Your Wine Country Insider

About Scott Walker

Most bios focus on academic experience and personal achievements. I can do that, but I don't want to bore you.

Instead, I will focus on my first WOW wine experience, because that is something we all share, otherwise you would not be reading this.

What do I mean by a WOW experience?

The WOW experience is the first time you tasted good wine that got you enthusiastic. For a sports fan, this is like the first time your dad took you to a ballgame. Your perspective was changed forever. Other WOW experiences might be the first live play or movie that moved you. Or, that first time to the beach or that camping trip.

Mine began on October, 1978. I was 21 years old.

I signed up for this program at Ridge Winery, in Saratoga, CA. My cousin's friends, who were into wine before it became fashionable, got me involved. The deal was this; bring your own lunch, agree to pick grapes for 3 hours for free, and get Ridge wine to accompany your lunch from the winery. Paul Draper, proprietor and the godfather of red Zinfandel as we know it today, was in attendance, overseeing the proceedings.

It was hard work.

We picked grapes in this hot hillside vineyard for 3 hours. We were given a sickle shaped knife to do this. Our hands were purple and bloodied from our efforts. As a result, I have a deep respect for the farm labor folks that do this on full time on a regular basis.

As we sat down for lunch, the wine savvy friend that was with me talked Draper into breaking out the 1968 Ridge Montebello Cabernet Sauvignon. As I am sure you know, Ridge Montebello Cab is one of the most highly allocated, high quality and highly rated Cabernets that come out of California.

One sip was all it took.

That was my WOW wine moment. I had never had REALLY good wine before that moment. The wine exploded in my mouth. I said to myself "so that is why people love high end wines".

The rest is history.

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