Wine Lover, Bob Putnam, Shares His Views on his Favorite Hobby
“I first tasted wine in my twenties and didn’t like it at all,” said Bob Putnam, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for IBM. “I enjoyed beer and mixed drinks—I found them more appealing than wine.”
Powerful words from Putnam eventually became history never revisited—but, it was only after an impactful trip he took to Japan.
“My friend had a passion for food, wine and life, really, he kind of absorbs everything around him,” he said. “He started talking about wine a little and then shortly after we ordered a bottle from Australia because in Japan you do not have as many choices since they do not import much wine. But, long story short, I ended up gaining a great appreciation for wine that night in 1999—because of him.”
Putnam’s appreciation has since grown into a hobby.
“My disposable income for leisure definitely goes into wine,” he said. “Wine has become a reason for me to make a vacation out of something—it is really a social things and something I enjoy a lot.”
He has also indulged himself in several movies and books, such as The Judgment of Paris, which was based of a wine contest between the United States and France in 1976.
Something that has really stood out to Putnam is the common theme he has found at wine tastings.
“One thing that is really cool about wine happened first at a wine course I attended,” he said. “I learned that people are for the most part not wine snobs—rather, the term is more of an urban legend. I would say that it is safe to say people would really rather share this experience than exemplify snobs.”
Unique to Putnam, he does not truly have a pallet that reflects bad tasting wine.
“I can buy a 15 dollar bottle of wine, and it’s good. I can buy a 30 to 50 dollar bottle of wine, and it’s better. I save the expensive bottles for special nights—but, even then, there are ways not to spend fortunes,” he said. “[Despite the price,] I know what I like: I like all kinds of wine—I don’t ever really get those earthy tastes, I truly enjoy it all.”