
2015 was a good year
So yet another year has passed. As I’ve written before, instead of resting my laurels and celebrating by getting drunk, I prefer to ponder and reflect on the time that has passed.
When I first began writing for this website I had planned an alternating schedule of one wine review, followed by an article of some description, to be published on a weekly basis.
A few months in, I decided to cut back on the wine reviews. I wanted to challenge myself to think deeply about topics worth writing about, instead of churning out review after review – except for the most flowery writers, most wine notes are boring to read in the first place.
So I embarked on a schedule of one review/two articles. All of the non-review articles for 2015 are listed below:
- The Story Of The Vine
- A Day In The Life Of A Sommelier – Part 1
- A Rational Perspective of Terroir
- If Wine Is Bullshit, So Is Everything Else
- Essential #6 – Wine Tastings
- The Making Of A Sommelier – Part 1
- The Making Of A Sommelier – Part 2
- The Making Of A Sommelier – Part 3
- The Making Of A Sommelier – Part 4
- Aussie Wine Month 2015
- In Pursuit Of Flavour
- Essential #7 – Wine Classes
- How Much Does A Sommelier Need To Know?
- 3 Main Things To Think About When Choosing A Wine
- Rational Wine Experiment – The Horizontal Tasting
- Hi, My Name Is Mark Law, And I’m A Certified Sommelier
- Do You Drink Wine For Fun, Or For Pleasure?
- A Day In The Life Of A Sommelier: Never Lose Focus
- More Things To Consider When Buying Wine Glasses
- Pinot Noir Goes With (Almost) Everything
- Dal Forno Romano Tasting with Bootleggers
- Take A Leap Of Faith
- How And Why I Am Learning French (Plus Other Languages)
- How To Think Of Acid and Tannin
- How To Hold Six Wine Glasses At The Same Time
- 3 Reasons You Should Buy Wine By The Case
- Year One: Reflections On Life As A Sommelier
- Experiment – The Decanter Tasting
- How To Hold Two Bottles Of Wine In One Hand
- Changing Your Perspective
- Learning About Wine From Other People
There are a lot of wine blogs and resources out there. If you’re any kind of enthusiast, you would have looked many of them for useful information, like the inimitable Wine Folly. For me to write about the same points would simply be redundant.
By analysing the “flow” of the articles that I’ve written this past year, I can see that I’ve been more comfortable sharing experiences of my own life as it relates to wine.

Like wine tastings. Lots and lots of wine tastings.
I also want to continue to be instructive and helpful, so there are still some practical informational articles there. If you are looking for particularly detailed information then these would not be the best example, however they will equip you with a rough-and-ready knowledge that can be more easily recalled, rather than you having to pull out your smartphone and consult a map every time. It doesn’t matter how many charts and list-based articles you read if you can’t remember it.
Combined with that, I have also shared my own musings and opinions throughout the year. At first I was hesitant – who am I to tell other people what I think? Better to share purely fact-based articles than delve into the murky waters of subjectivity.
But maybe this isn’t what this website is about. If you wanted purely the facts, I’m sure there is a nice bookstore with a well-stocked wine section you can peruse at your leisure.

Personally, I prefer a well-stocked wine wall
For me, as someone who is still navigating this world of wine, it is as much a journey of self-discovery as it is about learning and sharing about wine.
I am continually examining my own motivations, and tackling any issues that come up in a rational manner.
I don’t have all the answers. I’m just one man slowly working through the questions. Hopefully, by sharing this process on this blog, other people will get something out of it as well.

Cheers, 2015. We had a good run.
Here’s to 2015, another year marked by change and progress. 2016 promises to be very enlightening, that I can promise… and I will write about it and share it all here with you.
Read more: Thinking Sober – Empty Your Cup
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