I have no formal experience with wine but working in hotels and restaurants for several years has opened my eyes to the many great flavors of wine. My father and mother both have a plethora of knowledge about great wines while my brother's wife was writing a blog about inexpensive but amazing wines for some time. With this combination I feel that my palate has been awakened but I still have much to learn. Growing up in the SF Bay Area also had a great impact on wine tasting.