That is to say that when I drink wine I look for something that I can enjoy that compliments food or an event or both and that I can thoroughly enjoy with others.

For some reason, some people seem to think this is wrong. That when tasting wine, it should be done on one’s own, swished, spat out, and while sticking one’s nose high in the air, be able to remark on the sweetness, acidity, tannin, balance, and body – all while being able to identify the different subtle flavors.

It’s great being able to do that; I think it is an important step if you have consumed enough of a varietal to know what to expect when you buy one, to know if it is good or bad, and to be able to know if a person likes one varietal, if they are more or less likely to enjoy something different.

Characteristics of wine, however, are not what make wine great; wine should be (and is!) an experience to be shared with family and friends. It should be talked about and talked over, sipped and quaffed, spilled, laughed at, and forgiven the fact that there are those out there who have no friends or family and all they know how to do is to talk down to others about an experience that they only understand half of.

So you can see why I’d think I drink wine the wrong way – and so does almost everyone else. The truth is that I drink wine the right way; I drink it like the rustic Italians and French – as a shared experience before, during, after, around, through, over, and under a meal. Why else would there be wine for every occasion?

Even the Parisians, in their tiny little better-than-thou hearts know this. In fact, from the Parisians I’ve encountered, the only way to get many of them to admit that they can relate to people, they just choose not to, is to hide the spit bucket.

I get odd looks at tasting rooms; I’m always with a group, the group is always vocal, not always refined, but almost always cheerful. We’re inquisitive and make connections with other wines we have had, sometimes on the same trip, sometimes not. We will talk about why we like a wine (or do not like a wine) with each other and our host.

So wine may be evaluated on a five point scale, if one must. I would put money down (with the odds in my favor) that I enjoy wine way more than most people who think of wine like that, though.