If you haven’t yet figured it out, the current theme for this column is learning what to expect when we lift a glass of wine to our lips. For the last several issues, we have focused on exploring different varieties and styles of wine, suggesting that wine tastings are an effective way to educate our palates and to enhance the wine experience.

Make no mistake, wine preference is a very personal assessment, and there are many characteristics by which we may form our opinions. Even when we agree that this is a good wine, one of us will invariably add, “But it’s not what I prefer.” It isn’t that we are hard to please; just that many of us like what we like and as they say, life is too short to drink bad wine.