Some of you out there have cavernous cellars with hundreds of bottles patiently waiting to be chosen, others have wine refrigerators stacked with handpicked varietals. I, on the other hand, own no more than four bottles at a time but I display them proudly on my kitchen counter. I am a self-proclaimed “wine newbie,” as are many people I know.
If you join me in my newbie ranking and are embarrassed by this stature, take these facts into consideration:
• 40% of Americans don’t drink at all.
• 30% of Americans don’t drink wine.
• 70% of all wine is consumed by 5% of the population.*
*Facts taken from Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, by Kevin Zraly
So if you drink at least one glass of wine each week, you are already ahead of the game. The fact that you still have no idea whether Burgundy is a color, a grape, or a place may make you a tad self-conscious, but know that confidence is easily attainable. With the slightest effort, you too can conquer a restaurant wine list and stop ordering iced tea in fear.
There are many, many, MANY books available for your self-education. Chef John Bonnell recently recommended to me Wine for Dummies (apparently I give a poor first impression), and Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. In a vain attempt to prove my depth, I opted for the second. The first chapter alone will render you more wine-knowledgeable than most.
Another means of education is research. Uncork as many bottles as you can and actually pay attention. You may find you loath wines aged in oak or that you love all Spanish Riojas. Once you develop a point of reference: red, French, under $25 dollars, hit up the Web and get some recommendations from the experts.
Corkjester.com allows you to search by region, grape, vintage and price.
Snooth.com offers recommendations and reviews based off your individual search
requirements.
Winezap.com recommends wine and food pairings.
Winespectator.com has tasting notes of over 178,000 wines searchable by your preferences and their point system.
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