Introduction to the Basics of Wine

Okay. So you want to be one of those exuberant, know-it-all, go-to-walking-vino-compendium that everyone thinks, “Wow! He knows his wine!” whenever they’re around you.

Well, don’t fret—there is good news. You don’t need a degree in horticulture, a Jaguar XJ8, or a fluent French accent (for those Americans out there, good thing!). However, profound vino wisdom doesn’t just suddenly pop into your brain like nothing happened.

Yes, I’m going to have to mention the six-letter “E” word. It takes some effort. But, if you have a passion for learning all things wine, then that effort should be something like trudging across a sandy beach with your woody surf board on your back, just to catch and ride that perfect wave. In other words, the effort is just temporary and definitely worth it in the whole scheme of things.

So, what does it take to be a self-educated wine guru? In a basic sense, it only takes one thing: a willingness to get to know wine. Once you have that, all the rest is relatively easy. So…I’m assuming you have that one-point-that-all-else-hangs-on. If not, stop reading this article. You’re wasting your time.

Okay, now that I’ve weeded out those half-hearted wishy-washy winers (insert an “H” between the “W” and “I” if you wish), let’s get started. This article will be something like the first class of a semester long course. I’m not going to cover too many details at this point. In my next installments, however, we will get into some (notice the word “some”) wine specifics. Don’t fret, it won’t hurt one bit. �

Now, that being said, I will be frank with you. I am no vino sommelier. I am a self-taught wine enthusiast. And I have a long way to go before I even come close to catching up with those incredible wine erudites. If you want professional, specific wine knowledge, then sign up for this website’s wine classes. My purpose is not to teach you everything under the sun about wine (not even close); just the basics, and then maybe some bonus material. I’m just here to whet your wine appetite.

So, stay tuned until the next blog. And be prepared to learn about wine!