How do you learn about new wines to enjoy?

I've been lucky in that I've managed to find knowledgeable wine merchants that have taken the time to learn my tastes and preferences. One of my favorite wine guys, Jim, has over the years introduced me to wines I would never think to try, Muscadet for example. Another wine merchant turned me on to Prosecco, another wine I was new to. So what makes a good wine merchant? Maybe others will post their thoughts....

"Dan the Man" wrote

Enthusiast to give me the basics. This forum also has a deep archive of posts that you can search by using Google Groups. These days, if I see something I haven't tried, I just think, "Goody! Let's go for it!" At worst, I've gotten wines that were bland, but nothing that was truly terrible.

"Evan Keel" wrote

Thanks, Evan. I should ask around here in town to find out of people recommend any local wine merchants. We have mostly generic liquor stores here, no place that's a real specialty store, but I think there may be one place that has someone who's more deliberate about her orders.

Colin

I do not find other people (professional or otherwise) to be a great help. I'm sure others do - I am only answering for myself.

Mainly I rely on my own nose and mouth. Ideally I like to try a tasting sample before I buy a bottle, and a bottle with a meal before I buy more bottles. Otherwise, it is a question of buying bottles which I expect to be similar to things that I like.

So my advice would taste a lot of different things.

A bit of education on the basics wouldn't hurt either - a little goes a long way. The book I would recommend as an introduction is Michael Schuster's "Essential Winetasting".

There is no one answer, of course. Ideally, you can find a local wine merchant who is ethical and knows your tastes. They can then recommend wines for you to try (and, as you do so, develop a more detailed understanding of your tastes). If no such merchant exists in your area and you must rely on a grocery store or large "package" store, then you should seek out tasting opportunities. Many times, larger stores will have periodic wine tastings, either for a fee or free of charge. It's a good way to explore a lot of wines easily. If that doesn't exist, see if you can find a small group of people who are similarly interested in wine and begin a tasting group (wherein you regularly buy 6-8 bottles of wine and taste them as a group).

There are also many written sources of information, such as books (everyone has their own favorites for beginners) and magazines (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate, Decanter) as well as Internet forums such as this one and many different websites, and blogs. Newspapers also frequently have wine columns, so you might start reading one in your local paper or (my favorite) in the New Yorks Times

The good news is that there is now more information available on wine than ever before. The "bad" news is that you are the only person who can define your own tastes for you, so you will have to decide which critical voices (if any) you can rely upon.

HTH Mark Lipton

"Mark Lipton" wrote

thanks, mark, that is very helpful. Ultimately I will figure out my own tastes, but as I start out I'm interested to hear about others' experiences and preferences. It's good to get a feel for what people regard as useful sources.

thanks, Colin

"Steve Slatcher" wrote

Thanks, I was wondering if anyone would recommend such a book.

colin

Even in generic liquor stores you will find a geek or two serving as wine merchants. Seek them out!

Read a little and drink a lot. Decanter.com online has good educational tools. Also: Windows on the World wine course by Kevin Zraly is good for starting. Hugh Johnson-Jancis Robinson's World Wine Atlas is very helpful.

"Mark Slater" wrote

thanks! Colin