Try it, you\u2019ll like it!\u00a0 Or maybe you won\u2019t.\u00a0 That\u2019s the conundrum\u2026 a seemingly endless sea of wine, different wines, different vintages, different labels.\u00a0 It\u2019s all so confusing.\u00a0 And when all is said and done, it\u2019s still a matter of trying something that is a new and different, or resigning yourself to opening the same bottle of wine each time. \u00a0Same wine each time?\u00a0 How boring is that? <\/p>\n
What to do? \u00a0You can certainly read up on stuff\u2026 Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, International Wine Cellar, Decanter<\/em>\u2026 excellent monthly publications.\u00a0 You can learn a lot.\u00a0 The New York Times<\/em> has a column on Wednesday and the Wall St. Journal<\/em> has one on Friday.\u00a0 You can learn even more.<\/p>\n Good ratings from the monthlies and editorial endorsements from the weeklies are well and good; but you drink wine for your pleasure, not for Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate<\/em> or Eric Asimov of the New York Times<\/em>.\u00a0 A great rating speaks for the quality <\/em>of the wine, not whether you will like it.<\/p>\n Read all you want.\u00a0 The best way to learn is to taste.<\/em>\u00a0 And the best way to taste is to take advantage of Wine Tastings when there is an opportunity to try several wines in comparison. Wineries are a sure bet; but it could also be at a shop that specializes in wines\u2026 or how about in the home?<\/p>\n Here are several ways to look at wine\u2026<\/p>\n Vertical Tasting<\/strong>. This is looking at the same<\/em> wine but in several vintages. There is no finer way to experience how wine evolves<\/em> over time than to try the same Napa Cab, for example; \u00a0but in different vintages. \u00a0Maybe the current vintage was rated <\/em>as better; but the vintage from three years ago is drinking<\/em> better?\u00a0 A text book on how wine improves with additional bottle age.<\/p>\n Horizontal Tasting<\/strong>. The same wine type, <\/em>different producers, but in the same vintage. Perhaps all Cabernet Sauvignons from the 2005 Vintage; but from different zones<\/em>\u2026 Rutherford Bench, Oakville, Howell Mountain & etc.\u00a0 Or several Bordeaux from their great 2005 Vintage.\u00a0 This type of tasting provides a clue as to the variables of vineyard and winemaking quality, and how both will have an impact on price.\u00a0 And isn\u2019t it fun to enjoy a more modest Bordeaux from the Cotes de Blaye than a Classified Growth from Margaux?<\/p>\n Same Grape, Different Country<\/strong>. Interest in Pinot Noir is at an all time high. But this varietal is known for its finicky disposition.\u00a0 It is a varietal that is sensitive to both climate and soil and the wines produced from this fickle grape can be dramatically different region from region, country from country.\u00a0 Differences abound in Chardonnay and many other varietals, too.<\/p>\n Blind Tasting<\/strong>. Putting several wines in bags to cover their labels is perhaps the best way to focus on the taste of wine. \u00a0Be prepared to be surprised.\u00a0 Also know that it can be a bit unsettling to try something when you are stripped of your predisposed preferences\u2026 the \u201cI-don\u2019t-like-Merlot\u201d can be in for fall when that is chosen as a favorite wine in the tasting flight. This is a humbling <\/em>exercise, and it is the quickest way to level the playing field between experienced and inexperienced wine tasters.<\/p>\n Potpourri Tasting<\/strong>. A tasting doesn\u2019t have to be overly organized.\u00a0 The wines can simply follow the course of an evening, or the dinner being served.\u00a0 Begin with a sparkling wine as an aperitif, enjoy a lighter white wine, follow it with a white with a more robust structured nature, then a couple of reds\u2026 a fresh red and then one with greater complexity, and then conclude with a dessert wine.\u00a0 Hey!\u00a0 It\u2019s supposed to be fun!<\/p>\n Sure\u2026 reading about wine can\u2019t help but develop an interest in wine\u2026 to add knowledge.\u00a0 But if you want to learn<\/em> about wine, you have to taste it. \u00a0Taste, taste and taste again. Assume that you will like some over others.\u00a0 But the more you taste, the more you will understand why a certain wine, given the time of the year, given the food being served, given the company that you are sharing it with, given your mood<\/em>, will be the right wine<\/em>.\u00a0 And often the right wine, given all the variables, will not be your \u201cfavorite\u201d wine. <\/p>\n Wine is only boring when you treat it as just a form of flavoured alcohol.\u00a0 Wine is all about variety.\u00a0 OK.\u00a0 Go taste!\u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Try it, you\u2019ll like it!\u00a0 Or maybe you won\u2019t.\u00a0 That\u2019s the conundrum\u2026 a seemingly endless sea of wine, different wines, different vintages, different labels.\u00a0 It\u2019s all so confusing.\u00a0 And when all is said and done, it\u2019s still a matter of … Continue reading