12/31/08 Looking Forward to 2009

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and for those of you who are continuing the celebrations, Happy New Year! I hope you have all received big hugs from those you love and are enjoying your holiday to the fullest. I am looking forward to the New Year not so much the celebration but 2009 itself. I for one am so thankful there are so many of us drinking good wines and helping to grow the wine industry. Going away is the thinking that wine is this mystery beverage, only to be enjoyed on special occasions! Many of us have realized wine is not a beverage only to be enjoyed by those who deem themselves knowledgeable enough to appreciate it - we are starting our own collections based on our own needs and personal tastes. I am amazed and pleased at how many people have their own wine refrigerators at home, and the number of new homes with wine closets or cellars being built in. It seems wine has taken on a civility in the Unites States - drinking wine is as much a part of everyday life as anything else  and although ordinary in its everyday concept - it does not deter from the appreciation of this gift of nature and the art form exhibited in making it. In 2009, I plan to familiarize myself with wines I know little about and I would love to hear about the wines you are enjoying. Send me an email to Linda at vine to wine dot net and let me know what you are drinking and enjoying. From all of us here at Vine to Wine, to all of you, have a fabulous New Year! And thanks for joining me on this past year's Vine to Wine.