Thomas Jefferson once said, “Good wine is a necessity for me.” He was not kidding. Mr. Jefferson dedicated himself to fulfilling that necessity with considerable effort and forethought. In doing so, he became America’s first true wine hobbyist. It has been a long time since Thomas Jefferson was stocking his cellar with the great wines of the world, but the art of thinking about, amassing, and drinking wine as ones hobby has lived on and continues to be one of the great pastimes of man. And so, in the spirit of our greatest Founding Father’s dedication to the hobby of wine, The Wine Hobbyist is here to educate, stimulate, and enrich the modern day wine lover.

Within this site you will find a growing number of articles and resources about, and related to, the hobby of wine collecting and wine appreciation. Most of the articles and information will be written by me, the creator of this website and an avid wine hobbyist. I have been seriously interested in wine for the last fifteen years and I feel that my time has come to help the cause by passing some of my knowledge and opinions on to newcomers and the old hats as well.

As I sit down to write this introduction I am very excited at the prospects of sharing my ideas and opinions with wine novices and experts alike. I don’t presume to know everything about wine, but I consider myself knowledgeable enough to confidently share my opinions and vast experiences with the rest of the world. However, I am vividly aware that the world of wine and wine collecting is so vast that no one person could ever master its every facet.

One of my core beliefs about wine in general is that it is a constant process of maturation. Literally and figuratively, you could spend an entire lifetime studying the subject and still have not learned all there is to know. It seems to me that, therein lays the challenge and the excitement of a lifetime, or simply an afternoon spent enjoying and learning about wine. There is both a subjective and an objective side to oenology and without one the other cannot exist if we are to truly appreciate the matter as a whole.

I sincerely hope that you will join me in my pursuit of sharing and learning about wine. I am a teacher and a student. I want to grow this site gradually with the support of my friends and readers. I will always welcome critiques, praises, and of course, the inevitable disagreements. I want this site to become a resource and a source of inspiration to every person who is even the slightest bit interested in wine as a hobby. Please check back regularly and perhaps we can create something very special.

Limiting Your Stockpile of Everyday Drinkers

The other day a good friend told me that, "There will always be something good to drink at the liquor store." We were talking about how it takes effort to avoid accumulating too many every day drinkers in a private wine collection. If you are not careful with your wine purchases, you can quickly end up with a cellar filled with inexpensive, everyday stuff. There is a real draw to buying a case here and a case there when the juice is good and the price is right... more

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Wine of the Week

2003 Chateau Bernadotte, Red Bordeaux

Australian Chiraz

2003 Taltarni
2003 Colonial Estates

Bordeaux

2000 Chateau Picque Caillou

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