Wine Knowledge

By Robert Sox
April 12, 2013 

Do you assume everyone else knows more about wine than you?  Feel intimidated if the waiter hands you the wine list?  Well, relax.  You’ve got lots of company.  After years of talking to customers coming through my wine shop, I feel confident pronouncing that most people don’t know much about wine, they just like it.  Sure, there are some who have jumped in head first and can talk circles around everyone else, but they are the minority.  Even among those who are regular consumers, once you step away from the basics – Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the wine world gets fuzzy. 

The good news is that in-depth knowledge is not required to enjoy wine.  If you stumble across a wine that happens to be exactly what you like, you can enjoy it every bit as much as the wine geek who knows everything about it, from the age of the wine barrels to the weather conditions for that vintage. 

When I hear a customer say, I need a good bottle but I don’t much about wine I tell them that all you really have to know is whether you like it or not.  Anything you learn past that is bonus material, but the payoff can be substantial.    You can cut the risk of buying a wine that you end up using for cooking only.  At a restaurant, you can pick a wine that you like and complements your meal.  You can feel confident that your wine gifts will make a good impression.

How can you learn more without feeling like you’re committing to a new major life project?  Here are a few ideas:

• Take a class at USC’s Wine & Beverage Institute at the McCutchen House.  Throughout the year they offer weekly night classes covering topics from wine basics on up.   

• Pick up a copy of a reference book like The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil.  The great thing about a book like this is that you don’t have to commit to reading it front to back.  At 904 pages, that would stop a lot of people.  Its layout makes it easy to jump to a section and find what you need.  Having a bottle of Argentinian Malbec tonight?  Find the section of the book that talks about the Malbec grape or about Argentinian wines in general.  Read that and you’ve learned a little more.  Keep the book handy and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to build your wine knowledge.

• Pay attention to what you are drinking and what you like and don’t like.  It’s easy to go to a party or dinner, love the wine, and leave having no idea what was in those three glasses you consumed.  One solution:  pull out your smart phone and take a photo of the label.  You can figure out the details of the wine later and figure out why you loved it.

• Confused about a specific wine topic?  Do a web search on Google or Bing.  As with any other topic, there is a wealth of information on the web about wine regions, grapes, specific wines, wine/food pairings…you name and you can find it.

• Attend as many wine tastings as you can, but again, think about what you are tasting.  What are the grapes?  Where is it from?  Think about how the wine feels in your mouth.  Smooth and silky, crisp, heavy?  Ask questions of the server.

For those who enjoy wine at any level, it is a hobby…a hobby with benefits.  Pursue your hobby by learning a little more and do it at your own pace.   Most people won’t aspire to be a wine professional or sommelier but learning even a little more will take away some of the apprehension and stress that are sometimes associated with selecting wines. 

Less stress is good in any arena, so have a glass of wine and relax.  Cheers!

Robert Sox
[email protected]

Native of Columbia, SC.  Returned to Columbia area in 2004 after being away for school and work for 25 years.  Undergraduate degree from Clemson and MBA from University of NC at Chapel Hill.  Owner of WineStyles Wine and Gifts in Shoppes at Woodhill since 1985.

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