So my wine store opened in December 2003. I listened to everyone (but myself) on what I needed to buy. You need something from every country, you need every varietal known to man and then some, you need every price point, collectible wine, refrigerated wine, it needs to be state of the art (2003), you need a POS system, crazy beautiful wine display racks......
So I did all that and paid plenty for it. Business was good, after all I was the only wine shop in town. Back then you couldn't buy wine in the grocery and the AL Beverage Control Board had just stopped carrying it. So I had these beautiful redwood racks, all the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker Ratings for all this beautiful wine posted with them. I was The Shit!! My birthday was in January, so as a pat on the back I picked out one of the highest rated wines in the store. 2001 D'Arenberg "The Dead Arm" Shiraz, RP 98 Points. With this amazing wine and reservations at the best restaurant in town I was set.
So the food was good, the restaurant was old but we liked it. Big overstuffed chairs, white table cloths, waiters with the long aprons. The wine was a little disappointing, it didn't even get good until dessert. Which was a blueberry bread pudding with a brandy sauce, the pairing was perfect.
The next morning I wake up and get on with my morning ritual. I hoist my toothbrush and as soon as I opened my mouth I let out a scream that would wake the dead. My tongue was black!! I could have sworn my teeth were slightly purple. OMG, what was I to do? I thought for sure it was rotten and going to fall off. But as soon as I brushed, I realized I had panicked for nothing.
I get to work and immediately go and check out what this nit wit had written about this wine because our tastes were not even in the same hemisphere. I ripped the paper off the wall and suddenly and quietly put it back up. Best after 2008 (it's 2004). My balloon was suddenly flat.
That is when I knew how much I knew about wine. NOTHING!!