Becoming a Wino

I drink beer. A lot of beer. If your buying I'll take a Cold Smoke or a Gusiness. If I'm buying, I'll have a PBR. Wine to me has always been the thing I want to know more about, but I was happy with anything as long as it was red. I never gave a shit about the nose or the legs. Who cares, just give me some wine. Over the last three years, that has changed, mostly thanks to the hard work of Missoula's dedicated wine distributors.
Now, on the rare occasion my wife and I go out to eat, I spend the first 20 to 25 minutes looking at and discussing the wine list with my server. I have even gone to the restaurant 15 minutes before my reservation and before my wife is scheduled to arrive so that I can sit at the bar and have some alone time with the wine list. I sometimes think, "Am I turning into one of those douche bag wine snobs I use to hate?" The answer to that question is, yes, in fact I am that asshole.
But what's wrong with that? Chef's and owners put a lot effort into their wine lists and why shouldn't I make the most of it. Most of the time I spend more time making my decision about what to drink than what to eat. The way I see it, if food is the vehicle, then wine is the key. You can have the best car made by man, but if the key doesn't fit, you can't get very far