A very warm welcome to the Self Development Forum !

Do you fear wine? Have you experienced the following?

* Intimidation when faced with a wine list
* Dread if invited to a �wine tasting evening�
* Inadequacy when people start talking about wines
* Nervousness when asked what wine you would like
* Anxiety if you have to shop for a wine to take to a party
* Panic as the waiter approaches you with a bottle of wine
* Overwhelmed when looking at all the bottles in a wine shop
* Embarrassment when the wine�s pomp and ceremony begins
* Sheer fear just thinking about the sniffing, smelling, swirling, tasting, etc

The fear of wine is generally related to being afraid of what others will think of your knowledge about wine as the self development article below shows. Wine etiquette, rituals and protocols seem shrouded in mystery. The following self help tips can help reduce your fear when the subject of wine arises!

See: Wine � Do You Fear It

I'd love to receive your feedback so do add your comments, queries, thoughts, etc., to this Forum thread. I look forward to hearing from you!

Wine is first and foremost a drink and if you pour a glass and bring it up to your lips then you're doing it right

You really can't go wrong.

If anyone has any questions or concerns at all about anything to do with wine then you will be very welcome to post them on the Wine Forum and I'll answer them.

Hi Peter, your first comment is wonderfully reassuring. So many people miss out on the enjoyment of wine because of fear of the unknown. Thanks too for the link to your Forum. (JOY)

Afraid of wine? Me? One of the reasons I chose to go to the culinary school I went to is because they emphasized wine education. I loved every drop but I have to admit to fear and intimidation.

Here's a rather revealing story I wrote about how I learned good wine has big legs.

BTW - Sally's been my alias friend for decades!

Hi Sally, that�s a great story about �big legs.� How funny! (JOY)

I agree, wine lists can be very daunting. You�re lucky to have someone to guide you through the complexities of wine in general! Thanks for the recommendation of �Sideways�. (JOY)

Joy, if you've not seen Sideways then I think you are in for a treat, especially with your interest in self-development.

Many people think the film is about wine, but there's much more going on in it.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0007RUSGW

Hi Peter, thank you for the link. I've added 'Sideways' to my list of films to see and review. (JOY)

I agree with Peter that wine should simply be enjoyed. It shouldn't be stressful at all! Drink what you like

Hi Lisa, it�s true that many people enjoy wine but there is still a fear � mainly of the unknown regarding the etiquette, etc. (JOY)

Overall, wine is really not as scary as some people believe, and it doesn't need to be as serious as some people think. Learning basic etiquette will allow you to order a bottle of wine at any restaurant anywhere. Like anything else, once you know a few simple tips, it becomes a piece of cake, or a piece of grape.

As I got older, I found that wine gives me terrible headaches unless I stick to only one glass. I used to think it was the preservatives in it but recently I found out I'm sensitive to grapes of all things! I tried some blackberry wine and had no problem.

Unfortunately for me, I love drier wines and not sweet ones.

Hi Richard,

Re: Wine � Do You Fear It

You're quite right. Like anything else, a fear can be squashed once you gain insight into the subject.

Joy