Karl Wolf - A History of Wine

I don't have a particularly rich history with wine, but I do enjoy it and hope to enjoy it more thoroughly this semester while taking Geography of Wine. To begin, my taste in wine is in some ways particular, and in others unrefined. I like red wine, especially the slightly sweeter varieties. I have never tasted a white wine that I enjoyed (or any alcoholic beverage other than red wine), so broadly I would say that I don't like white wines. That being said, I haven't tried many varieties there. I am not one to match certain foods with certain wines, rather, I enjoy a good red wine as it is.

My experience with wine goes back a few years now. I have almost no family background of drinking any sort of alcohol, though my mother will occasionally enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. My very first taste of "wine" would have to be at Mass, through the Blood of Christ, which tastes like wine. Perhaps this association is what taught me to enjoy red wine despite generally not having a taste for alcohol. As I grew up, I remember a few family dinners with relatives who would serve wine, and here and there I would have a glass or two. In particular, in Summer 2021, in Germany where 18 is the legal age for wine, I had a very pleasant experience sitting on the back porch, in the mild summer's evening, after a delicious dinner, with some good red wine. This has given me an appreciation for how beautiful it can be to enjoy a good glass of wine, with good company and good conversation. Wine is for me a drink to be enjoyed when life is pleasant, rather than a coping mechanism when times are hard.

In this course, I would like to learn more about the varieties of wine--which are dry, which are sweet; what differentiates the grapes of, e.g., a Pinot Noir from a Cabernet Sauvignon and how that affects the wines; how to apply these factors to my own tastes, and so to refine my tastes to enjoy wine more thoroughly. I am taking the course with two good friends, and as an engineering student in my last semester, I'm not here to earn academic credits at all. I simply hope for a learning experience that can help me explore my tastes in something appreciated and perfected throughout human history and society, and of course, I hope to have a good time doing so.

Karl