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Page 1 of 3  Making the transition to becoming a wine drinker is not as complex as people make it out to be. Over the years the enjoyment of wine has crossed the thresholds of income barriers and allowed people of all wallet sizes to enjoy the all too common arrogance of wine tasters around the world. Every expert wine taster had to start somewhere, and so can you. It's as easy as going to your local grocery store and walking down the wine isle. There are a few simple concepts that can help any novice begin enjoying wine.
For the un-initiated, there’s something decidedly intimidating about the world of wine. The wine experts out there are (seemingly) ubiquitous, and all set to pounce on any opportunity to ridicule us poor non-connoisseurs for our lack of sophistication. If you’re certain you must have missed that day in college where they went over "how to pick a wine and not look like an idiot," fear not: you’re not the only one. Forget about the wine snobs: no one was born knowing this stuff, and there’s no shame in admitting your wine ignorance. Welcome to Wine 101. Below, a brief primer to help you get started with your wine education … Basic types: Table, Fortified, Sparkling Table wines are what most of us think of when we think of wines – the non-carbonated, dry-ish stuff that you drink with a fancy dinner. Fortified wines are your after-dinner, dessert wines – higher in alcohol content, and oftentimes quite sweet, these are your ports, your sherries, etc. Sparkling wines are the fizzy wines, the most famous example being Champagne. Basic colors: Red, White, Blush/Rosé  Even the wine novice will notice right away that wines come in two basic colors, red or white, with a third option being the much-maligned pink shade (blush/rosé). White wines are made from white (green) grapes, or red grapes that have been de-skinned; red ones, on the other hand, use the whole grape, skin, seeds and all. Without getting too technical – because frankly, I’m of the firm belief that wine should be enjoyed, not analyzed in quasi-scientific case study – it’s important to realize that this skin-on/skin-off difference does have a big impact on the way the wine tastes. Leaving the skins on during the wine-making process produces tannins – the higher the tannin content, the more bitter and astringent the drink.
Most people have a bias towards either red or white. White wines tend to be more approachable – lighter and often less complex (not necessarily a bad thing), many beginning wine drinkers find them far easier to enjoy. Those who love reds, however (like myself for instance), think there’s really no contest, as it really amounts to one thing: red wines just taste more deliciously, well, wine-y. They’re fuller, richer, earthier, more satisfying … hey, I did warn you of my prejudice, didn’t I? At any rate, experiment a bit, and you’ll discover which tastes best suit you.
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