I am a 33-year-old self-trained wine expert, but probably not the sort of wine expert you are accustomed to. On my daily webcast, Wine Library TV (affectionately known as "The Thunder Show"), I taste wines every day for the first time and talk about them. As you'll see, my approach is kind of unconventional, but everything I say comes from the heart. Many (but not all) of the wines I taste for the show are sold at my store, and about 60% of them get panned. I've flat-out told people to stop buying some of our highest-selling wines. This shakes a few feathers.

Recently I was on Conan O'Brien and the Ellen Degeneres show and I taught both of them how to train your palate to identify the flavors in wine by licking rocks soaked in salt water (some of the flavors found in Sancerre), chomping on grass topped with grapefruit juice (New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc), and eating dirt mashed up with bits of cigar and sour cherries (Sangiovese). This seems silly but there is a story behind it. Before I was old enough to drink I used to read about the different flavors found in wine and ran around tasting all kinds of weird stuff. Knowing how these things actually taste makes it easier to pick out the flavors in wine and describe them... and after I've identified the flavors and textures I experience in a wine, I can decide whether I like it!

I want people to try different wines, made from different grapes, from different parts of the world. There's so much to explore and enjoy, and you don't have to spend a lot of money! How can you have a favorite if you only know a few? I'm all about smelling your wine, taking the time to think about it, and most of all, trusting your own palate. If a wine appeals to your palate, then it’s a good choice. Don't feel pressured to like popular brands or what experts recommend (even me!). Buy what "brings the thunder" for you.

As a PeopleJam Expert I hope to show you how to identify and explore all that the wine world has to offer, learn to develop and trust your own palate, and have fun!