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Drink bravely. That’s the advice of wine expert and author Mark Oldman.

And by brave he doesn’t mean run into a fire with a glass of wine.  He means don’t be intimated or embarrassed when selecting a wine.  Ask questions. Try new things.  Wine is about learning.  It’s a brave new wine world out there. With so many new wines to try and taste, you could never taste them all.

But that’s Oldman’s approach -- watch the videos on his site and you’ll see what I mean.  This is not the old French sommelier from the fancy-pants restaurant you can’t afford. Nope, this is the guy from college that was most likely the life of the party.

So get out there and be brave, he says.

When I met Oldman, he challenged me to be “brave” and try new wines for fall.

But here’s where the “brave” part comes in – at least for me.  When I think of the fall, I think of something cozy and would automatically reach for a big cabernet.

Nope. That’s not brave enough for Oldman. Here’s what he suggested:

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Village

Caposaldo Prosecco 

Pircas Negras Torrontes

So try them.  And let me know how brave you are.

Cent ‘Anni.