Food and wine go great together, particularly when the food and wine are both great.  Wine, not to mention pairing it with foods, can be a really daunting subject though, deep and complex and seemingly out of reach of the common person.  That's simply not the case, so why not make this year's New Year's Resolution to learn more about wines?

A great technique that the author has used to learn about wine is "wine of the week."  Sure, wine can be expensive, but if you break it down into something you're willing to work with, then the cost isn't so serious.  Buying yourself one bottle of wine a week in an effort to know a lot more about wines is really a small investment, particularly since you get to enjoy the wines along the way!  There are a few tips to doing this that are strongly recommended, though, to save you time and money:

• Buy and enjoy your wine of the week with a friend or small group of people.  A bottle of wine contains four to eight glasses (usually six, actually), depending on how you pour them.  If you have a small group of friends to have "Wino Wednesday" with, for instance, you can split the cost of a $16 or $20 bottle four ways and get it done on the cheap.  Plus, you get to enjoy the wine in good company and have engaging discussions about it.  You can also study faster by getting two or three bottles a week this way!  Knoxville might not be known for wine, but almost everyone here likes to get together with people, so use that as a jumping-off point.
• Get to know the wine expert at your local wine and spirits shop.  This guy (or gal - mine is a guy, so I'm going with "he" here) is your ticket to making good choices.  After a few bottles, he'll get to know your tastes and will quite consistently recommend you wines that you like.  If he's really good, he'll recommend wines that push your comfort zone and ease you into enjoying new varietals, regions, and blends.  Don't be afraid to try a few wine and spirit shops and talk to a few people before you make your choice.  Knoxville has plenty of wine and spirit shops with plenty of great people working in them selling great wines (Ashe's Wine and Spirits, which is known for wine in the area, very frequently gives excellent wine suggestions).
• Start out with generalities.  Ask your "wine guy," or the wine expert at your local shop if you don't have rapport with him yet, for some very characteristic wines in a variety of types.  Don't be shy to tell him your plan!  He'll probably meet you with some questions about what you like, and try to be honest.  If you don't know, say so.  If you have an idea like "sweeter" or "fruity," say that.  You have to start somewhere.  You should try one or two characteristic bottles of several varietals at the beginning of your study to get a clearer picture on what each kind is like.
• Once you have an idea, get more specific.  After you've tried several varietals or wines of several different wine growing regions, try several bottles of one varietal or region that have different characteristics (ask your wine guy!).  This is best accomplished in that group where you can have side-by-side comparisons of two or more bottles.  Wine can be astoundingly varied by varietal (type of grape), growing region, and a host of other factors.
• Get the book.  If you decide you're even casually interested in learning more about wine, then you should get a copy of The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil.  It's huge and will really give you some clues as to how to choose, appreciate, understand, and pair your wines.
• Keep a wine journal. Keep notes on the wines you try.  Be sure to list the varietal, region, year, and winemaker along with any notes you might have about it -- likes and dislikes, experiences, and successful or unsuccessful food pairings.  Try to be honest and describe the wine in your own language, not in the language you might read in magazines like Wine Spectator.  Take these notes with you and to your "wine guy" when you go to buy more wines, and he'll be able to suggest wines more suited to your tastes and that more carefully push your boundaries next time.

If you want even more specific information, then check out the articles by these Wine Examiners (and others!):

• Kasey Carpenter, a National Wine Examiner.
• Elissa Morrash, a Sonoma County Wine Examiner
• Laird Durham, a Napa Valley Wine Examiner
• Steve Ferree, a California Wine Examiner
• Julia Hollister, a Northern California Wine Examiner
• Diane Lettule, a Manhattan Wine Examiner
• Stacie Hunt, another National Wine Examiner

This article is one in a series of New Year's Resolution articles about cooking, food, and drink by the Knoxville Gourmet Food Examiner. Click the link to visit a central article containing links to all of the articles in this series.

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