Chardon-Neh: I’m a Mom Who Hates Wine

I feel like I’m going to get my mom card revoked any day now; maybe even my adult woman card. The elixir of sanity that seemingly every mom relies on does nothing for me.

That’s right, I hate wine.

No way, Rose. Pi-NOt. Mer-Hell-No. Sauvignon Bleh. Nay, Cabaret. You bet your a$$ I hate Shiraz. Ok, Ok. I’ll stop.

wineDid I miss the initiation into the fermented grapes club? Did it get lost in the mail? I want in the club, but no matter how hard I try, my tongue hits the reject button.

It seems to be the key to functioning as an adult. Had a hard day? Wine. Want to celebrate? Wine. Unsure of what Christmas gift to give to that professional friend? Wine. Bringing a gift to a host or hostess? Wine. Kids? Wine, absolutely wine.

Is there a magical age or time period after college where one moves from cheap beer and hard liquor to being a wine lover? Congratulations! It’s your 24th birthday and your gift from the universe is the appreciation for mankind’s most treasured beverage. 

It’s literally loved the world over, by everyone except me. Jesus, I’m suuuuuper impressed that you turned that water into wine, but nah, I’m good. Hard pass.

Why does my palate continue to deny this miraculous substance?

Instead, I come off like a frat guy in a dress. Nothing says I AM A CLASSY LADY quite like the perfume of Jack Daniels spilled on the front of my cocktail dress while I back that azz up.

My taste in beer is pretty sophisticated. But nobody cares about that when you’re at a fundraiser, and you’re the only woman walking around with whatever beer option is available because you’d rather drink a Bud Light than choke down a glass of whatever red or white is on hand. Bartenders look at me with pity and offer a glass to put my beer in. I get even stranger looks at small gatherings for opting to drink nothing versus wasting a glass of wine. People dig in their husband’s beer stash for me so I’m not the only one forgoing a drink at book club or a get-together. When I find a fellow mom who loves a good oatmeal coffee stout as much as I do, I want to hug her and keep her in my pocket … in the least creepy of ways.

Hello From the Outside, I Must’ve Tried a Thousand Wines

Cab, Shiraz, Pinot Noir [Roseanne Barr*]? They all taste like pickled feet with a chaser of rubbing alcohol to me. If you served me a glass of two-buck-Chuck or a glass of a $64 bottle of wine, I wouldn’t know the difference because it all tastes the same. Several times, I’ve cracked open a bottle of something my husband had been given as a Christmas gift to cook the perfect Beef Bourguignon or Coq Au Vin, only to find out I just used a reeeeally nice bottle of wine to de-glaze a pan. 

Not all is lost, I guess. I can tolerate a glass of riesling if I’m truly in dire straits. Champagne is ok, but tricks me into thinking I’m not feeling any sort of buzz until all of a sudden I realize I’m hammered, and the hangover I get is never worth the price. 

Middle school feelings of wanting to fit in die hard. Will I ever get to be a “cool mom” if I don’t drink wine? How else can I unwind after a day of just barely refraining from selling my kids to the circus? What do I drink on my couch while binge-watching the OA on Netflix? How will I bond with my internet friends who express empathy for a hard day if they can’t say “sending wine” to me?

So many questions I’ll never know the answer to. So many wine pun t-shirts I’ll never get to wear. So many cute wine glasses sitting on my shelf collecting dust.

Whine.

*The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Episode 6. Look it up and thank me later.

Lindsay
Lindsay is a native New Orleanian, displaced only by her years at Mississippi State, where she earned a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries and a minor in English. She came home shortly after Katrina, to work as a zookeeper and be a part of the rebuilding of her beloved city. She dragged her husband Drake, a Tennessee native, along with her. Their son Bennett joined the family in 2010, and in 2014 they welcomed identical twin girls, Genevieve and Kellen Clair. She now works full-time as an Environmental Scientist while working on her Master's and serving part-time as NOM’s resident Jill of All Trades. Powered by espresso, cake, and craft beer, her happy place is on a beach or in the woods. Need to identify a plant, tree, or animal? Lindsay’s a wealth of random knowledge. She loves to cook and sprinkle a little glitter on everything.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Ok, so I don’t despise wine as much as you. BUT, I will always, always opt for a good craft beer or some straight up bourbon over a glass of wine any day. And don’t get me started on the problem of parties!! Can’t count the number of times I’ve been pointed toward the wine while my husband gets offered a beer or bourbon. Then, those confused faces when I opt for “what he’s having”….Ugh.

  2. Oatmeal stout coffee?!! YESSSS Please! I like a dark rich beer any day. So here’s the thing, I use to be an avid wine lover. Then something happened. I still don’t know what but my taste and stomach radically changed to dark rich beers. The darker the better…

  3. I can do you one better. I’m in my 30’s now and never fit in anywhere. I hate wine AND beer. I’m a “fruity drink” kind of girl. Which at functions is not an option. Even going to a bar with my father I have to hear how complicated (&expensive) I am because Im never simple. I’ll drink a bay breeze any day of the week and I’ve always thought it was ok until recent years and especially mommy functions.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here