NEW YEARS' WINE RESOLUTIONS.

First of all, these are the easiest resolutions a gal can make, right; I love wine!!!

Each New Year in my "real life," I don't actually make resolutions - I create a more positive list of things I can accomplish (see this post on my personal blog and you'll get what I mean.) 



But I have to definitely change some things about the way I approach WINE during the coming year, and here they are:

• Pay for substance.

While I'm a big fan of value wines (have you seen my TOP UNDER $20 of 2013?) I realize that I often defer to my pocketbook over my palate, even when I should know better.  In the year ahead, I will let myself drink better wine even if it costs more than I'm accustomed to paying.

• Don't drink anything I don't like.

I tell this to my clients who are still trying to discover what styles of wine they prefer, so they don't feel intimidated by sending a glass or a bottle back.  Me, I'm familiar with many different kinds of wine and enjoy many different kinds of wine.  That being said, a lot of bars serve mediocre to bad wine because it's cheap and people don't care.  (Flawed wines are another story.)  This year I will not put up with crap.  There's always whiskey.

• Finish my book!

I have been working on an intro to wine book, "All You REALLY Need to Know About Wine," for about a year and I'm very excited about it.  It's for people who think "Wine for Dummies" is too much information.  (WfD is a great book by the way, but it is 432 pages.)  However, writing this way is a lot of work and I just need to buckle down and finish it.  ('Cause you guys are dying to read it, right?!?)

• Help bring Turkish wine to the States.

When I visited Turkey this past May, I discovered not only a beautiful country but also some absolutely amazing wine.  Regular readers will have seen my earlier love letter to Turkish wines, but there is not a lot of information and availability over here, and I truly want to educate consumers and wine professionals alike. 

• Continue to break down assumptions.

People assume they won't like rosé wine because it's pink so must be sweet, and yet, every wine class or even fancy wine dinner I do that features rosés is a hit.  People assume lots of things about wine, and as I always say, for every 'rule' in wine there are 100 exceptions.  This year I will make sure to open people's eyes more!

• Bloggety-blog-blog-blog.

Again, regular readers know this blog isn't a series of three-paragraph posts.   I pride myself on crafting articles that educate you and acquaint you with new wines in an easy-going and slightly saucy manner.  2011 was my most prolific year so far, and this year I will not only meet that 15 posts, but I plan on surpassing it.  Dare we go for 20?!

• Be the best Minx I can be.

 In addition to writing, I want to get out and interact with my public more!  The wine appraisals and consultation and insurance work are all great but I love to actually affect how people drink better wine.  There will be more classes, (like "Wine Minx" on facebook and post suggestions of topics you'd like to learn about!) and more restaurant dinners, and more consulting for clubs and bars, and video blogs where you can taste alongside me, and maybe TV.  I really want to be on "The Chew."




That's it for now - a pretty good start, methinks.  I wish you all the best with YOUR New Years' resolutions, and hope they include drinking more and better wine!  Cheers!