Seattleite’s new bi-weekly column is sure to tempt your wine palate and beyond.

Welcome to Wine’ing About, Seattleite’s new wine column. My name is Christie and I’ll be your bi-weekly tour guide as I bring you, dear vino loving reader, the skinny on all things wine. From profiling winemakers, to wine gadgets to places to visit and discover great wines, I’ll unearth it all as I go Wine’ing About. And of course, I’ll be “researching” some fabulous wines along the way.

Like many others, I’ve come a long way since my first days of drinking wine. Some 15 years ago, a bottle of Strawberry White Zinfandel  (gasp) kept me warm and cozy on a Saturday night.  Since then I’ve (thankfully) been blessed with an expanded wine palate. Not only have my standards been raised but my love of wine has also gone beyond the bottle.

I attribute much of this to the fact that I’ve had the good fortune of visiting the wine country of California, Oregon, Washington and Italy. And though I love a good bottle of vino from these award winning regions, part of the charm of visiting these locales is taking in the beauty of the rolling hills or looking out into the horizon and seeing nothing but vines.

While on a three day stint in Siena, Italy a year and half ago, I attended the Tuscan Wine School.  I wanted my journey around Tuscany to be well rounded. This meant learning the Italian wine making process, regulations and popular varietals.  I went to Italy under the assumption that Pinot Grigio was an Italian housewives drink of choice between shopping for high-end stilettos and changing diapers. I came back with a new love for Verdicchio. A light, dry wine with good acidity made from a grape I didn’t even know existed.

My goal in writing Wine’ing About is to bring information that can expand those wine horizons we know are out there, waiting to be discovered. Like my Verdicchio discovery, for instance. When it comes to wine, there’s no right or wrong – except perhaps those weekly dates I had with a bottle of Strawberry White Zinfandel – it’s about personal preference. Everyone tastes something different in a bottle.  That’s the beauty of wine. And yet wine is more than an alcoholic beverage. It’s about tasting and getting to know the intricacies of a varietal. It’s about the intriguing process of making wine. It’s about promoting fellowship and making great memories with friends, easing the jitters of a first date or relaxing after a long day at the office.

So if you have any burning questions, would like me to interview your favorite winemaker or have a suggestion on covering anything related to wine, please drop me line at wineingabout.seattleite@gmail.com. And hey, you may even get mentioned in a future edition of Wine’ing About.