I want to become a wine snob.

I never thought I'd be a wine drinker, but I've recently doscovered that I like it. I want to learn as much as I can about what wine goes with what food and how it's made and all that. So please tell me what books, magazines, websites, etc. to read, and anything else I should do to learn.

[whiskeytown]

go watch "Sideways" and then ask yourself if you REALLY want to be like that...

if so, carry on....good luck. -

RB

[Blarg]

Wine critics are often hilarious, but there really is a heck of a lot of expertise involved, and you can't blame the wines for the posers. Good wine is really enjoyable stuff that can seem light years from ordinary crap, and well worth knowing a little about.

I haven't seen Sideways.

I don't mean "snob" as in I want to start wearing yellow sweaters and go around the room at the country club and parties and boast about my encyclopedic knowledge of wine. I just said snob for lack of a better term.

[ChipWrecked]

Anybody orders a [censored] Merlot, leave.

[whiskeytown]

then you SHOULD watch it - those guys REALLY get into their wines - I didn't know there were people like that who weren't alcoholics.

RB

[HDPM]

Taste as much as you can. Read as much as you can. There are a million sources out there. In my mind, everybody is on a learning curve somewhere. I put myself pretty low on the curve. But the nice thing is that you can enjoy wine regardless of your knowledge, and more knowledge will simply increase your enjoyment.

I have had no formal classes or training in wine, but wish I did. I have learned a lot by going to wineries and tasting and also trying to ask questions and get recommendations from informed people. Depends where you live too. It is a lot easier to learn quickly if you live in in san francisco than where I live. But you can still find places with wine tastings and you can travel. Also, at least my state allows direct shipments of wine. This can be a benefit if you live in a state that allows it or will allow it after the Supreme Court decision. If you find a good wine store and/or wineries you like, getting stuff shipped is a good way to go.

Wine spectator is also advertising their online course. I don't know if this is any good. The more I learn, the more wary I am of some of the pronouncements in that magazine, but the course might be good. And they did recently rate some wines highly that I have been buying direct after being introduced to them by a good sommelier at a wine store.

[Yobz]

I have a final in my wines class tomorrow...

[jba]

if you live in a decent sized city there are wine tastings all the time everywhere.

one thing about knowledgable wine snobs is they will just not stfu about wine, so just find some and let them talk your ear off. preferably a hot chick.

[Gunny Highway]

Well you've certainly got the name for it. Last time I wanted to buy wine for someone, I asked at the wine shop and they tried to sell me some real crap. I finally just asked someone I know and she gave me some really good advice. There have been a bunch of wine threads here. Just do a search. Lots of good info.

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
go watch "Sideways" and then ask yourself if you REALLY want to be like that...

[/ QUOTE ]

this made me laugh...so true...

[MrMon]

The problem with just reading about wine when you're just starting is there's no way to know what they're talking about without having tasted the stuff. And just going to a wine tasting won't work either, as you'll have no idea what to taste for. Plus, there are some wines that taste terrible to a beginner, yet are really appreciated once your palate develops. So, how to proceed...

You're going to need to find a good wine source. Any decent size city should have one. Find it. This will almost always be a wine/liquor store, not a grocery store. Talk to the people inside. Can they recommend a good wine for under $10? $15? Do they screen their wines by tasting and only carrying good values or do they sell any crap that comes along. And do they offer classes?

A decent wine source will offer intro classes for a minimal fee. Take one of these. Wine only, not food. That's for later. Pick something like Intro to Wine or Intro to France. You'll get a tasting chart somewhere along the line that'll help you understand what you're looking for. Then buy 6 or 12 bottles from your source. Good values from importers like Kermit Lynch or Robert Kacher. Try to apply your class, then go back and talk to your source, take another class. Then get back to us.

Basic Rule #1: Avoid anything starting with the word "White" - i.e. White Zinfandel, White Merlot, etc. There are rare occasions where those wines are appropriate/good, but odds are, you aren't in one of them when it's offered.

Basic Rule #2: When in a good restaurant (we're talking a bill of $75+ for two people) ask the waiter what wine is recommended for your entree. Almost no one can read a wine list and know what's really appropriate, and if it's a good restaurant, they should have a wine available by the glass that matches each entree. Modern chefs match food and wine, go with their recommendation.

Become a Pot Snob, it has so much more of an edge to it.

"That's mexican brown weed. Total [censored]. I wouldn't smoke it with YOUR mouth"

[Sponger15SB]

I love scotch, scotchy scotchy scotchy, here it goes down, down into my belly, mmmm mmmmm mmmmm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/WillFerrell.jpg/200px-WillFerrell.jpg




You are not allowed to drink wine.

Its good to have goals.

[Cancuk]

A good friend of mine is a Somalea (sp?), i've learnt pretty much everything I know about wine from her, or what she's recommended for me...(a couple books).

[Shajen]

sommelier

[ChipWrecked]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/aksooted/Uncle-Jemima-main.jpg

Uncle Jemima's fortified wine. Snobs might not like it, but it do get you [censored] up!

[Blarg]

Get yourself punched in the face before you drink it. You'll get high a lot quicker.

[ QUOTE ]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/aksooted/Uncle-Jemima-main.jpg

Uncle Jemima's fortified wine. Snobs might not like it, but it do get you [censored] up!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey, what you swattin at?