By: Darin Szilagyi
Knowing where to start is a big hurdle for many people.
Wine is a pretty overwhelming topic. Just recall your first trip into a large scale wine store. Signs evreywhere. Bottles grouped according to some mysterious ordering system. Eyes staring at you wondering when they should present themselves to help.
That moment of terror is a rite of passage not easily avoided. But learning what to do next is just a matter of a little reading and sipping. Here's my strategy
Region, Varietal, Country.
Pick a wine growing area -it doenst matter where. Focus on one grape type at a time. For example , you could start with Sonoma Zinfandels. Try several types. Tastes the different winemaking styles. Make mental notes of your favorites. I spent my first full year as a wine lover in this stage.
Next move to other grape types within the same region. Maybe Sonoma Syrah next.
After getting comofrtable with two or three grapes, you've reached a good point to compare regions. Central Valley Zins, Napa Zins, etc.
What this approach does for you is it gives you confidence in at least one area. Its comforting to know that most people lack a depth of knowlege of more than a few countries and grape types. Master one area and you're in good shape.
