10 Signs That You’re a Wine Geek

As wine lovers, we all know one.  At the very least, we have all shared a glass of wine with this person: “The Wine Geek.” Not to be confused with the Wine Snob, who is a totally different character, this is the more loveable, always eager to answer the most obscure wine question…the infamous wine geek.  This is the type of person who swirls their morning coffee with almost the same enthusiasm as they swirl a classic Caymus Cab.

But who exactly is a wine geek, and more importantly are you one?  First, while most feel being called a geek is re-living the horror of their junior high years, wine geeks embrace the term.  Others prefer the term “wine lover” while acknowledging that geek is better than being called a wino.  But wine geeks are people who pride themselves in knowing every detail about their beloved wine while gladly sharing that information with whoever wants to hear, and perhaps even those who don’t. It is rare to ask a question pertaining to wine that a wine geek will not answer with details to spare. But in that rare instance when the wine geek is stumped, you can be assured that you will have a thorough answer by the next morning in a written, detailed account, with accompanying references.

So, you can count yourself a wine geek if you have exhibited any of the following top ten characteristics.  Drum roll please:

1. You can recount the details of every wine harvest season in the nine districts of France since you became of drinking age.

2. You’ve asked for a wine list at Denny’s.

3. You say things like, “I’ve had wine with dinner since I was 15.”

4.  You know the dates of the next wine release from your favorite winery but have trouble remembering the birthdays of your children.

5.  Your monthly budget puts wine above food.

6.  You know what the Wine Century Club is.

7.  You are the designated wine picker at all dinner functions.

8.  You have more friends on LetsPour than on Facebook.

9.  Your wine cellar is the only thing listed in your pre-nup.

10. You balk at paying $4 a gallon for gas, but don’t think twice about spending $50 on a bottle of wine.

Any other suggestions on what constitutes a wine geek?  We’re waiting.

About Julie McGuire: Julie, a former Public Relations Executive for several California wineries, is now a freelance writer. She enjoys writing about wine almost as much as she enjoys drinking it. Julie is a contributing author at LetsPour.