Meet Our Founders
My name is Jorge Lazaro Diaz, but call me George. It works for all my friends. I’m one of the two Casual Winers co-founders and author of, “A Casual Winers Guide to Picking Wine You Love Every Time“.
A while back, my daughter Sofia and I discovered wine. We were visiting Bologna, Italy and stopped at a tavern called Tamborini. It was at a that tavern where we first tasted a local red wineTre Rocche and fell in love.
I am Jorge’s daughter and currently a medical device sales rep. I too discovered my love for wine while on a family trip to Bologna, Italy visiting my sister Gabriela. While at Tamburini, I asked Dad (aka Jorge), “Can I drink wine while I’m here?” (I was under age at the time.) To my luck, both Mom and Dad said, “Yes!” That was the beginning of my wine drinking adventure. I even considered becoming a sommelier.
Since then I have developed my love and appreciation for wine. Dad and I would search our local wine stores and places like Publix, Total Wine, and Trader Joe’s. We created a game where we would both pick a bottle and taste test them at home. I was really good at winning this game! (My secret was picking the coolest looking label. It worked every time.)
Since then I have developed my love and appreciation for wine. Dad and I would search our local wine stores and places like Publix, Total Wine, and Trader Joe’s. We created a game where we would both pick a bottle and taste test them at home. I was really good at winning this game! (My secret was picking the coolest looking label. It worked every time.)
I eventually left for college in Alabama where I needed to be a little more conservative with my purchases. Much to my surprise, good wine selections were available in my price range. You can get some inexpensive wines for a pretty good price.
I eventually left for Bologna, Italy myself for school like my sister and I returned to Tamburini 5 years later. Unfortunately, the wine I first tasted, Tre Rocche, was not available anymore.
While I was studying abroad in Italy, I broadened my appreciation for Italian wine more than anything. I learned that in Bologna even the most inexpensive wines were a great hit. My friends and I in Italy would make a game to see who could buy the cheapest wine that tasted the best! (A little like the game I play with Dad).
After graduating from college, I wanted to keep on learning about wine so I joined a few wine clubs. What I learned was that the wine clubs were great for tasting different wines, but they were not informative or educational. So, when Dad came up with this idea to launch our own wine magazine (more like a wine discovery community) I was all in!
My main priority was that it needed to be a fun and educational wine resource.
I prefer a rich full body red. Pretty much a wine that has a plum, berry, chocolate, spice, or earthy taste to it. I will always go for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Based on a taste test I took, I also learned I like Pinot Noirs and big, bold Zinfandels. Even though I haven’t had many Zinfandels, I’m excited to try some more on this journey with you!
I will enjoy white wines every now and then. I prefer a zesty white wine, so white wines that have a hint of lemon, lime, grapefruit, passion fruit, or grass. Specifically, I like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigios. Also, from this taste test I learned I should also like Albariños and dry Riesling.