To the Growing Oenophile

      I've witnessed that showing off your knowledge of wines can either be a means to impress or a moment to dread. How many of you have been on that date where you're on a role, only to find yourself shot down when the wine list comes along? You know you can always give the sommelier the "I trust your recommendation" nudge, that's of course if you're fine with living out of a can of tuna for the rest of the month. Unless you were raised with it being a mandatory ingredient to every meal, becoming a savvy wine aficionado does not come without a couple thousand experienced taste buds.

      For some reason an exceedingly large number of students grow a fondness to the fermented grape juice at some point of their college career. Maybe it's the swanky glass or the fact that Greek and Roman Gods lived by it, but the "urge-to-feel-more-classy-and-sophisticated" bug doth bite many. For the majority of these students the most affordable ailment would probably range from $5 - $20. I clearly remember forcing myself to drink wine with my friends and family, claiming that it added SO much flavor to my food. I had no clue what I was talking about. Don't know why I'm acting like I do now.

      While I feel rather special to say that my wines of choice are Riesling and Zinfandel, I am no novice by any account. Until I get the luxury of spending my days traveling from one vineyard to the next, I have to take the advice from people who do know their wine. That's why Cor.Kz the iPhone application with over 530,000 bottles of wine with ratings and reviews from the experts is a great accompaniment. Also, if you have the time before buying the wine you can visit nataliemaclean.com where you can pair wine with food.

      Remember, drink in moderation. Don't take the whole wine is good for you out of control. Studies have shown that the resveratrol in red wine is said to fight cancer, lower blood sugar and have other great cardiovascular effects... in mice. We're hoping the same goes to humans.