# Help me learn to appreciate wine. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [December 11, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794 "2008-12-11T23:51:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794/41 "2008-12-17T23:54:40Z")
> [@Sanders](#): > > Does “chilled” mean “keep it in the refrigerator”? Or stick it in an ice bucket. Usually you only chill white wines. I’ve also been told it is a way to cover up the taste of not so great wines. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794/42 "2008-12-18T00:52:59Z")
Absolutely one more vote for keeping a journal. I had a little journal, the kind you find in wine shops or book stores, but I found it kind of a pain to work with, small little thing, had to hold the pages/book open while writing, yet still trying to observe and taste my wine. So far the best way I’ve found to keep my notes is by using tasting sheets held in a nice big 3 ring binder. (PDFs ahead.) [These](http://www.frugal-wine.com/images/tstgnote.pdf) are the sheets I use now, but I found [these](http://www.delongwine.com/tasting-form-de-long.pdf) by De Long to be really easy to use when I first started getting serious with tasting and keeping notes. Print a whole bunch, 3 hole punch them, and you’re good to go. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794/43 "2008-12-18T05:23:59Z")
I will echo others in saying that taking tasting notes in whatever fashion you desire gives yourself an encyclopedia of knowledge. Tasting notes are also very good for determining the differences in vintages between wines that you once liked, but may not like again. Climate and vinification practices are supposed to be constants but they never are. Today’s Grand Cru can be tomorrow’s bargain buy, depending. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794/44 "2008-12-18T05:27:28Z")
> [@bump](#): > > To take **FoieGrasIsEvil’s** second paragraph a little further: > > Rule 1: Drink what YOU like. Don’t let any wine snob or nouveau riche asshole tell you that there’s something wrong with drinking white zinfandel or muscat wine. If you like it, drink it. > > Rule 2: Don’t assume that because you got a bottle of style X, that all bottles are like that. Wine seems to be one of the most variable of products- vintage, geography, brand, method, storage, price point, etc… all figure into the taste. Frequently the same variety of grapes vinted in a different area will taste drastically different. Compare a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a California one and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Or, try a cheapo Pinot Noir, and then spend the money on something like an Etude Pinot Noir; they’re so far apart, you’d think they’re different styles. > > Rule 3: In my opinion the best way to figure out what you like is to keep a journal. Yes, it sounds silly, but if you don’t keep a journal, you’ll probably have trouble remembering exactly which wine was heavenly, and which one seemed like purple battery acid. I would agree that the general rule of “drink what you like” always applies, but I’ve found that I have been able to move people into better wines than what they are accustomed to by getting them to try something different, yet comparable in price. Riesling is usually a good first defence against White Zin drinkers. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794/45 "2008-12-24T11:15:07Z")
I’m not a wine drinker (all tastes like bitter or dry grape juice to me) but I do work in the liquor industry and I am expected to know a wee bit about wine. I usually point people after a “decent white” in the direction of Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand (most wine in NZ comes from the Marlborough Region of the South Island, BTW); Oyster Bay and Overstone are two extremely popular brands. Wirra Wirra “Church Block” is an excellent Australian red wine at around AUD$20/bottle; even I’ll drink it and 80% of the time I’d rather have soft drink in preference to wine. For something a bit less pricey (both reds and whites), I tend to point people towards the Wolf Blass “Eaglehawk” range or the Jamieson’s Run wines. Bear in mind these may not be available where you are, but if you’re ever in Australia you’ll have no trouble finding any of them at any half-decent bottleshop or liquor barn. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794/46 "2008-12-24T12:13:02Z")
I have a couple of friends who are quite expert wine snobs. When I go to wineries with them they make comments so intelligent that we get to taste wines not on the counter. And the secret wines are way better. The one thing that they have in common is that they both drink copious amounts of wine and have done for many years. So I think the trick is just to drink more, lots more…and for a long time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-to-appreciate-wine/476794.md?page=2)