Do not ever mention the movies Sideways or Bottle Shock in a tasting room. Whatever interesting or funny comment you think you have, trust me, they do not want to hear it......and they have more than likely heard it before.

I have spent much time in the area where Sideways was filmed. I was excited when the movie first came out because I had heard they were at many of the places I know all too well and was excited to see the places on film. I am sure there was much excitement in the Santa Barbara County / Santa ...

That's right, bar hogs! You know what I'm talking about. We have all seen in a busy tasting room one of those guys; and yes, they are typically male in gender from my experience. This is the guy that takes his place at the bar and firmly protects it like a prison guard working the tower over the yard. Wide stance, heaving leaning, oblivious to others, and/or wide elbows are his trademark.

I do not know what is going through this persons head that they have such a scarcity mentality. As if the tasting room will ...

You might be a wine geek if.....you have a wine map in your car, you have a wine barrel for no apparent reason, you are on a first name basis with the UPS man, you keep a wine opener in your car, a winery knows you by name, you cringe when you see or hear White Zinfandel,

you pick your meal based on the wine you want, you own wine that you forgot about, you tag your wine, if you have a winemakers autograph, if it takes you several minutes to pick a bottle of wine, you have "Tuesday ...