Perspectives for a New Wine Enthusiast

Wine has taken off as a consumer product recently and more people than ever in the U.S. are buying up big brand wines such as Yellowtail and the cult favorite from Trader Joe's, Charles Shaw, otherwise known as "two-buck chuck." For everyday usage, these wines taste fine and are priced perfectly. The elitists, or wine snobs, might tell you that you're drinking pleasant liquids such as "paint thinner" or "horse piss," but realistically few of these individuals started off drinking $300 dollar bottles of Bordeaux and they certainly do not drink high end wines on a daily basis. Contrary to the black and white viewed spectrum of wine enthusiasts, there is a large group of consumers who truly enjoy wine and regularly are searching out good values for their dollar. When you're able to learn about wines and discern what is overpriced and what is a steal, your cellar will expand, as will your palate and your love for wine.

Pour Yourself a Glass and Curl Up With A Good Book or Blog
There is a never ending supply of literature available for wine enthusiasts to use for reference and exploration. Some say that there is no way to learn about wine except by drinking it. This is untrue as so much of wine knowledge is based on pairing the tastes and smells that you're experiencing with the vintage, varietals and history of the vineyard that the wine is from. There is no point of reference if you're going to nightly wine tastings but you're not willing to read a book or two about wine. Some examples of good wine literature are The World Atlas of Wine, by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, Gary Vaynerchuk's 101 Wines: Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World. If you find yourself to be an internet junkie reading all of your information online, check out these popular and informative blogs on wine:

http://goodwineunder20.blogspot.com - A guide to wines under $20 dollars that have great quality for the price. Lots of history and regional knowledge is posted on this blog.

http://tv.winelibrary.com - The energetic and amazingly savvy businessman/wine enthusiast Gary Vaynerchuk presents his daily takes on a handful of wines while providing humor and eccentric behavior. Warning: Watch at your own risk of becoming addicted and a full blow Vayniac.

Embrace What You Enjoy and Keep and Open Mind
Big money brands and varietals of wine have lots of marketing dollars put into their production and distribution. Movies such as "Sideways" launched Pinot Noir as one of the most sought after grapes due to a heartfelt and inspiring, but altogether meaningless scene in the movie. Miles' delivery and observations about the Pinot Noir grape are true and accurate, but acquiring a 20 year old vintage of a bottle of wine is almost impossible for an average wine consumer unless they've already been collecting wine for decades. "Sideways" got many movie goers to go out and try some good wines and hopefully a percentage of them ventured to other varietals and didn't stick to just what got them inspired in the first place. Miles trashes Merlot in another scene as a grape that he simply won't drink while Merlot is one of the finest grapes used in blending some of the worlds best Bordeaux blends. Despite Miles' emotional problems, it's clear he has a good knowledge of wine and his character has not embraced the rest of the wines throughout the world available to him.

Drink Globally, Shop Locally
Certain states such as Massachusetts have wine shipping laws reminiscent of Orwell's 1984, so the only chance of experimenting and purchasing good wines is through real relationships developed with local wine merchants. Regularly stopping by a small community wine shop will leave you feeling invigorated because even if you don't like what the employee offered, you know you'll be able to go back next week and that same employee will offer you something different based off your comments. Eventually the friend/associate will offer you something that you'll enjoy immensely and then that stream of consciousness type service will develop into a serious customer loyalty. Don't be allured by fancy marketing or sale prices offered at warehouse type stores or supermarkets; wine shops can and will modify their buying patterns based on their consumer base and by talking and interacting with the staff and management, you're ensuring the continuation of a customizable and local wine experience that is irreplaceable on a chain-store scale.

The exploration of the wine world, as well as your palate can be confusing and exciting. Learning about what you're drinking and honestly listening and giving input in the right setting can be incredibly rewarding. Looking at wine as an experience along the time line of your life is a great way to embrace it with realistic expectations; certain wines will taste better at one point in your life, you will grow and enjoy different types of wine as well. As long as you keep learning and maintain an open mind the world of wine will only allow you to appreciate things around you in a deeper way.

Resources:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840003324/bookstorenow700-20
http://www.amazon.com/Gary-Vaynerchuks-101-Wines-Guaranteed/dp/1594868824
http://goodwineunder20.blogspot.com/
http://tv.winelibrary.com/