Welcome to My Blog!

Hello everyone and welcome to my wine blog!

My name is Jillian Kazmierczak and I am a Senior at Virginia Tech studying Animal and Poultry Sciences and Biology. My plans after graduation are to, hopefully, attend veterinary school here in Blacksburg. I grew up in Sterling, Virginia with my parents, younger sisters, two cats, and a wiener dog. 

This semester I am taking a class called, Geography of Wine, and I plan to use this blog to diary my learning experiences. 

 The Kaz Family enjoying a typical Thanksgiving feast paired with sass and a nice Chardonnay.

I come from a family that loves to experiment in the kitchen and try different foods and drinks. Since I was young my parents have always offered me a taste of whatever alcoholic beverage they were enjoying. As I grew older I began to develop a taste for alcohol and enjoyed a glass of wine or a beer at dinner with them. My preferences mostly developed by trying the wines that my parents chose and seeing what I liked.

 My Dad and I enjoying some Moscow Mules during happy hour at the King Street Oyster Bar in Leesburg, VA.

My parents exposed me to a lot of different wines. My Dads favorites include Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. My mom likes most any kind of wine, but especially sparkling wines like Champagne. I like most of the wines I have tried at home, but I tend to enjoy slightly sweet, crisp whites and fruity reds that aren't too bitter. The only wines I've had that I truly disliked are those that are very oaky and dry.

My roommate and I attempting to properly open some bottles of sparkling wine at a Center Street tailgate.

When I got to college I began trying the wines that are favorites of young college kids such as Franzia Rose, Barefoot Moscato, and Andre Sparkling Wine. Many of these wines were a lot sweeter than those I had tried at home but they were thoroughly enjoyed at many tailgates and wine nights.

I have also had the opportunity to travel and try wines throughout my home state of Virginia and abroad. While traveling I've been lucky enough to try wines in countries like France, Germany, Australia, and Panama. I've also enjoyed visiting local wineries and breweries throughout Virginia such as Beliveau Estate Winery, Stone Tower Winery, Solace Brewing Company, 2 Silos Brewing Company, and Quattro Goombas Winery. It has been awesome to be able to try different drinks and see how their flavors are associated with the places where they are made and the techniques used to make them. I hope to visit many more throughout my time in this course and share my thoughts on this blog.

Although I have tried plenty of wine, I don't have much technical knowledge about the different types of wine,  the history surrounding wine, and the process through which wine is made. From this course, I hope to try more types of wine so I can further develop my preferences, while also learning more about the proper way to drink and talk about wine. I would love to one day be able to speak confidently about the glass of wine I am enjoying, whether I am out to a fancy dinner or at home watching the Bachelor on my couch.

Thank you for reading and welcome again to my blog!

-Jillian