Seeking comments on first bottle of wine

[stevebody]

HT,

It feels as if what you're asking is if people here with more experience than you would say your Walnut Crest is "good" or not. Don't make that mistake right off the bat. As Foodie says, no one here is in a position to give you a definitive answer on that. But, more importantly, that answer is one that YOU'LL supply in time and THAT is a great deal of the fun of learning about wine.

As you go along, you'll find exploring wine is a really delicious and exhilirating succession of revelations. You will, if you keep trying new things, find a Cab you like more than the Walnut Crest. It will be an eye-opening experience and, if your journey is like mine and most people's with whom I've talked, you'll get fond of that sensation pretty quickly. Wine is completely about discovery. It is a hobby for the incurably curious and it offers a lot of short-term gratification that gradually evolves into lasting enjoyment. Sometimes, you'll find that you never have the urge to go back to one of your first wines and sometimes you'll revisit them eagerly, like visiting an old friend. I'm that way about Masciarelli Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, the first MD'A I ever drank and one that still offers a great deal of simple pleasure.

The best thing that ever happened to me was making friends with a guy at my local wine shop, very early in my learning curve. He zeroed in on my tastes quickly and learned to steer me to wines that I'd like, while stepping me up to better wines that offered a challenge to my tastes. Find a good local wine shop and be a steady customer. If it is a good shop, that sort of relationship will develop for you.

I envy you where you're at in your journey. It's a magical time. Enjoy it!