Anyone who goes beyond the occasional glass of house wine is bound to begin to wonder how to make sense of the world of wine. Literally millions of labels come from dozens of countries. The selection at the most ordinary liquor or grocery store can be a bit much to comprehend. Many folks respond by picking out one or two favorites and drinking them regularly. This is a bit like the eight year old whose dining repertoire is confined to macaroni and cheese, he is assured of what he is getting, but hardly expanding his range. Another approach is to chase after whatever has most recently been touted in the press. The shops are full of people looking for whatever has just been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, or some other media source. Unfortunately this puts one in competition with every other impressionable soul who saw the same hype. It also gives immense power to any hack that can get his stuff published. Wine knowledge comes best from tasting and enjoying wines. Try wines that present themselves, and follow each path that seems attractive. Consider every wine you try in a fresh light. Taste for yourself and inform yourself about what you taste.

With each new wine make note of the producer and region of origin. Noteworthy wines are proud of their heritage. Of all the facts on a label, the producer’s name is the most important. Some “trademark” wines, which are sold solely on the strength of advertising and publicity, may be enjoyable, but they can hardly enlighten the taster about their home region and growing season. They are essentially anonymous. Look to the label for who made the wine, where, and when. If a wine pleases you, you should be eager to try others from the same producer or same region. Yes, the grape type (e.g. Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, etc.) can enter into this formula as well, but who and where usually take precedence.

If you enjoy wines from a particular winery, it makes sense to learn more about them. The best source of information about producers is the Internet. Look for the winery’s own web site, not some guru’s list of ratings. Find out what they think is important to tell about their wines. If they speak about vineyards of origin and techniques of production you can begin to learn what may have led to the qualities you enjoyed. If they feature flashing images and flowery phrases you can perhaps make some observations about their constancy of purpose. True, flashy presentation may accompany real substance, but be sure to look for the substance.

If you enjoy wines of a particular region it makes sense to learn a bit of geography. In fact, to a large extent, the more narrowly a wine defines the source of its fruit, the more interesting and engaging it is likely to be. It’s true that a lousy wine can come from a tiny well-defined place, but indifferent wine usually remains rather veiled as to origin. Most of the world’s truly great wines are very specific about their exact source. The Internet can be helpful here too. Look for sites that represent growers associations or marketing groups. These folks are out to sell wine, but they tend to provide wonderful detail about the region they represent.

Grape type can also suggest a direction of exploration. Be careful here though. While it is the convention for many of the best U.S. wines to name the grape on the label, this is often true of only the least traditional wines of Europe. For example the best Chardonnays of France will name the town of their origin not the grape type. Furthermore the grape type often does little to define the finished wine. Climate, soil, winemaking methods, and aging often have more influence on taste.

There is a book, one volume that covers wine in an engaging and informative way. Hugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson’s World Atlas of Wine (ISBN 1-84000-332-4) is packed with well organized, accurate information, free of sales effort. It is engaging reading and well reasoned guidance. The introductory chapters should be helpful to anyone. Use the book as a reference. Use your taste as a guide.

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