How to Get Into Wine
As far as conversation starters go, asking someone how to get into wine will elicit a stimulating conversation.
In recounting their own stories, many people might point to wine-focused family dinners.
Others might mention an influential boyfriend or girlfriend who introduced them into wine.
Some people might suggest that books are the best way how to get into wine.
Getting Into Wine:Â A Book, A Class, or a Lover??? đź‘„Â
Others might recommend classes, such as the WSET or the Court of Master Sommeliers, are the best way how to get into wine.
Books, classes, and just casual evenings out at your favorite bar are all good ways of how to get into wine.
One book in particular, Wine All the Time by Marissa A. Ross, should be tops when you are considering how to get into wine.
Like her target of mostly twenty-something female readers, Marissa A. Ross–a comic by profession–wanted to learn how to get into wine.
Marissa – like some of her readers – grew up in an upper middle class California family. She recalls that wine was served during the family’s many dinner parties.
How to Get Into Wine
At college, Marissa A. Ross bought mostly cheap wine. When she was figuring out how to get into wine, one factor was understanding what made a cheap bottle of wine different from an expensive bottle. Share on X
To find out, she bought a lot of diverse bottles of wine and discussed their merits during an online, amateur wine review show.
Eventually, she got into wine formally by writing a book.
The result is an excellent wine education book Wine All The Time, even though Miss Ross underscores that she is a magazine lifestyle columnist, not a sommelier.
In the book, her mission is to help give people ways on how to get into wine by providing basic information about what makes popular wine A different from popular wine B.
How to Get Into Wine : Structure of the Book
Ms. Ross does an excellent job of revealing everything a wine novice needs to know her book Wine all the Time.
She comforts budding wine enthusiasts by tearing down the confusing words reviewers used to describe wine.She comforts budding wine enthusiasts by tearing down the confusing words reviewers used to describe wine.
What does chewy tannins mean, for example?
What does chewy tannins mean, for example? Ms. Ross explains that the term describes touch, rough tannins, a structure component in the wine resulting from both the grape itself, as well as long aging in wood.Ms. Ross also explains the process of intricate winemaking techniques, such as carbonic maceration, in a manner easily understood by readers. This is a technique winemakers use to more quickly produce wine meant to drink early, with no aging.
Curious what is meant by a chewy, satin, or silky tannin?**Best Wine Books Listed Here**
How to Get Into Wine : Understanding Wine Styles
In her book, Ms. Ross also takes care to explain how they produce how different wine styles.In her book, Ms. Ross also takes care to explain how they produce how different wine styles.
This incorporates red wine, white wine, rosé wine, and even the fashionable orange wine that is simply a white wine with oxidation.
She discusses the popular sparkling wine styles at length. Marissa even discusses fortified wine such as Sherry.
How to Get Into Wine : Understanding Wine Regions
Ms. Ross describes signature wine regions around the world. These include the French regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, as well as California’s Napa Valley.
How to Get Into Wine : Homework Assignments
Have you ever wondered what makes two Chardonnay wines taste so different from one another?
One reason has to do with the region it is from: French Chardonnay is quite different from California Chardonnay.
But a key difference is that Chardonnay is a chameleon grape. It takes its personality from the way it has been treated in the winery, as well as the vineyard.But a key difference is that Chardonnay is a chameleon grape. It takes its personality from the way they have treated it in the winery, and the vineyard.
As a homework exercise, Miss Ross asks readers to buy two different Chardonnay wines. One that has been aged in oak, and one that has not.
In most cases, a popular style of oaked California Chardonnay will have flavors and aromas of toast and butter.In most cases, a popular style of oaked California Chardonnay will have flavors and aromas of toast and butter.
This style typically sees a winemaking process known as malolactic fermentation (MLF) Â as well, so the wine will also taste buttery and full bodied.
The unoaked Chardonnay – usually vinified without MLF – will have a more overt apple character and leaner body.
How to Get Into Wine : Humor and Narrative Voice
Most wine books do a good job of providing information. Miss Ross provides lots of humor as well.
One sub-chapter, for example, is titled “How Drinking Commercial Wine is a Bit like Dating in Your Early Twenties.”
“How Drinking Commercial Wine is a Bit like Dating in Your Early Twenties.”In this chapter, Ms. Ross shares some wild dating stories from her 20s, that she somehow is able to compare to her wine learning adventures.
How to Get Into Wine : Summing it Up
Though this book has been written with a specific gender and age group in mind (women in their early twenties) the author has such a colorful, approachable voice – and such solid information – it can be recommended to all wine lovers.
Unlike a lot of wine books out there geared toward people who are curious how to get into wine, Ms. Ross never preaches. She never takes a professorial voice and instructs the reader.
Instead, she encourages readers to laugh with her as she recounts her many wine adventures.Instead, she encourages readers to laugh with her as she recounts her many wine adventures.
Because of the occasional off-color humor in the book, reader discretion may be advised. Yet for open-minded wine novices eager to learn about wine in a way that is not intimidating, this book is just the ticket.
**Curious about how the original Forbes Article looked?**
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About Author Marisa D’Vari
D’Vari contributes to Forbes.com, Financial Times, World of Fine Wine, Quarterly Review of Wine, Decanter Robb Report, San Francisco Chronicle, South China Morning Post, and more.
She holds the (WSET) diploma, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Wine Educator  through the Society of Wine Educators … to see it all, please click on bio
Here’s a fun video about the book
