What is the best way to learn about wine, as a hobby?!
Answers: i would like to know more about how to pick wines and the best wines to sccompany food. I dont have a fortune to spend learning how either, so what resources would you suggest?
Lola drink what you like - wine snobs are boring old farts and probably kid on they are so knowledgeable because they drink so much of it. I usually say that I love Barolo which is a nice Italian red and it is tho' somebody else told me - then just mention a cheeky little wine that you bought from Asda and nobody will know the difference. Enjoy the tasting - don't spit it out - madness. I just drink white dry with a starter, red with meaty dishes, and a sweet wine like Sauterne for pudding. I know eff all about wine but its never put me off.
if you have sky TV go to channel 275
wine TV ,great
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Home/
Some colleges actually offer course on wine tasting. You should enquire at your local FE. The course will have a small fee of course but i'm pretty sure that the only outlay.
not a speedy remedy, i know, but local colleges very often have wine tasting/appreciation courses that you can sign up and go on...
Or they may be available commercially in the larger cities...
If you are doing this to impress your friends etc. Then you will need an in depth knowledge of grape, growing conditions, regions etc etc from all over the world, this is very in depth and takes experiance and time to learn.
If however you are doing it to learn what you like, to make buying wine easier, then keep buying wines to drink at home, study the labels and info on them. If there is anything you do not know on the label, then simply google that word to find its meaning. Eventually you will build a picture of the type of wine you like and be able to read the labels and understand the wording.
The really good part of this method is the loads of good nights whilst doing your research !!!! Have fun.
I would start with books on wine. Wine for Dummies, and "winelovers handbook" are great references. Join a tasting club at a local wine store or wine bar or restaurant. host wine tasting parties. make friends with people who are knowledgeable on the subject like bartenders and servers at nice places.
Go to your local wineries and attend the tastings. Or just try a different kind every week on your own at home. If you want to learn the terminology and everything, I'd recommend just going to several tastings. Many wineries offer free sessions, and many have websites telling you what hours to come to enjoy and learn about wine (for free). Also, many wine bottles tell you what food is preferred with that certain type of wine.
The #1 way to learn is to drink. Most local wine shops do tastings that are $5-10 for 4-6 wines so you don't have to spend a fortune.
Books will give you knowledge about regions and varietals and all that other stuff, but only you can decide what to pair with what you eat.
There are TONS of free sources on the net for knowledge. I go towards podcasts because I commute. Big fan of Wine Library TV. Fun show that helps you explore the vast expanse of wine in a non-threatening way. Early on I listened to the Wine For Newbies Podcast and got a lot of good general info, but the guy is a little dry.
Taking it you are UK based since this is where you posted.
You can sometimes find that some local MW (Masters of Wine) hold local courses that are really good fun and are anything but stuffy. Think about it, if tasting, writing and teaching about wine is your job would you rather have fun or make it dull??? QED
You could try asking in a local independent wine store if they know of any classes like this... failing that try asking in an oddbins.
Another option would be to go to the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (link below). They run more structured courses but they are all over the place.
I have done countless nights with a local MW (in fact going away this weekend on a big two night event) and have never spat a drop! As they keep saying, the most important thing is to DRINK it and ENJOY it.
In my experience there is more inverted snobbery about wine from people complaining and mythologising about wine snobs than the few actual wine-snobs I have had the displeasure to stumble across.
You might like to try this website...
http://thewineschool.com
Start off with general handbooks on wine, wine pairings and wine etiquette. This will give you the basics and will also explain why things are done in a certain way. Believe it or not, it has little to do with snobbery. Next, get a couple of books on regional wines covering areas like France, Italy and California. Money permitting, you can explore other regions like Australia, Chile, Argentina, Austria, Germany etc. There are also a lot of free web sites that will give you a cook's tour of wines by region, varietal, label etc. These are not as detailed as the books, but offer insights.
Studying the grape and all its products is a fascinating hobby, I've been doing it for close to 40 years and find there is always something new to learn about. I will let you in on a secret, only buy what you like, not necessarily what the experts claim is rated the best. Each of us have different olfactories and taste buds, live up to your standards, not someone elses. Remember this is a fun thing, not a course in snob appeal. If you can, try making wine part of your daily life, no need to drink a bottle a day, a glass is sufficient, the rest will keep in the fridge if properly stoppered. Lastly, explore all you can and make notes of your experiences. Hope this helps, have fun!