Please allow me to introduce myself.....

Hello all,
My name is Jorge, and I am a wine educator working with Vino 101. They asked me to come aboard and help them write curriculum for their online wine training program that is designed to train people in the foodservice industry.

Robin was kind enough to publish an article I wrote, and I just wanted to stop by here and introduce myself and become an active member of this forum. Here's a brief history of how I developed a love for wine:

While working in a fine dining restaurant in Maryland that has one of the more aggressive wine lists, I immediately became interested in learning about and trying new wines. I got to taste stuff that no one my age could afford, so this was a valuable learning experience for me. One of the nation's leading wine writers would even come in and open bottles from his personal cellar, and usually had enough left over for the staff to try. We're talking Guigal Cote Roties from the 60's, 1st growth Bordeaux verticals- just some really amazing stuff (that I still can't afford). From there I was hooked, so I decided to move to the retail sector to get better acquainted with the economics of the wine industry. While doing this, I was asked by a few local restaurants to do some wine trainings for their servers, something I was more than happy to do. This eventually led to more trainings through word of mouth, and I moved out of retail in favor of being a wine educator. Then Vino 101 contacted me to help write their program, and here I am!

I hope I'll be able to bring some new ideas and information to the table, and I look forward to discussing my experiences with wine and food, and asking questions about yours. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Jorge

Welcome aboard.

[Jenise]

Maryland...Cote Roties from the 60's...1st growth Bdx...were you tasting with Mr. Parker himself? How cool! What an experience for a young guy just getting into wine, though of course you got spoiled very early.


Welcome aboard, indeed. What are your personal favorite areas of wine?

[David M. Bueker]

Hi there! Was this restaurant either Corks or Charleston?

Glad to have you here Jorge! Hope to hear a lot from you.

I'd rather not mention the name of the restaurant or the wine writer, but let's just say that it was a very "cool" experience, as well as great education for somebody who was looking to learn about new wines. I miss being able to taste some of the most amazing wines in the world. I'll be the first to admit I was completely spoiled right from the beginning, and I couldn't believe how some of my fellow servers would pass up the opportunity to taste the stuff that was available to them. Oh well, more for me!

As far as what areas of wine I'm into, I'm fairly moody. I can get into a phase where I'm craving TBA or BA German Reislings for a month, and then I might jump to something like Barolo for a few weeks. What I really like are wines that surprise me; i.e. flavors I've never tasted before or aromas that are new to me. I also like the challenge of pairing them with food.

A few of my favorite wineries are Ken Wright, Sine Qua Non, Rosenblum, and Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou. Obviously, I can't afford to drink a lot of these on a regular basis, but on a special occasion they never let me down.


Jorge

[James Roscoe]

Always good to have another Marylander on the board.
Cheers!
James

What do you think of local Maryland wines?

Certain posters have been known to wax rhapsodic about their ancient heritage and under-the-radar local qualities?

Welcome Jorge.

Welcome to the board !

Welcome to WLDG, Jorge.

Regards, Bob

[James Roscoe]

What do you think of local Maryland wines?

Certain posters have been known to wax rhapsodic about their ancient heritage and under-the-radar local qualities?

In a word, "Blech!"
Virginia is another story. Maryland needs to get its act together.

I wouldn't go as far to say "blech" regarding Maryland wines. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I thought Maryland wines were great overall, as I rarely order them in local restaurants. That being said, there are a few gems to be had, usually for around $10 retail. Basignani makes a decent Cab, Boordy makes a good Reisling perfect for summer weather, and Elk Run makes a very good Ice Wine. There are some others as well.

Virginia has many more wineries, and some of them put out quality products consistently. I went to the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival (I think that's what it's called) and was shocked at how many wineries were set up there. I was also surprised by how many wines I really liked. And afterwards, I realized that I don't spit nearly enough. Luckily I didn't drive.

Jorge

[James Roscoe]

I wouldn't go as far to say "blech" regarding Maryland wines. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I thought Maryland wines were great overall, as I rarely order them in local restaurants. That being said, there are a few gems to be had, usually for around $10 retail. Basignani makes a decent Cab, Boordy makes a good Reisling perfect for summer weather, and Elk Run makes a very good Ice Wine. There are some others as well.

Virginia has many more wineries, and some of them put out quality products consistently. I went to the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival (I think that's what it's called) and was shocked at how many wineries were set up there. I was also surprised by how many wines I really liked. And afterwards, I realized that I don't spit nearly enough. Luckily I didn't drive.

Jorge

We're going to have to disagree on the Basignani Cab, but I'll grant you the Boordy Riesling and a few dessert style wines in the decent to good category. Maryland has a long way to go to come up to Virginia's heels and Virginia has a way to go to catch New York.

That said, I think Virginia is working hard and makes consistently good to very good whites every year and some good reds too.

Will you be at the Great Grapes Festival in Annapolis next month?

There's a good chance I'll be there. I'll be the guy with purple teeth.

Jorge

Interesting. Your story sounds almost identical to that of a man I work with, except that he got out of the restaurant business and didn't go into the wine business.

Hello and welcome Jorge. I am a long time (from the very beginning) reader and poster on the WLDG forum having started (I believe) in 1996 as the forum was first beginning. I, as opposed to you, haven't yet done anything special winewise or otherwise, except get old and drink a lot of wines, some great, some cheap, in the past 40 or so years. Good to hear from you and again welcome to the forum.

[James Roscoe]

There's a good chance I'll be there. I'll be the guy with purple teeth.

Jorge

And that will make you different from everyone else?

Horton will be pouring their wines at the festival. I don't know if it's their whole lineup, but they're a reliable Virginia winery. Maybe we can get Paul B. down for the 25th of July. Are you there Paul?

I, as opposed to you, haven't yet done anything special winewise or otherwise, except get old and drink a lot of wines, some great, some cheap, in the past 40 or so years. Good to hear from you and again welcome to the forum.

Welcome Jorge. I hope that you have as much fun with wine as our friend, BobH.

Welcome, Jorge!

Best,

geo

Thanks for the reply.

Riesling in Maryland, wow, I guess I know very little of the state, although typecast it as a bit swampy and humid, but obviously it is as micro-climate diverse as any region on earth..

Welcome, Jorge to the WLDG. A great community of wine lovers.Lots of fun/ knowledge here. Pleased to have you join in.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks for the reply.

Riesling in Maryland, wow, I guess I know very little of the state, although typecast it as a bit swampy and humid, but obviously it is as micro-climate diverse as any region on earth..

Oh there are places that are swampy and humid, but also cooler spots. I wish someone would try planting more in the western hills. Many of the wineries are in the eastern area near Baltimore (where my wife is from), and I bet they have to use a lot of chemicals to avoid rot.

[Robin Garr]

Hello all,
My name is Jorge, and I am a wine educator working with Vino 101.

Jorge, although I've greeted you privately, it just occurred that I haven't minded my members and joined the chorus of public welcomes in this thread. Glad you're here, and I'm also delighted to have your regular contributions from Vino101 on WineLoversPage.com. The next one will go up over the weekend!