I have always thought that this quote from the ever-pioneering Nancy Reagen is a great one. I am a massive patron of traveling and meeting new people, investigating new places, and trying out new experiences. Life is a finite amount of time and I worry that enough people don't realise this as they continue to put things off till later on.
Though, I shall leave my rant about the importances of traveling there.
Today, I wanted to highlight the importance of traveling the wine world via your glass. All too often I meet people that drink nothing but a certain grape. The most cumbersome of drinkers are those that drink only a specific wine from a specific producer. Now unless that producer is one of the world's icons like DRC and you are drinking one of the purest white wines of Le Montrachet day-in and day-out, you just shouldn't limit yourself to one wine or one producer.
I also find that those that limit themselves to just one grape choose grapes that more-or-less always taste the same, irrelevant of who is producing them or where the grapes are grown. Like Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc. At least be a semi-democratic wine drinker who explores the many facets of a grape like Riesling or Pinot Noir.
However, I have come to realise that you should travel when it comes to wine. I don't mean hopping on a plane to Venice every time you feel the need for some Pinot Grigio or jetting off the Napa when super-ripe Merlot is a-calling. I mean going to your local wine store and looking at their international section. Find a new producer, new region, new grape, new style. Don't limit yourselves to anything!
I do know just have an online store but when I had/worked in the bricks-and-mortar the first (and often only) question I would ask is 'what kind of wine do you like?'. This helped me gain if they liked big red or delicate whites. Generally speaking that was enough information for me to go and choose a few wines at a range of price points that would satisfy what they liked. Many assume that big reds = Cabernet Sauvignon and that the flavour profile found in Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% unique to it. As a scientist, I have to say technically it is... yet there are numerous Cabernet Sauvignon look-a-likes which you are more than likely going to enjoy just as much - if not more as you'll be experiencing something new.
This inspired me to create the Grape Selector Guide - otherwise known as 'Broadening your Grape Horizons'. You can read it HERE. It allows you to look at the common grapes and find analogues of these that you'd enjoy and should go out and try!
Have fun!