I love wine, and am self-taught; learning about wine is as easy as drinking a glass and noting whether you like it or not. When I was looking for a Merlot to have as my go-to wine, I sampled many bottles of Merlot, in different price ranges. The one I liked best wasn’t the most expensive; it was about $7 per bottle, several years ago. I like yellow tail, from Australia; it has fruit and spice notes, which I like, and I discovered I like all their wines.
I was in Napa years ago, and in one day we visited six wineries. Note: don’t have wine and cheese for lunch when you’re visiting six wineries in one day.
The best thing about tasting so many wines in one day was that I found out what I liked (Chardonnay) and didn’t like (oaky Chardonnay). If you can, take advantage of a wine tasting to see what you like. If going to wine country isn’t possible, have your own wine tasting with friends: Select a type of wine (Merlot or Chardonnay, for example, and have each person or couple bring one in a variety of price ranges). For a blind test, cover the labels. Each person makes notes and scores the wines they like best. Not everyone has to agree on the “best” wine, and the most expensive wine won’t necessarily taste the best to everyone. It’s fun to try, and comparing notes will help you learn.
