Whine Expo?

This weekend a wine expo is coming to town. This is something that I would normally overlook. I wouldn't think twice about this. However, Libby (see previous posts for a frame of reference) is big into wine. She lived in California for 7 years and visited all of the vineyards. She even took visitors from Illinois on the "Sideways" tour. She even visited California to catch up on old friends last week and frequented several vineyards while she was there. To me, it isn't that big of a deal, but to her, it is the cat's pajamas. (That phrase needs to come back. Help me out here - start using this as much as possible. Bee's knees also works, but isn't as effective because it rhymes and looses some of it's effectiveness in it's cuteness.)
This wine expo has classes on different types of wines. I think I might find this interesting because I don't know much other than the classifications. Sure, I know the difference between a chardonnay and a cabrenay, but which brands are good and which areas of the world produce what and how the grape is nurtured or blended or talked into the wine it will become - got me.
What I think would be great is if wine were more like beer. Not in taste or anything, but in brand recognition. We all know of and start with the basic brands. Miller, Budweiser and maybe even Coors. Then you venture out to Sam Adams, Blue Moon and maybe even something exotic like Corona! Then you go to Guinness and other incredible beers such as Guinness. Or you can go down to Milwaukee's Best, Keystone or Beck's. You also begin to realize that Miller makes Miller High Life, Miller Lite and the AWFUL Miller Chill. Guinness also makes Harp. The differences between an ale, stout and a lager is easy to understand.
Wine? No real brand recognition. Sure you have the classifications like beer, but no starting point. No concentric circles of quality to go in or out from. Instead EVERYONE has a vineyard. You probably even have a wine producing vineyard and not even know about it. (Google yourself after reading this. You may be surprised. I'm guessing Lucy has been pressing the grapes just waiting for you to take over the operation. "Maybe today! Maybe today my feet will rest!")
THEN they blend wine with weird stuff. I recently tried a wine that was blended with green onion and grapefruit. Yup. I figured that was just on the boarder of strange enough for me to try. Wasn't too bad. Was from Austria. Each place has several different blends and will occasionally combine wine. Why? Just to confuse us, I'm sure. I would be willing to bet that the most experienced and knowledgeable wine conosures are just full of it and are great at pretending they know about wine.
I'm sure that these guys are the ones giving the seminars and because they have tasted and spit out more wine than I have. (I don't think I have ever spit it out before. If I'm paying $8 a glass, I'm making that crap count!) I will listen to what they have to say because of this.
What I seem to recall is that hidden within this expo of old grapes is a seminar on whiskey. This is more my speed. I'm pretty sure that the whiskey experts have never spit out Johnny Blue. If they do, I will punch them in the mouth... then finish their glass. I will try to get this seminar on the list of "Must Do's" ahead of all the others. I'm not positive if it's there or not, but I will look it up.
Or, maybe I won't. Libby has arranged a brunch with a friend that will not free her until 12:30. I'm pretty sure this event was on the calender for a while, because the brunch is with an out of town friend. So, I now have a situation on my hands. The 12:30 is a maybe. It could be later. The expo starts at 11 and goes until 4. Roughly a third of the event would be gone. Majority of the seminars begin at 12. Plus, if her friend is from out of town, why rush things? She hasn't seen her since her visit to California last week. Oh, and the friend is spending majority of Saturday, including spending the night, with Libby. So, the pillowfights in their underwear may take away from valuable girltalk time.
So, I told her that we should go see a movie instead. This way she could spend more time with her friend and things wouldn't be so rushed. We are both "The Office" fans and a movie with Jim (Jon Krazinski) and Awful Batman (George Clooney) is coming out this weekend called "Leatherheads." I will let you know how it goes.