re: Calling Resident Oenophiles......

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I go back and forth between it being an art and utter bullshite.

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It's not other bullshite; it's just that most people are bullshitting.


Every couple of years there is some popular article that "debunks" the idea that there's a difference in wine quality or something. If you want to talk about bullshite, then you should start with those articles. You don't even have to be a sommelier to tell the difference between a Bota Box and a white burgundy.

Now it is true - universally - that prior expectations, surroundings, etc... can affect "taste," believe it or not. It's probably why one of the best meals you've ever had was unexpected and during a wonderful time of your life and it wouldn't taste the same if you went back and had it right now.

Unfortunately the wine world has a fair amount of d-bags. But I've found that the vast majority of people who love wine are not snobby at all. Enjoying and pursuing an interest doesn't make someone a snob.

My SO and I love tasting - including the whole smelling thing - and we try to pick out and discern tastes. We're not showing off, we're trying to get better and appreciate the wine. It's an interest/hobby, that's all.


One final note - I wouldn't recommend any beginner start out with really nice wines. You're not going to be able to tell the difference between a 10 year old Burgundy and 2 buck chuck. The key is what lilwineman said: drink. Often and a lot. I'm talking about the vast majority of days. And pay attention to what you're drinking. Red wine is just going to taste like "red wine" at first. But slowly your palate will develop and you'll find yourself liking certain aspects and gravitating toward wines that feature those.

This would be my rough plan for you:

1st month: just drink a bunch of wine that you buy from the store. Try to drink a couple of glasses every day. Don't worry too much about the wine or even what you like. Don't develop preferences. Just enjoy the wine and drink.

2nd month: learn about the broad (and not always true) differences between New World (U.S.) wine and Old World (Portugal/Spain/Italian/French) wine. New World tends to be juicier, fruitier. Old World tends to be more earthy. I've heard it said perfectly: New World wines showcase the grape; Old World wines showcase the soil. There's no better or worse (you don't even have to decide if you like one more - you can like both); they're just two different broad styles. So alternate every day for a month. American wine. European wine. Every day (notice how I'm leaving out certain areas - don't worry about wines from Australia, South Africa, South America, etc... for now. Absolutely nothing wrong with them; they can just be more of a hybrid between the two distinct styles, and we're still trying to show you the difference)

3rd MonthBy now, you probably have some idea of the kinds of flavors you like. Do not say you don't like wine from a particular area or a particular grape. There's no way that you (or even I) know enough to make that determination yet. Besides, we should like all wine. However, you will undoubtedly begin having a preference. Start to understand why you prefer wine from, say, Oregon. Or Loire Valley. Or Sicily. Don't just say you happened to like those more; pinpoint why.

NOW is where you can start talking to wine shop people. Tell them what you like and why. Let them suggest to you wines that you may enjoy.

And basically just continue doing this for the rest of your life. Your preferences will probably change; let them. When I was younger I preferred really jammy petit syrahs from California. I kept going down that road and one day I woke up and realized that I haven't had a New World wine in months and have instead been enjoying earthier and more leathery Spanish wines.

Currently I prefer French wines - light, complex, elegant. I'd be happy with a red Chinon every day for the rest of my life.

Finally - the harsh stratification from red/rose/white is a uniquely American concept. One isn't better than the other. They take roses in Europe just as seriously as reds. Ditto for whites. And be open to the fact that there may not be a such thing as a "better" wine; one wine might be better with one meal/occasion/season than another. But don't let anyone dictate that to you - have the one you feel like at the time.

For instance, I enjoy a nice red burgundy with my ribeyes. I find bordeauxs/cabs a bit too much - I often prefer to drink those alone to appreciate their complexity. But that's just me - you might be different.


And having 2 glasses of rose with lunch everyday isn't a bad idea either