A few years ago we were lured into a journey of discovery: to find wines that we enjoy, and to learn to enjoy them even more.

GreatBigReds.com is our way of sharing back everything people have helped us learn over these past years, and it is our invitation to you to join us on this voyage of discovery.

We knew we loved big, bold, luscious wines, and we knew of syrah, petite sirah, and zinfandel wines that we enjoyed very much. But we also had tried many wines — even from those grapes — that disappointed.

What was the difference between the wines we loved, and the disappointments? And also: how can we find more wines we’ll love, and avoid the disappointments as much as possible?

We’ve come a long way. We’ve learned a lot about what to look for on the shelf of a grocery store, or on the wine menu at a good restaurant. We’ve explored Napa and Sonoma wine tasting opportunities, and now we’re less reliant on drivers’ knowledge, and more able to pick out the tasting rooms and vineyards that will thrill us and make us glad to have wine luggage for the flight home.

Some context:

We are not sommeliers, and we don’t expect to become experts at blind tasting for any wine made anywhere in the world. We love Great Big Reds, and this website will focus on those. We won’t distract you with reviews of wines that aren’t great or big.

Fundamentally — as we explain in Wine First! — “we’re looking for Great Big Reds that are great to drink on their own. We want to sit down — before a meal, after a meal, or with no meal in sight — and have a glass of wine that has so much flavor on its own that it’s worth writing home about… or writing a blog post about… or telling the story to future generations and passing it on to their children.”

We see the joy of wine as an experience that goes beyond the chemicals in a glass in front of us. Yes, we want to drink great (big) wine, but we also view wine as a social pleasure, and we especially love wines that connect us to more than the flavor.

If that makes sense to you, welcome to Great Big Reds.

Salut!

Team Great Big Reds

Bob Boynton, Publisher

J. R. Boynton, Managing Editor, Writer, ‘Webmaster’

Anne Boynton, Business Manager, Writer