Fine Wines to Enhance My Mood

I must concede.

I tried a bottle of Louis M Martini Cabernet last night and LOVED it. This is bad...very bad. This bottle retails for close to 6 times what I'm used to paying for my wine. Worth it? Heck Yeah!
I realized a couple things.

I tend to sip more expensive wines, really letting all the flavors and aromas sink in. The cheap stuff...I gulp it right down and head for another glass. I've tried to let the flavors create an experience for me, but sometimes they're just not there. That's not to say that I haven't had some yummy $5 wines, or that I don't enjoy the less bold flavors of others, it's a mood thing...I guess.

Last night I was in the mood to treat myself. The kids were working on their Gingerbread house and I wanted to sip on a fine glass of wine. With the aroma of dark cherries, vanilla and tobacco, I knew I had picked the right bottle. The cherry-vanilla-tobacco was also part of the bold flavor. It was smooth, spicy and had a lingering finish. I almost felt full after one glass. I don't get that with my less expensive varietals.

I'm seriously thinking about taking a class on different wines. I'm fascinated by the complexity of different flavors some wines produce and would love to learn more about how that is achieved.

A course in wine tasting, like GMAT prep , would position me better to talk about and enjoy finer wines. I envision the prep work to consist of sampling tons of wine...oh wait. I already do that. Maybe I'll just continue to hang out with and read other amateur wine lovers and we can figure this game out together. Do you really need a wine degree to enjoy and talk about it? Obviously not!