How it all started
Back in the summer of 2012, I was an engineering student on a college budget who took out a student loan to go study abroad in Italy. No regrets! At the time, I knew I was in a country where the age limit to drink was 18 and wine was pretty cheap. I was living in the moment bouncing from my engineering class during the day to drinking wine with my colleagues at night. I didn’t know much about wine, but all I knew was that Tuscany made a huge impact and after that summer I found myself reading more about wine.
After returning to the states, I turned 21 and gained the confidence to ask for my 1st glass of wine at the local TGIF near UC San Diego in La Jolla, California. A glass of pinot noir was my go-to but the real discovery came across the border. I always partied in Tijuana because of the post-drinking tacos but years later Valle de Guadalupe came on the map and I took advantage of the beautiful scenery with a glass of wine and then grab tacos afterwards.
I lived in San Diego for about 9 years and my exposure to wine has been heavily influenced by the Mexican wineries in Baja California. Today, I am taking my wine hobby a little more seriously and hope that you will get excited to learn about wine as much as I do.
My story
I come from a background where family parties always had Tecate, Coronas, or Modelos politely waiting inside a cold bucket. Los arreglos de la mesa (center decorative pieces) consisted of a bottle of Cazadores or Corralejo (tequila) that were often sponsored by the padrino or madrina. I also grew up in a very spiritual household where many of our tequila bottles were hidden under the Virgen de Guadalupe altar. The wine I knew about came from mi primera communión (first communion) y no me gusto para nada (and I did not like it). Today, I still consider myself a spiritual person who forgot to repent her sins, loves to takes naps or meditate during mass and wonders about the type of wine or the blood of Christ being served.
“Yo soy la madrina del wine.”
— Gabbz
WineMadrina 
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