my foray into loving wine

Before quite recently, I wasn't really a big fan of wine. I had only really tried it with dinner in Italy, and I didn't really like it, even though I was drinking what is probably considered wonderful Chianti. What I definitely found out was that I slightly preferred red wines (meaning I really didn't like white). Champagne, I thought, was okay. But that was in 2004. My tastes have certainly changed since then. And in New Zealand, I certainly got a little more fond of alcohol (it was such a big part of the culture, it was hard to not drink, and I got tired of the weird looks when I said I didn't drink much. So I gave in, which is certainly giving into peer pressure, but I didn't drink to excess). On a two week trip around the country, I found myself eating dinner with two fine gentlemen, one from Spain and one from Wales. The Spanish man bought us a bottle of wine, a New Zealand red. It was fruity and somewhat spicy, and I actually thought it was good. Now, I have just turned 21. For my birthday my mom got me a bowl containing wine, cheese, and other goodies. Tonight we had a wine and cheese tasting. The cheeses were manchego and double gloucester with chives and onions. The wine was a 2005 Clouds Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, from Stellenbosch, South Africa. That's, as you probably know, a white wine. And... I thought it was really good! It was quite fruity, and yummy. So, I think I like wine now. Maybe a good addition to fancy dinners.