As I perused the Internet looking for something to post today, I discovered that today is National Drink Wine Day.

Wine has been around since people learned that fermented fruit would give them a buzz. It is generally made from grapes, but some wines are made from different fruits like apples, plums, cherries, or elderberries.
Honey wine, or mead, uses the same yeasts as white wine, but honey instead of grapes as the primary ethanol fermentation agent. Mead can also be flavored with fruits, spices, or grains. The amount of sweetness depends, like wine, on how long the fermentation process is allowed to progress. The more sugar converted to alcohol, the less sweet the wine.

Other “wines” are made from fermented grains such as rice (sake) and barley, although most barley wines sold today are considered beer rather than wine. Early barley wines did not use hops where more modern barley wines do.

Enjoying a glass of wine is an acquired taste, according to some people. About five or so years ago, First Reader brought home a case of wine that she had ordered on a whim from an online “wine club.” We had been stepping out of our drinking comfort zone for several years when out to dinner, so a case of European wines was a welcome surprise. We’ve been getting a case in the mail every three months since. I can’t say we’ve been disappointed yet.

The beautiful thing about getting a case on the regular is that we get a variety of wines that we wouldn’t usually order. Of course, if we paid attention to what we were drinking, we’d know the difference between a French white and an Italian white. Oh well, I guess our palates aren’t that sophisticated.

So today, National Drink Wine Day, pull a cork, pour a glass, and enjoy a sip of wine.