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How to Learn about Wine
Not everyone has the opportunity to learn about wine as they grow up or by attending culinary school. For those of us who need to learn on our own, there are lots of ways to soak up information about wine.
Wine Tours
One way to learn locally is to visit your local wineries. Most wineries will offer tours, wine tastings, special dinners, and other events that will get you up close and personal with the grapes. If you like to travel, you can often squeeze in a wine tour somewhere in your itinerary. You can learn a lot by visiting various wineries across the country. They often have experts on hand to answer questions and teach you about wine. If you do not think there are wineries near you, you can rest assured that there are wineries in all 50 states. Hard to believe, isn't it? Each growing region offers its own characteristics to the grapes, which in turn is expressed in the wine.
Classes
Sometimes you can find a class about wine at your local community college in the adult continuing education department. Wineries may have classes for the community; even wine shops may offer classes where you can learn more about the subtleties of wine. Experts are often guest speakers and you may get tasting opportunities between the lectures. Senior centers and other community groups may offer a special event where you can learn about wine.
On Your Own
Many people learn on their own. You can study books on wine. There is a lot of information published about wine every year. There are also several magazines. Go to wine tastings and ask questions. You may find someone who will mentor you and teach you all that you want to know. Keep a wine journal and record your impressions of every wine you taste, including the vintage and winery that produced it. If you can, include a label from the wine in your journal. Some people form weekly wine tasting clubs with their friends so they can all learn together.
Wine Stores
Many wine stores will put on various events that showcase various wines they carry. Attend these events and taste the wines they are offering. Ask questions. Sometimes they have representatives from the winery in question that you can talk to. Sometimes they will put on events to teach people how to pair food with various wines. You can learn a lot from getting to know your local wine store.
Wine Labels
You can actually learn quite a lot by studying wine labels. You can learn the terminology used; this will tell you a lot about a wine right there. Labels should say where the wine was made. Was it in Australia or California? The label will have the name of the winery, the year of vintage and many other things.
Cookbooks
You can learn a lot about cooking with wine from the right cookbooks. Some cookbooks focus on cooking with wine. You will learn a lot by reading through these books. Learn how to choose the right wine for the right recipe and how to cook with it so your food turns out great.
