WINE

I am a wine lover. This has been less apparent to my friends in Korea, mostly because the selection here is pretty much limited to Yellow Tail and wineries I’ve never heard of before, with labels I can’t even read. As some of you may know, I spent five long years of my life working at Gustav’s German Restaurant in Clackamas, Oregon, and it was there I developed my taste for great German rieslings. Believe me, I served many a great glass of wine and drank more than my share. After a long day working a double shift at the restaurant (every Saturday) I would almost always stop by Safeway and buy a great loaf of rustic bread, a block of cheese and a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle. This winery is in the Columbia Valley, in Washington state, making it very cheap and usually on sale. It is also delicious. If I could afford it, or for a special occasion, I would get a bottle of Dr. Loosen from Mosel Valley, Germany. Seriously good stuff. They have cheap bottles too; it’s just more expensive because it’s imported.

Riesling is such a great summer wine, but in the winter I liked a great syrah or even cabernet. Nothing warms you up like red wine! Living in Korea was definitely a shock to my fine wine senses. It’s not that they don’t have wine here. They do. But it’s either complete crap or really expensive. It’s my opinion that you shouldn’t have to shell out more than $15 for a bottle of wine. And the whole sobriety thing has REALLY put a cramp in my wine drinking style. Hopefully after this year I can go back to enjoying a great glass of wine after work (a not drink the whole bottle!).