I am very interested in becoming a wine enthusiast,whats the best way to start?

Question

I live in Atlanta near Chateu Elan would that be a great place to start?

Answer 1

Ahhhh, nothing like a fine wine. A walk on the better side of life is truly an adventure worth taking. If you're anything like me, you want to arrest your appetite and make sure you appreciate the quality and not the effects.

Answer 2

my best wine learning experience occurred in a winery that provided a tasting tour in which the guide described the wines while we tasted them. if your local winery offers a tasting tour, that would be a good option, and ask lots of questions while you're tasting.

local restaurants that are upscale enough to have a sommelier (someone who puts together a wine list and orders the wines) might also be helpful. maybe you could call one and ask if the sommelier would be willing to further your education. maybe you could make a reservation for a slow night when the sommelier will be there (or a knowledgeable bartender), and ask them to select wines that would go with your meal, and then describe the wines to you. some restaurants also do this automatically by suggesting wines to go with different dishes on the menu.

are there any community colleges nearby that offer winetasting courses? this could be an inexpensive option.

have tastings at home, with friends. learn to distinguish between different reds (merlot, cab, syrah, zinfandel, pinot noir to start) by doing comparison taste tests. use a basic wine guide to help you recognize the fruitiness, the tannins, flavors, etc. then try the same with whites.

wine knowledge is something that grows over time, and then ultimately you still just pick wines that you like.

Answer 3

There is a book called Windows on the World it is easy to follow and a great place to start learning about wines. I sold wines for 10 years and learned a good basic knowledge from this book.

Answer 4

Making a trip to the winery isn't a bad place to start because they can teach you through the samples without you paying large amounts for bottles of wine you may not like. Another option, especially since you live in a big city, is look into wine tasting clubs. Not all wine clubs are uptight and pretentious and are designed to help newbies learn about the different kinds of wines out there. I belong to a similar group but it's up here in Canada so unless you want to make a trip up here, my club is a bit out of the way for you. To find a wine club in your area, ask someone who works in one of the fancier restaurants that have an extensive wine list. Chances are some of their staff will belong to a wine club and can give you some recommendations.

Best of luck and happy learning.

Answer 5

Go to a local wine store and start trying all different things, and make a note of what you like. Once you've tried a few things, it might make sense to learn about the different grapes and regions of the world where wine is made. Food and Wine magazine is pretty informative, but anyone at a good liquor store should be able to give you information, too.

Answer 6

drinking it? on a serious note the best way is hands on & u have the place near u, so forget everything elso & start from the begining if u want to make it a hobby or a job. Wine tasters will differ on the way the wines taste, its like different grades of tea etc, but all the best as long as u know the limits

Answer 7

Well, perhaps to start . . . sorry, but I'm a California wine snob. If you really want to know wines, you need to make a tour of the California wineries. Any travel agent would be delighted to set that up. I'm sure there are many package tours.

The really important thing, and one you can do right now, is to start a wine diary. Don't just buy a bottle of wine and drink it. Write down all about it, maybe soak off the label and paste in in the diary, and also write down your impressions of the wine. Include when you drank it, what food you had it with, who was with you (for the memory trigger as much as anything), and how much you paid for it and where. (Prices are partly the wine and partly the store, after all.) Then start a "stars" overall rating system.

You might want to get at least one book or magazine about wine, because there are certain standard terms tasters use to describe the flavors, and you need to know these in order to make consistent notes. Generally, they refer to slight notes of other sorts of foods' flavors, such as "a hint of bell pepper," that sort of thing.

Answer 8

Aah, learning about wine. I admire you my friend. I discovered the joys of wine some years ago. I enjoy wine with my dinner every evening and other times as well. I prefer the reds as they provide more health benefits than the whites.

Yes, yes, by all means start right there in Atlanta. As one person suggested go to a wine store and buy some different varietals. Try them. Compare them to each other. Ask questions of the personnel at the wine store. Ask questions of anyone you know who enjoys wine. Ask questions here in Yahoo! Answers.

I would recommend you try this link:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/

Near the top of the page, right under their banner, click on getting started. On the next page click on 'learn about wine'. This site has many tools to aid you in your endeavors.

Good luck and good drinking.

Answer 9

Actually, there is a new board game on the market called "Wine Challenge" and it's fabulous because it not only lets you become a wine enthusiast on your own accord but you can do it with a group of friends : )

Answer 10

Lots of good books on the subject. Go out & visit wineries. They give a tour, show you how it's made & give out tastings. Keep a diary of the wine you like, the year, label & kind of grape, etc.
Whatever you think tastes the best is the wine for you.
Have fun!