I remember the day as if it were yesterday, my first wine tasting event. It was sponsored by my college French Club and the poster said it would offer an evening of French wines and cheeses.

So, I asked my roommate Todd to go with me and check this out. He was curious like me and we both agreed we knew very little about wine. He felt even more out of place since he wasn't even taking French, but was taking Spanish at the time.

Having been raised on a farm in a dry county in South Georgia, the idea of a wine tasting seemed pretty classy and even upscale to me at the time. Heck, my parents didn't even allow alcohol in the house growing up. So, attending the wine tasting was a way to branch out on my own and "get away" with something at the same time.

As the night went on, I'd tasted more wine than any 21-year-old should be allowed to have in a two-hour span, as well as eat a lot of cheese. I can't really remember the varietals or the regions from which the wine we drank hailed. Most of what I remember is the good time Todd and I had laughing, cracking jokes and just making new friends.

My wine adventures continued as I grew older. I look back and realize I had a pretty long love affair with beer in my twenties, before wine re-captured my palate when I got married in 1991. In 2000, I was fortunate to be sent to work for two weeks in Silicon Valley where a group of us got to sneak northward one Saturday to Sonoma County, one of California's spiritual homes for wine thanks to its abundant share of vineyards and wineries.

The next day, I broke away from my co-workers and traveled south of San Jose to Morgan Hill where I toured winery after winery one Sunday afternoon. The winery tasting room is a great place to laugh, share a joke, meet interesting people and learn about wine.

Today, as an independent wine consultant, I get to bring the fun and excitement of the winery tasting room to people's homes. I'd love to share a toast with you!