Are 'wine connoisseurs' just high class winos?

Answer 1

Pass the vintage Night Train

Answer 2

If they are, then things are changing. Many more Americans are turning to wine nowadays and "class " distinctions are fewer now. Many of the old adages about what to drink with what food, do not apply anymore and generally you drink what you like to drink. Certain wines go better with certain foods but there are no laws about this.

Alcoholism can affect anyone and I am sure "connoisseurs have their share also. People are a lot less snobby about wine as a larger cross-section of society is going to it as a drink and you can bet the manufactures know this and downplay the "snob" affect.

Answer 3

As long as they don't drink "short dogs" out of a paper bag, they're not winos

Answer 4

Yes, and I love them for it. My taste runs to cheap, thin slightly sour/tart Chianti by the half gallon. Decanted, my wine snob friends don't know the difference. Snobs are buying labels and clever marketing, not content.

Answer 5

all i have to say is that wine is very overrated.

as far as i'm concerned, the only reason to drink is to get drunk. the most expensive wine i ever drink is [insert cheap brand here]

Answer 6

The argument is hard to refute completely.

Answer 7

I don't think so, but it is a good excuse to drink

Answer 8

How to be a wine connoisseur
By Jeni Port
December 30, 2004


No amount of reading and talking about wine will replace the tasing experience. Get out there.

Of the so-called mystery surrounding wine, there is none.

If you have a nose that works and tastebuds that can tell the difference between sweetness and saltiness, acidity and bitterness - all you need do is put them to work. And I do mean work.

You don't have to drink copious amounts of wine, but you do have to taste a lot of different wines - and often - and think about what you are tasting.

But because it's wine, it's all pretty enjoyable.

Start with cheap wines and those grown in your state and slowly cast the net wider, progressing to more expensive wines and those produced in the rest of Australia and overseas.

As with any learning experience, there is a logical progression in getting to know more about wine. Take it one step at a time.

* STEP 1: No amount of reading and talking about wine will replace the tasting experience. There are many courses available in Melbourne. The Wine Professionals in Hawthorn (Ph: 9855 0255) run basic courses through to advanced. In a first for Australia, the Prince Wine Store in South Melbourne (Ph: 9686 3033) will be conducting courses for the British Wine and Spirit Education Trust during 2005. Other retailers offering sound introductory courses are Rathdowne Cellars, North Carlton (Ph: 9349 3366) and Armadale Cellars (Ph: 9509 3055). The Victorian Wine Industry Association (Ph: 9642 2505) also holds well-run courses.

STEP 2: Get acquainted with where wine comes from - the vineyard.

The Yarra Valley is just one hour from Melbourne and boasts two excellent monthly wine events. The Yarra Valley Wine Master Class series is held at Chateau Yering, outside Yarra Glen, on the third Sunday of each month (10-11.30am). Hosted by a local winemaker, each master class canvasses a different theme, with tastings and discussion. The class on January 16 assesses cork versus screw-cap, and a class on March 20 invites participants into the vineyard during vintage. Entry is $40. Ph: 5962 4800.

De Bortoli at Dixons Creek hosts a day-long wine school (11am-4.45pm) on the first Saturday of each month. Participants visit the vineyard, learn about wine tasting and enjoy a three-course lunch, followed by a tour of the winery with barrel tastings for $105 per person. Ph: 5965 2271.

* STEP 3: Feeling more confident? Good. Let's hit the books. There are many, many wine books out there, but let's take one step at a time. Invest in a copy of Australian Wine: Styles and Tastes by Patrick Iland and Peter Gago. Written by a university lecturer (Iland) and the chief winemaker for Penfolds (Gago), this is the book with no egos but plenty of information on everything from wine growing and making to tasting. Published by Patrick Iland Wine Promotions, it's $44.95 and available from Dymocks and Hill of Content, or phone [phone]. A special Australian and New Zealand version of Wine For Dummies (Wiley, $39.95) has just been released. Written by Yarra Valley winemaker Maryann Egan, it offers plenty on individual wines, winemakers and regions.

* STEP 4: Wine festivals are the fun side of learning about wine and they come in many guises. The Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association hosts its annual Pinot Noir Celebration on February 5 and 6 with international speakers, tastings and talk about the red grape of Burgundy. More information is available from http://www.pinot-noir.com.au, or phone [phone]. Yarra Valley Grape Grazing is on February 19 and 20 and while food and wine dominate the weekend, keep an eye out for special winery tastings, especially those where the winemaker opens older vintages. For more information, phone [phone].

* STEP 5: This is probably where you start getting itchy feet - or more precisely - itchy fingers. Feel like getting them dirty? Then head for Ainsworth Estate at Seville in the Yarra Valley. Each vintage, Denis Craig gives novices the opportunity to pick, make and take home a dozen bottles of their own wine made on his vineyard. The weekend events are held in April. Red, white and sparkling wines are generally offered. Details, phone [phone].

* STEP 6: It is possible to take part in typical vineyard work without spending the thousands of dollars required to plant and maintain your own vines. Wine educator Peter Mitchell hosts a nine-session course in wine growing and making from March 2005 to April 2006 at Tuck's Ridge vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula. The grape is pinot noir, hence the title of the course, The Heartbreak Grape (it's no lie!). Pinot is notoriously fickle, so this is definitely a challenge. The best part of each Sunday event (10am-1pm) is the tasting of pinots after the hard work in the vineyard and winery. More details can be obtained from Peter Mitchell (Ph: 0419 523 194) or Tuck's Ridge (Ph: 5989 8660).

* STEP 7: Getting serious about wine usually leads to one thing - getting a qualification. The British Master of Wine is one of the world's more serious and sought-after wine qualifications. Prospective students are usually from the wine and hospitality world (although it is not essential) and study in three areas: theory, practical (tasting) and a dissertation. Students have four years in which to complete their exams, and each January can attend a residential seminar conference. This year, it is at William Angliss Institute of TAFE, Melbourne, January 22-26. Details, phone [phone].

* STEP 8: With the wine bug well and truly in your system, there's no turning back. The ultimate for wine connoisseurs who want to finetune their palate like the professionals is to undergo the advanced wine assessment course at the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide. Held in September each year, the course is designed to test your strengths and weaknesses. Do you have low tolerance to volatile acidity but don't know brettanomyces from cork taint? The brightest tasters are generally invited to become associate wine judges on the Australian wine-show circuit. More information from the institute on [phone].

Hope this has helped you understand it is more than an excuse to drink wine.

Answer 9

I sure am! lol