Milk, Sugar, and Merlot: What Coffee Taught Me About Wine

Bridget
32 minutes ago
3 min read

The Coffee Moment

In the mid-90s, I somehow talked my way onto a mission trip to Costa Rica with a group of eye doctors who were visiting rural villages to give eye exams and fit people for glasses. I had zero optometry experience. My official job became “Vanna White of the eye chart.”

The trip was sponsored by the local Lions Club, and I quickly became friends with the organizers and their families. One morning, I was grumbling about not having Diet Coke for my caffeine fix while everyone around me happily drank rich Costa Rican coffee.

“I don’t like coffee,” I told them confidently.

Both of my parents drank their coffee black. It looked bitter, harsh, and deeply unappealing. Therefore, I didn’t like coffee. End of story.

One of my new tico friends looked at me and said, very simply: “Why don’t you put milk and sugar in it?”

I was 26 years old, and it had genuinely never occurred to me that I could drink coffee any differently than my parents did.

Mind. Blown. 🤯

The Wine Version of That Moment

I think about that story often when it comes to wine.

A lot of our wine preferences are inherited. Maybe your parents loved big, hearty California Cabernet, so that became your default. Maybe your memory of Chardonnay is something thick and buttery that coated your entire mouth. And for some of us, rosé was something that came in a box labeled “Franzia.”

You decide you don’t like something (or only like something), and then you carry that decision for years.

I did.

For a very long time, I thought I didn’t like Chardonnay. What I really didn’t like was heavily oaked Chardonnay. Once I discovered crisp, bright styles with little or no oak? Hands up — I love Chardonnay now.

Rosé? Growing up, that meant sweet, pink, and not serious. Now? A dry, beautifully made rosé can absolutely make your day. Even if it’s not straight from Provence, you can find expressive, food-friendly versions all over, including right here in Arizona.

And Merlot? Be honest, how many of us stopped ordering it after we saw the movie, Sideways?

It’s funny how powerful those moments are. A movie line. A childhood memory. A single bad vintage. One poorly stored bottle. And suddenly we have a lifelong opinion.

Confidence… With Curiosity

In my last blog, I said you should have confidence in what you like and don’t like.

I stand by that.

But here’s the nuance: confidence doesn’t mean permanence.

Your palate changes. Winemakers change. Styles evolve. Regions mature. What you didn’t like at 30 might be exactly what you crave today. (I practically mainline black coffee now in my 50s!)

Sometimes it wasn’t the grape. It was the oak. Sometimes it wasn’t the varietal. It was the vintage. Sometimes it wasn’t the wine. It was the context.

Or maybe — like coffee — you just needed to add a little milk! 😉

And About That “Arizona Wine?” Thing…

We still hear it all the time.

“Wine… from Arizona?”

Yes! And that’s exactly why it’s worth exploring.

Arizona winemakers often take a different approach than large California producers. I will venture to say you’ll find less formula, more experimentation, and a wide range of varietals and expressions. It’s a region that continues to evolve, which means there’s always something new to discover.

If you’ve written off Arizona wine based on something you tasted years ago, it might be time for a new sip.

You might be surprised.