How to Taste Wine – 3 Different Types of Wine Books to Learn with
Since we`ve been writing about wine and the basics of learning more about it, I thought it would be appropriate to share some different types of wine books. I find that the type of book is often more important than the actual book itself.
The Wine Guide
These are some of the most popular books (and magazines) out there on the subject. They systematically review bottle after bottle of different wines from around the world.
A lot of people trying to learn about wine start with these guides though I`d recommend if you`re only going to buy one book on wine to learn the basics, skip over these. They are easy enough to follow and fun to read but don`t explain many of their terms and could skew you away from your own development. For example, if Oz Clarke (one of the `best`tasters in the world) claims there is hints of black cherry and you don`t believe so, would you be skewed to beleive his taste buds over your own? When you are confident enough to have that mental debate with the author, jumping in to these books can be a great deal of fun (though I reccomend you read about the wine you are drinking after you have come up with your own impression).
For those of you in Ontario, know that there have been a few books in the last few years dedicated to wines in the LCBO (our Government controlled Liquor Control Board of Ontario) which are nice luxuries since you know that what you are reading about is available and priced correctly in the book you are reading.
The Wine Course
There`s a massive range of books in this category – from `Dummies`books through to sophisticated courses with lessons and quizzes. This is a significantly expanding section of wine writing – be cautious of the overly `cutesy`books that are high on style but short on substance.
Kevin Zraly`s Complete Wine Course has been around for 25 years, sold 3 million copies and is updated annually. The most recent update includes mentions of Canada which is most exciting for me! Zraly`s book includes everything from tasting to reading labels to understanding wine regions and grape varietals.
I suspect that a high percentage of these books are purchased but not read through. The ones that are read through would have a relatively low retention rate unless someone is willing to truly study them (assuming the point is retention) as there is just so much great information in them. If you are willing to spend the time, this type of resource can accelerate your knowledge as fast as you are willing and able to learn.
The Wine Dictionary
I think many would avoid this at the start – though this is exactly what I would recommend to someone new to wine. You can learn 30 seconds at a time and use it to learn interesting things about the wine you are drinking at he time (learning about something you are tasting is much more fun than a straight book and retention will be significantly higher).
Consider the following words which are all taken from a single label of a bottle of Amarone on our shelf – all appear in The New Wine Lovers Companion:
- Amarone
- Classico
- Valpolicella
- Corvina
- Rondinella
- Molinara
- Cavaion Veronese
- Denominazione di Origine Controllata
- Sulfites
- Ageing
- Pressing
- Drying (before pressing)
- Breathe
The truth is I can figure out a lot of those terms without a dictionary but having a tool like tis allows each bottle to turn into a mini-course on the beverage. And what more fun to learn from than to allow what is inside your glass to guide you through the experience?
Our intro to wine series is just about over – hope you`re finding some useful tips and we`d love to hear yours.
Comments
I loved Zraly’s book. I’d also recommend Wine Journalism as a section worth reading. You can get familiarized with a lot of the terminology in a much easier to understand context. It may not be the best way to get a deep understanding on subjects, but it can make a lot of it less intimidating. If you want something Canadian, check out Red, White and Drunk All Over.