Wine tasting sounds like an intimidating endeavor. Many students cower at this coming-of-age opportunity because of the a that one must possess a haughty demeanor and a calculating knowledge of viticulture to simply taste some wine.

But as Senior Kevin Moore explains, “People are scared of wine. People think it’s a big scary thing where you have to smell and swirl… But wine was made for the sole purpose of being drunk and enjoyed. It’s why wine was first made. You’re supposed to like it.”

Kevin works as a wine-pourer at Waterbrook, one Walla Walla’s landmark wineries. Started in 1984 by Eric and Janet Rindal, Waterbrook has the reputation as the Valley’s 4th oldest winery and its single largest producer.

As myself and two friends stepped dumbly into the tasting room, Kevin immediately ushered us to the counter and began pouring us small tastes of wine. He showed us how to swirl with polite gusto while explaining the process of proper tasting. Most tasting escalates, leaving the most dominating flavors to be tried last. Whites are always tasted first, moving from the drier wines to the sweeter. With reds, the taster moves from light to heavy.

Kevin appeared, to the nascent wine taster, a well-groomed specimen of a delicate palate: a connoisseur. But, he cites Wine for Dummies as his bible and textbook and claims he learned many of his skills on the job.

Because Waterbrook uses exceptionally high quality grapes in its production and is well-distributed, avid tasters from Seattle and Portland flock to Walla Walla every weekend to sample.

These more sophisticated tasters judge their vinos based on four criteria: appearance, in-glass fragrance, in-mouth sensations, and the finish or aftertaste. Kevin admitted that many of these “customers” with well-honed appreciation are anxious to teach him.

Kevin went on to explain that in national rankings, Walla Walla wineries are considered to produce an excellent output. On a 100 point scale, Waterbrook receives a ranking from 89-91, garnering a good deal of respect in tasting circles. The affable environment of Waterbrook paired with its diverse and enticing selection made my maiden wine tasting quite enjoyable. But this is apparently nothing new.