As I was perusing the wine list at one of my favorite local restaurants last night (before ordering a Diet Pepsi), I realized that my knowledge of and appreciation for wine is sorely lacking. I like wine, and I know some about the wine-making process and the different types, but I just don’t have a very good practical appreciation.
The best way to remedy this, I figure, is to buy a bottle or two as often as I can and try as many different ones as possible, until I get a handle on what the differences are. But how can I best guide my learning? I hang out with a real Bud Light/Smirnoff Ice sort of crowd, so there’s no help there, nor do I feel the staff at any of our local liquor stores would be that useful. I’d love to take a class, but I can’t seem to find any.
How can a guy (on a budget) gain an appreciation for wine?
Bingo. You have NAILED the right way to learn about wine.
It will be a long, difficult, and painful learning experience, drinking all that wine, but you’ll emerge from it a finer and better and more knowledgable person.
(**CC’**s probably right about that book, by the way. Haven’t read it myself, but the series certainly includes dozens of decent primers on all subjects.)
I have “Wine for Dummies” and joined a wine club that sends me two bottles a month, typically one red and one white, one foreign, one domestic. This is their website, but it seems to be down at the moment.
Well, if you’re going to advertise wine books on amazon, here’s my fav:
“Great Wines Made Simple” by Andrea Imer
My favorite part was when she hit’s on 80% of the wine sold comes from 6 grapes and how to identify them (If you actually do as she recommends you’re going to end up drinking some stuff).
I second the idea of learning the types of grapes, and deciding which ones you prefer.
Reds (I don’t like reds, so few comments here):
Cabernet Sauvingon
Merlot
Pinot Noir (My favorite)
Shiraz
Whites:
Chardonnay (bland - so shoot me)
Riesling (sweet German white)
Pinot Grigio (light, dry Italian)
Sauvignon Blanc (dry)
You don’t have to spend a lot - as long as you avoid Gallo Hearty Burgundy & the like. California wines are as good as imports in many cases.
French wines are a bit tricky since they are labeled by the region instead of the grape type. Any of the books mentioned will help you translate, e.g. Burgundy = Cabernet Sauvignon (?) Anyway, they are usually more expensive for similar quality (now the Francophiles will shoot me too).
Also, try this at home. Restaurants charge 2 to 3 times what the same bottle costs at the store.
