🍇 Confessions of a Wine Lover

A 5-Part Series of Sips, Slips, and Self-Inflicted Wine Drama

You could say I know my way around a wine list. I swirl, I sniff, I even say things like “good structure” with a straight face. But even seasoned wine lovers have their moments—and by “moments,” I mean mildly embarrassing, occasionally dangerous, often hilarious encounters with the world of wine.

This five-part series is a celebration of those very moments: the accidental pairings, the mispronunciations, the tasting room disasters. Because for all the prestige and polish of wine culture, the truth is, it’s meant to be enjoyed. And sometimes that enjoyment comes with a splash of humility… and maybe a screwcap.

Welcome to Confessions of a Wine Lover—where the palate is refined, but the stories are usually not.

🥣 Episode 3: The Screwcap Incident

Confession:
I once—okay, so many more times than once—tried to open a screwcap with a corkscrew intentionally, sober. I wish I were joking.

The Story:
It was a weeknight. I had a lovely Albariño chilling in the fridge and visions of a quiet evening with a good book and a better glass of wine. The bottle looked sleek, elegant—clearly deserving of ceremony. So I reached for my favorite corkscrew, positioned it with authority, and began to twist.

Except… nothing happened. I twisted again, harder this time, perplexed by the bottle’s utter refusal to cooperate. And that’s when I saw it: the ridged metal top. The words “screwcap closure.”

There was a moment of stillness. A pause in the universe. And then the crushing realization that I had, in fact, tried to uncork a bottle that needed no uncorking. The corkscrew was silently judging me. I unscrewed the top like a jar of pickles and pretended nothing happened.

Takeaway:
Screwcaps are not the enemy. In fact, they’re often a gift: travel-friendly, picnic-perfect, and surprisingly elegant when you let go of the cork bias. And if you ever try to use a corkscrew on one… maybe just don’t tell anyone. (Or do—and start a blog about it.)

Wine Pick: Martin Codax Albariño

Bright, zesty, and beautifully structured with notes of citrus, gooseberry, and a whisper of flint. A screwcap wine with style, and absolutely zero patience for corkscrew drama. Check out my near miss from a review I wrote in Martin Codax Albarino. Oh man, I have been doing this a while!!!