I should have let this breathe more; there's NO WAY I can enjoy it now!

It's summer. I'm sure I've stated here and I'll restate it. One of my favorite things in the world is having a few friends over, sitting on the deck and sampling a few bottles of wine. There's something about the atmosphere. Drinking wine among friends, the warn weather, some cheerful music playing, the wine isn't the only thing that's intoxicating.

What's missing here? The pretense. Know what we're not doing? Telling one another that we're drinking from the wrong glass, looking down at the person who brings the Niagara, or one upping one another on what we're tasting in the wine (we draw the line at leather or smoke.) If we crack open a bottle of wine, it's MEANT TO BE ENJOYED. The enjoyment comes from the alcohol loosening up conversation, the magic of good friends under a night sky with a few candles so you can see your glasses or even better, a fire pit.

Yes, I love a hearty red with some pasta or a steak. But will I happily drink a cheap concord on a hot night? You know it!!!!!!! It's simple, if it tastes good, enjoy it. Don't give those wine snobs a second thought. They CAN'T enjoy their wine; they're too busy nitpicking every aspect of it. Wrong glass, not as good as the last bottle/vintage, should have let it age longer, not the same since the synthetic corks were used...the list goes on.

I kinda feel bad for them.

Go ahead, hug a wine snob next time you see one. They need it.