in other languages. When I stumbled upon Doug Cook's Able Grapes search engine with deep knowledge about wine in many languages I thought I had found a great way to find trustworthy wine information. Sadly, the search engine doesn't appear functional so I decided to put together a list of wine references that I think are reasonably accurate to help others looking for reliable information about wine. You can either click on the general category depicted as black and white icons on the references page or search by tag for more specific topics by hovering over the references menu.
This website is primarily a study aid for those learning about wine rather than yet another picture book of places, personalities, and stories about specific wines. When I offer an opinion I will also provide references to my "source of truth" to help you make up your own mind. While I do offer a few services in the Shop I do not include advertising as it distracts from learning and leaves the reader wondering about its influence.
May the "black and white" references and these "colorful" reflections inspire you to proceed along your own wine journey.