My dearest Old World Wine Dogma,

It is with great sorrow that I must pen this letter to you. When we first met I was quite taken aback when I sipped of your nectar.  I was hungry for sophistication when the old world took me by the hand and, like an experienced lover, showed me a world I had not yet seen. But people change and so do their philosophies. What I’m trying to say is that I can no longer be tied down by the rigid rules and restrictions that you impose. Your insistence on only using certain grape varieties and production methods has removed quite a bit of imagination from the art of making wine. I know, I know. You’re probably puzzling over my sudden change of heart and I don’t blame you. Tatomer winery in Santa Barbara has opened my eyes. Their adventurous spirit in winemaking proved to me that european favorites such as Grüner Veltliner can actally thrive in the New World.  I’ll still enjoy european wines but never again to the exclusion of brilliant wine makers found all over the globe.  

-everywine