My name is Melanie Ofenloch and I have a philosophy – no wine snobs allowed.

While my profession is marketing consulting, my passion is drinking wine. I don’t consider myself a wine expert – just an everyday person with a love for the grape, a few annual Pilgrimages to wine regions and at the end of each year – an ugly Visa summary to prove it.

It took me a long time to realize an everyday person (especially me) could write a wine blog.  I am not a sommelier, winery owner, wine marketer or wine expert. But, how many of us are experts? Wine is a product that should be discovered, shared and enjoyed. And, if we’ve ever shared a glass of wine, you’ll agree that what I am lacking in formal knowledge, I am not lacking in passion.

My wine roots are humble.  Growing up, I was given a glass of Uncle Louie’s homemade wine, which let’s just say was quite an experience – and not a good one. In college, I shared Gallo pink blush jug with my college roommate for weekend parties. When I was newly married, my husband and I discovered inexpensive Italian wines together. It took my first trip to Napa, to realize what a great wine could be. I also discovered that wine would become a journey of discovery. I never realized how quickly I would go from a countertop wine rack to more than 650 bottles in our cellar.

Learning about wine has been wonderful, but I believe experiencing wine is the fun part. That will be my focus with this blog – from people who are just starting to learn about wines to the certified experts, I want to build a community. I look forward to raising a glass with you.

You can contact me by email at melanie@dallaswinechick.com.