Eric Asimov's Wine 101
By Marisa D'Vari | April 12th, 2007 | Category: News | 1 Comment »In this week's issue of The Pour, Eric suggested that to understand wine, try wine. To wit, he called two wine stores, explained he was a neophyte, and asked that they suggest a mixed case of "starter wines" for $250.
Good idea.
However, I think that a neophyte should first learn to taste. I differ in that I believe it makes sense to have some basic foundation in wine before going the mixed case route. Here are two suggestions: if someone has a lot of money and not a lot of time, I recommend one of the three-day intensive courses taught at the Institute of Culinary Arts or Greystone at the CIA. If someone has a very limited budget, you can get quite a bit of knowledge by taking a class at WineSpectator.com
Or - for free - you can look around for a tasting in your area, and respectifully question the pourer (usually a rep or wine store employee) about the wine to build up your foundation of wine knowledge.
Incidentally, some great feedback on the aritcle can be located here:
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Tango Wine Company in San Diego, California has a few wine events per week where you can obtain plenty of wine knowledge. Tango has a relaxed atmosphere and great vibe. Check out their website at http://www.tangowine.com. Hope to see you there!