By Meredith Pieratt-Driver
I am going to be honest; I did not know much about wine before I met my husband, Mr. Driver. Most of the time, I would taste the said bottle and think “Hmmm, not bad”, or “That’s pretty good.” But rarely did I know WHY I liked it-or did not...Until Aaron came into my life. Then I realized that how I was buying my wine had nothing to do with taste but with a guess.
Why would I buy a $30 bottle of terrible wine when I could buy a $30 bottle of AMAZING wine if I knew what I was looking for? Some of us who are not experts in the wine industry are all guilty in familiarly buying those overproduced bottles because of advertising and seeing them everywhere. Wine can be a pretentious and intimidating subject. But it doesn't have to be! Like anything mass produced, these familiar bottles that we see EVERYWHERE are made in factory-esque facilities. They are made without the true investment of the craft.
As I began to understand that I was purchasing wine by ways of Advertising 101, I wanted to learn more about how to identify the wines that were quality not quantity. What I do know is how to compare it to cooking. When I cook, I know what flavors go well together, I know how to make a good dish and entertain friends and family. Like any cook, if you do enjoy being in the kitchen, it’s second nature after plenty of practice or the leisurely read of recipes from chef’s or a light distraction when on the elliptical watching cooking or food competition shows. So,what does this have to do with wine? Plenty. If you do not spend time learning on a leisurely level, you do not know what you are missing out on--Until you taste the good stuff and THEN, only then-do you realize, there is so much more out there! But how do you explore it and experience it at a level that only the experts spend years learning? Luckily for me, I married a man who is well versed in wine and our friends are experts in the hospitality world. It is an ideal marriage and I will tell you why: He can share his expertise with me, and I am learning as we go along just like most consumer’s.
Fast forward to now, this is why we launched Cork & Saber- our mission is to bring you handpicked wines from amazing wineries that range in price so you can enjoy what people in the industry, experts and hobbyists, spend a lifetime learning about.
What makes us different than any other wine retailer?? Let me ask you, what is the difference between quality and quantity? Mass produced wine loses integrity. It really is that simple. What is so incredibly special about our picks is that you more than likely will not be seeing these at the local grocery stores. You will only be seeing these wines in specialty wine stores, so the quantities are limited. With millions of wines available, every bottle will be an experience and if you happen to come across it again, how exciting to get your hands on it after that first taste?!
Cork & Saber will present these special wines to you through an expert palette (Aaron), and a freshman consumer who is learning alongside you (me).
Cheers!