Introduction

Hello all! My name is Scott Braatz and I am a senior at Virginia Tech studying environmental data science. When I signed up for the Geography of Wine class at Virginia Tech, I did not know what to expect. I am not an experienced wine drinker, and I have only tried a few different types of wines. However, I have planned a trip to Europe after the semester ends, and I plan on drinking wine overseas. Overall, I wanted to learn more about wine etiquette and the basics of wine to prepare me for this adventure! 

My personal experience of wine is very limited, as I have only tried Barefoot Pinot Grigio and Barefoot Riesling. During my coronavirus semester at school, my pod would often have wine and cheese nights. Since I did not know anything about wine, I just chose the wine that my friends enjoyed. I ended up really liking these wines and I would consistently buy them at the store instead of branching out and trying something new. 

My only experience with red wine was a sip that I had from my roommates at dinner. Right then and there, I swore that I would never try red wine again. Although I do not remember the name of the wine, this promise has held true since then. However, as I begin to dive deeper into the Geography of Wine course, I feel as if I need to give red wine another shot. My experiences in wine may be limited, but I am approaching this with open arms, and I am excited to begin trying new things.