Forgive me as I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum. However, I didn't see a search function.

In any case, I'm pretty new to wine. I just graduated from grad school. I've always enjoyed drinking red wine, but am finally starting to work now. So, I'll soon be able to afford buying some more decent stuff. So, what I'm looking for is the best way to get my feet wet.

What I mean is, how should I go about training my pallet to truly enjoy wine to my highest ability. So, an intro website, or a good textbook would be helpful. Also, some must-tries from various varietals might be good, too. Thanks in advance...

SHK,

Welcome onto the forums, and congratulations on finishing grad school.

First off, I'd order this book: Click here.

It's a great, no BS, non pretentious introduction to fine wine, and helps you figure out what's what regarding flavor profiles of the "basics" like merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet squvignon.

Also, something I've suggested before is to head to the biggest grocery store in your area and pick up every kind of Columbia Crest wine you can find. Make sure to get the Grand Estates series, as they are especially good wine in the 8-14 dollar price range. You can hopefully round up the six or seven whites and reds they have on many shelves. These wines aren't the best you'll ever have, but they do a consistent job of delivering good bang for the buck.

Get some friends, line them up, get some cheap wine glasses from Ikea or something and taste them, lightest (riesling) to darkest (shiraz/syrah). See how they differ from each other. Once you find out what you like, then you can branch out.

One thing, don't start spending gobs of cash on wines with big name labels, or come with high recommendations. Find out what you like first and foremost. Not every wine drinker likes all high end wines. I dislike pinot noir for example, which many wine drinkers love.

Also, you might want to register over at Wine Library. The environment is generally more nurturing for newbies over there.

Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by indybob:
I dislike pinot noir

and you put chocolate on everything and eat key lime pie with Alluvium. Some palate you've got there.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Board-O,

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:

quote:

Originally posted by indybob:
I dislike pinot noir

and you put chocolate on everything and eat key lime pie with Alluvium. Some pallate palate you've got there.

And, SHK,

Forgot to mention, fewer know-it-all blowhards over on the WineLibrary boards. Or stay here, if you don't mind mixing it up with the local talent.

The suggestion about Columbia Crest is pretty good - even tho you can find their wines in supermarkets across the country, they're good examples of the varietals. And the whites especially, are simply very good wines.

But you never really learn by reading or discussing - as he suggested, you really have to taste and there's no point in dropping big bucks initially anyhow. Many stores offer in-store tastings of a few wines on Saturdays or evenings. Try them and ask the people pouring to tell you about the wine. And if someone uses a term you don't understand ask what they mean. Not so much in the heat of summer, but in the fall, particularly around the holidays, there will be a number of tastings for various charitable causes. Go to those but do it strategically. In other words, don't go to each table and taste some whites and some reds. Decide what you want to learn and try to taste those wines. So if there are 100 wines, you might want to taste all the pinot noirs or merlots or whatever, just to see if you can understand the varietal. Or select some region, like Tuscany, and taste all of those wines. That way you'll get an overall understanding of a region or grape or whatever.

And as a hint - if you go to a really large tasting of several dozen wines, taste the reds first. People don't because they don't serve them that way with dinner, but generally if you taste some white that has super high acidity or lots of residual sugar, whatever red you taste next will be horrid.

Years ago I got confused by reading taste descriptors like "lead pencil" without tasting a wine showing that characteristic. Today we have the internet and I've always thought that if I were trying to learn today, I'd do it differently. You can find info on most any bottle these days, so when you buy something, try it, even just a glass, get some impressions and make some notes, and then research it. Books can be great for general knowledge but they can't possibly offer the same targeted information.

Whatever you do, just taste everything you can. Eventually you'll remember which labels made you puke and you won't try those any more.

Good luck.

sayhey, be careful from whom you take advice. After tasting some wines, you'll find people whose palates align with yours. If you put chocolate on everything, drink sweet pies with Alluvium, and dislike Pinot Noir, indyboob's your guy.

Good suggestions, guys.

I've tried quite a few wines. I'm just awful at being able to specifics like cherry, earth, etc. What I mean is, I've got enough experience under my belt to know the difference between a merlot and a pinot noir or a chardonnay and a riesling. I wish there was a local wine course, but that's what you get for living in a small college town in Texas I guess. Anyway, I guess I'll just get to tasting.

SHK,

Ok, cool. A hundred wine drinkers can make suggestions for a hundred wines that they think have lots of cherry, or earth, and you may or may not get cherry or earth notes in any of them. No two people taste a wine in exactly the same way.

GregT's suggestion to taste, taste, taste, is perfect. And, for all his shenanigans, Board-O's suggestion to eventually figure out who's palate alligns with yours is a great help when you go to evaluate wines based on tasting notes, in addition to scores.

I don't know how close you are to Dallas, but there are some good WS forum members who live there, and would be good resources for you.

As far as refining your palate, this video is wild, but if you have an open mind, you'll have a lot of fun if you run your own palate-training boot camp. Clicky.

Good luck!

seyheykid,

I don't remember if I read this somewhere or someone told me this but if you are trying to develop your palate you might want to try this. Go and buy a cheap pinot grigio ($3-$5), most in that price range are very bland without much taste. Get some fruit that are commonly associated with wine like plums, strawberrys, apples, cherry, ect.... Pour the wine into glasses and put the fruit in and let it soak overnight. The next day if all goes well the wine should have hints of the fruit in it. I have never tried so I can't tell you how good it works but you might want to give it try.