Fun Ways To Learn More About Wine

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Last Updated on September 23, 2024 by Tracy

Unlock the world of wine with our beginner’s guide! Learn how to navigate wine shops, taste like a pro, and explore wines from different regions. Discover fun and easy ways to become fluent in the language of wine and impress your friends with your knowledge.

Many wine lovers spend a lifetime drinking wine but never take the time to learn much about it. They make safe purchases at wine stores, often sticking with the same two or three familiar brands or types.

If you have ever stood in a wine shop with your eyes glazed over at the sight of 8,000 labels or stared hopelessly at a wine list, you know that there are a lot of names and words. Listening to wine lovers talk can be a little bit like listening to a foreign language.

In fact, you can learn about wine in much the same way that you learned your native language: you start in the middle, any middle at all. Then you master what’s in front of you, and move on to something else. Don’t worry, lawyers learn the law this way, and the process is much less fun for them than it will be for you.

Getting an education in wine is easy and fun and it opens up a whole new world of wine exploration. So let’s talk more about how you can become fluent in the language of wine.

Pick a Wine Any Wine

You can conduct your own course in wine quite easily. Pick one particular kind of wine, California old-vines Zinfandel, for instance, or Napa Valley Chardonnay or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc and start tasting. Try to always have at least two different wines in glasses in front of you.

Recruit your friends. It’s remarkably easy to get people together for this kind of homework 😉

Notice the small differences between one winemaker’s version and another and jot them down so that you remember. Keeping wine notes in a special notebook is a great way to really hone in on what you like in a particular type of wine. You can use this knowledge as a roadmap for which wine to try next.

Learn as much as you can about the wine that you have chosen. The internet can provide you with a wealth of information, and so can your local bottle shop. In a month or two, you will know as much about that particular wine as most experienced wine-tasters do. Then it’s time to move on to the next type of wine.

Keep in mind that the cast of characters changes every year. Each new harvest or vintage has its own unique characteristics. That means that we all start out even each year so you can be on an equal footing with the masters. Just when you start to get smug, everything changes and you have to start again.

Start with Wines from California and the New World

Another easy learning technique is to pick a wine region and become familiar with the wines from that area. Wine stores are frequently organized this way, so it makes shopping for wine much simpler. California wine is plentiful, often affordable, and delicious. Wineries in the United States and other countries that are outside the traditional European wine-growing regions are referred to as New World wines. Start in the United States by sampling bottles from California, Virginia, Colorado, and Oregon.

These New World wines are easily accessible at the majority of wine shops, grocery stores, and liquor stores in the United States. They are also generally affordable and there are plenty of vintner selections to choose from.

Club Wines Provide Affordable Diversity

There are so many different amazing wine clubs these days, and that’s because they are wonderful ways to learn all about wine at a reasonable price. Once you pick a wine club and a membership tier, you will pay a set amount per month and have 2 to 6 bottles of wine delivered to your doorstep at your desired frequency. In addition to the wine, you will also be provided with a wine education on the wines that were sent.

Club wines are a great way to bring some diversity into the learning process without breaking your wine budget. Who hasn’t been frustrated by buying an expensive bottle of wine that did not meet their expectations? With club wines, the experiment is always at the same reasonable price.

Wine Tours

If you find yourself in wine country, wine tours are a great way to learn more about wine in that region. My best friend and I did a wine tour in San Diego, I have done several in Michigan and my husband and I recently did a wine tour when we were in Sedona. And one of our favorites was when we were in Beaune France. Wine tours are a great way to have an expert from that area drive you around and take you to some incredible wine tasting experiences!

Learning about wine — Page Springs Cellars

Once you arrive at the winery you will be given a tour of the vineyards, and then you’ll learn how the wine is made and where it is stored. Then you will head to the tasting room to sample some of the wines. If you find something you really enjoy make sure to stop by the gift shop and make a purchase before you leave. Then it’s off to the next winery on your tour.

Tasting Menus

Tasting menus are a fun and easy way to learn more about wine! You can find them at wineries and restaurants. There will be a set menu where each course of the meal is paired with a wine that compliments it best. This is a wonderful way to learn more about how to choose the perfect wine and food pairings for dinner parties at home.

Travel the Globe

Traveling will broaden your horizons and your wine education! When you visit a new place, be sure to sample local cuisine and wines. Visit their wineries, participate in a tasting and your wine knowledge will grow by leaps and bounds in a matter of days! Don’t forget to bring back some of your favorites to enjoy at home!

Find a Food & Wine Festival to Attend

Wine festivals are decidedly informal affairs where you can taste and purchase wine from vendors who are eager to educate (and sell) you on their products. For a fee that can range from ten to a hundred dollars, you get a glass and enter the festival, where a few dozen wine distributors stand in their booths barking at the crowd of liquor store owners, writers, collectors, and enthusiastic amateurs. Some Food & Wine Festivals to check out here in Florida are: South Beach Wine & Food Festival and Savor St. Pete.

On the tables in front of the vendors are bottles of wine and pre-printed sheaves of tasting notes (in case you want someone else to tell you what you tasted). Everybody’s willing to pour you a glass, and everybody wants to talk. It’s fun, as you would expect any festival to be. There’s the energy of people primed to sell, there’s the excitement of people out to taste 10 or 15 wines, and of course, there’s all that wine.

Learning more about wine is fun, easy, and benefits, not only you but those around you too. You may even find that friends and family start coming to you to ask which wine might be best! Don’t let the wonderful world of wines intimidate you, just jump right in and start to explore! The more you do, the more you are going to love it!

And when you are done with your wine tastings, be sure to check out all these fun ways to reuse those empty wine bottles!