Like many other things in life, the more you know about wine, the more you can enjoy it. Much like your favourite sport, if you didn’t understand the basic rules you wouldn’t enjoy it as much.
Here are a few quick and easy ways to improve your basic knowledge without getting overwhelmed.
- Read.
I recently came across Cathy Marston’s book Love your wine; she is regular on food24.com, the Cape Times and Wine Spectator. Just the title made me want to buy the book; I really love my vino! But like many of you I am a bit nervous when it comes to talking about or to have an opinion on wine, for the sake of sounding stupid!
- Winetastings.
Whatever you do, taste as many wines as you can, this way you will get know which ones you prefer. An easy way is to Join Cape to Grape Wine Tours they have a fun and comfortable approach and offers many different routes and farms to choose from. A great tip from @DearDara is to taste two similar wines at the same time.
Enjoying Le Pommier Wines in the Cape Winelands in a rustic Vineyard atmosphere just outside Stellenbosch.
- Do your research.
Have a look at Pinterest for easy to read infographics, with tips on a variety of topics as well as pairing advice. Follow some Wine Buffs on Twitter, they are passionate about wine and often have a lot of wisdom to share.
- Start a Wine club.
Starting a wine club is the perfect excuse to set aside time every month to spend with your friends. Not only can you and your friends enjoy interesting conversation and great company, but you can also learn about many different kinds of wine.
- Play a Game.
SimVin – The Winery Simulation Game
VinTriv – The Wine Knowledge Trivia Game
Wine Quizzes Many wine publications have weekly quizzes
- Take a wine tasting course.
Cape Wine Academy, The International Wine Education Centre or The Wine School are some institutions that have various options to choose from including distance learning.
Whatever you do, enjoy every sip!
Do you have any tips to share?