2006-07-17 05:42:33 · 9 answers · asked by Crooks Gap 5 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
Books on wine are technically good, I suppose. They now make sense to me, though I worked at it for years before I could follow all of that "tannens are evident in this vintage" and "could be over ripe ... recommend drinking with strong and spicy meals that won't be overpowered."
Best thing to do is to find a wine guy who has a store and is totally in love with his craft. He will be an artist whose canvas is the shelf ... or the decanter. Such a wine merchant can guide you through the progression of your palette. The wines I enjoyed when I first began to learn are of little interest to me now. Drinking wine is something that takes maturity. Your talented wine artiste will understand that and help you every step of the way. The wine I drink most of the time now would have been far too much for me when I started. You really don't have to spend a lot to get good wine, either. Brand names are usually the worst. Let your wine guy guide you. Tell him you have 12 bucks .. or 20 ... or whatever, and you need something good in that price range. The artiste in him will leap forth from his soul.
We all need teachers. This is not something you can do through self help. A user with the name Pontac on this site is the best I've ever seen on a web site. Look him up for starters and see what you can learn from there.
Remeber that the first miracle of Jesus Christ was turning water into wine.
2006-07-17 16:27:30 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Buy a basic California Chardonnay (around the $10/bottle kind) and a Spanish Tempranillo of the same prize. That would give you an idea of the basic difference between red and white wines.
You can also get a basic wine tasting course for around $25, which will serve yout 4 to 6 basic wines and allow you to compare.
2006-07-17 12:50:21 · answer #2 · answered by Raimon 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I started out at the local wine shop. They often do tastings. At better shops, the staff usually can give you some good information, and they're not typically too snobby about it.
Try cheaper versions of wine and keep track of what you like (both brand and type). Yellow Tail is a good brand to start with. Little penguin also makes some nice, cheap reds.
Price isn't everything; I've had $50 bottles that have not been great, and $10 bottles I've fallen in love with.
2006-07-17 14:15:23 · answer #3 · answered by mysticjava 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best way to learn about wine is the same way you learned about food -- consume it.
Drink as many different wines as possible -- they needn't be expensive. Start to discover what you like and what you don't like. Then once you get familiar with some names, buy a general book on wine. You'll be able to relate to the wines then.
Really, you don't NEED to know anything about wine to enjoy it. First and foremost it is a drink. But if you want to learn more there are training courses. books visits to wineries etc.
2006-07-17 13:12:16 · answer #4 · answered by Pontac 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best way to learn about wine is from a winery. Go to a vinyard, and ask to taste various wines. An experienced steward should be able to tell you your personal preference for wines by your reactions to the various tastes of the wines you sample.
If there aren't any vinyard near you, go to a high-end liquor store that has a vast selection of wines, and ask a steward there.
2006-07-17 12:48:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I keep a list of every wine that I try. I text message myself If I am not at home and record it later. I rate everything from 1 to 10 and write down any thing distinctive that I recall. I often ask the waiter for a recommended wine and at parties. There are too many to remember them all. If you start writing them down often, you will remember them better.
2006-07-17 12:51:05 · answer #6 · answered by billyandgaby 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one of those wine tastings where they tell you all about the different wines. may have to go to a winery for that. sales clerk at the local big liqour store is well versed (wine section clerk) and probably wouldn't mind talking with you for a bit if it's not busy, definitely recommend something for you. I only like white zinfandel, it's kind of pink, it is a very tastey wine, i think reds and whites are just kind of gross.
2006-07-17 12:51:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to wine tastings and ask questions.Read books about the subject.
2006-07-17 12:49:00 · answer #8 · answered by grouchyeve 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
read the wine bible, it is a very informative book
2006-07-17 12:50:09 · answer #9 · answered by flfunk_jax 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋