Hey - I thought I liked that wine!

Drinking wine is not just drinking, it's an "experience".  And the psychology behind our wine experiences can be pretty interesting.
Here's an example: take a drive out to one of Missouri's or Illinois' wine regions. It's a beautiful day, you're sitting outside, maybe a band is playing, you're with good friends and/or loved ones, and you're eating good food and drinking wine from the winery. Life is good. So, it's time to leave and you buy some wine to take home - maybe mix up a case. Later that week you select a bottle of a red wine from your recent winery purchase to go with a pot roast.
You pop open the bottle with great anticipation and ... THUD!  Is this the same wine?  Of course it is. But there are a few elements missing, like the setting, music, company and food. All these "other elements" are a big part of our wine tasting experiences and add to the enjoyment of the wine.
I don't mean to pick on our local wineries.
The same holds true when you're experiencing wine on vacation, at a romantic dinner, or even at a special event or party. And the wines can be from California, France, Italy, Spain, etc.
So is there a moral to this story?
Heck, I don't know.
Try this: Just as there are no guarantees in life, there are also no guarantees in wine.
I'm gonna go with that one.

Tom