My First Post

Hey all,

I just wanted to introduce myself. I am new to the forum and look forward to learning from all of you experts. My name is Walter Yehl and I am a recent college graduate looking to learn more about wine. I hope I am in the right place!


Cheers,

Walter

Welcome. If you want to learn more about wine you are sort of in the right place. You can talk/read/write about it here.

But you also need to do plenty of drinking!

[David M. Bueker]

Welcome Walter.

What have you tried so far that you have liked? That's usually a good jumping off point for discussion.

Welcome Walter.

Indeed, welcome!

Best
Rogov

Yup, the right place. Reading back through old posts will teach you a lot. Staying current on active threads will keep up up to date on what's out there now. Welcome!

Walter
Indeed welcome!
Don't get too bought into the idea that old hands here are experts. I wouldn't call myself one and I'm sure many others would say the same. We may have some experience, but we remain forever on a learning curve (and in this instance the learning is no chore ).

regards

Ian

Hi Walt! Make yourself at home in our little corner of the Webiverse.

And another from me - welcome, Walter! Hope you enjoy it here and please do not hesitate to share your thoughts and impressions on the wines you drink.

[Jenise]

but we remain forever on a learning curve (and in this instance the learning is no chore ).
Ian

Indeed, and that's why wine is so endlessly fascinating.

Walter, welcome!

Welcome Walter.

What have you tried so far that you have liked? That's usually a good jumping off point for discussion.

Well, some of the different wines I have liked (and I am not sure if these are just the types of wines that newbies tend to like) are Chardonnay for white and the Cabernet and Merlot for the reds. I have specifically been enjoying California and Chilean Cabs.

I am currently enrolled in a wine and cheese class and we went through Pinot Noir and I am not a big fan of that, but maybe in time...

What are some of the things some of you all are enjoying lately?

I am a recent college graduate looking to learn more about wine.

Well, some of the different wines I have liked (and I am not sure if these are just the types of wines that newbies tend to like) are Chardonnay for white and the Cabernet and Merlot for the reds. I have specifically been enjoying California and Chilean Cabs.

I am currently enrolled in a wine and cheese class and we went through Pinot Noir and I am not a big fan of that, but maybe in time...

Wow. You sound exactly like I did in 1991. Recent grad, taking a wine appreciation course, found I like Cab a lot. No use for Pinot. If you are brewing your own beer we really need to talk.

About Pinot. If you are really like me at your age then it will come. I really did not like Pinot back then. Hated it in fact. But I kept trying it and once you find the good ones you understand why it draws the wine geeks like moths to a flame. I have had more epiphanies with Pinot than all other wines combined. Sure most of have been burgundy but not all. There was a Martinelli Pinot from probably 1995 that was the only wine that I can say I actually tasted a bit of ham and in a good way. Yet to really understand the allure of Pinot you have to try burgundy. As a recent grad this is not within your budget so look for tastings in your area or within reasonable driving distance. I started to understand the allure of Burgundy at a pre-auction tasting in 1994 where a 1991 Leroy Musigny and a 1955 Leroy Volnay were out for tasting. There were two epiphanies that day yet I still resisted the call of Pinot for another 15 years. Until this year, my cellar was probably less than 5% pinot. I have fixed that problem this year at great expense but am much happier for it now.

Continue to buy what you like but never pass up a chance to taste anything. At your age and just starting your journey there is no telling where it may lead. My brother found wine on his own and found he has a distinctly different preference than I do. Its all good and it makes for a lot of fun when we get together each wanting to open our treasures and convince the other our taste is better than his but its all distinctly personal and I really love trying his favorites to try and understand both the wines and my brother just a little bit more.

[Well, some of the different wines I have liked (and I am not sure if these are just the types of wines that newbies tend to like) are Chardonnay for white and the Cabernet and Merlot for the reds. I have specifically been enjoying California and Chilean Cabs.

Welcome, Walter! And congratulations that you seem to have gone directly for the Chard and Cab and passed right over the Lancers Rose, which is where I was at your age. You are already ahead of the game.

Welcome Walter.

Unfortunately the times are rough. When I was your age in the 90's I could find a Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 1990 in the grocery store for 25 bucks. Now, all I can find in the grocery store are cheap, mass produced Australians and Chileans (thanks in part to the Iraq war which made liking anything French "unpatriotic"). Greed has set in. In the 60's and 70's you could find a fine Bordeaux for 3 dollars. Now Bordeaux from a good vintage easily reaches 200 bucks which is prohibitive for any normal middle class dude. Especially considering Bordeaux chateau usually produce something like 400,000 bottles - hardly an artisanal product. The problem is there are too many industrial wines around that have nothing to do with passionate wine-making. I recommend you look for Kermit Lynch imports. He has respect for wine as a craft and imports artisanally made wines. Just look on the back label. I also recommend reading Kermit Lynch's Adventures on the Wine Route. Great book. Encapsulates what wine is all about. It may be a little advanced for you at this point, but its good to have in your wine library. Remember, wine is a chemical product. Most big wine companies adulterate their wine with all kinds of additives which they don't have to declare on the label. Look for artisanal or family wineries - people who make wine out of passion not money. Don't be lured by the big names - look for humble, off the radar areas and you will get a good bargain.

Interesting post about searching for "off the radar" wines. Are there any nuances about the labels or bottles that will help me tell when shopping at a wine distributor? I am just now beginning to understand some of the big names in wine making from around the world and most of the time I cannot quite tell what is a mass produced product versus a passion product.

Any tips are greatly appreciated. I also love reading books to educate myself. What other books can you all recommend as good reads for education/entertainment regarding wine? I already have the "Wine Bible" and "Wine for Dummies". Those are my starting point (drastically different books, I know) and I am slowly working my way through each. Thanks for all of the positive feedback and great suggestions so far!

-Walter

Welcome Walter! As someone who started the path to wine appreciation at around the same age, I can tell you this: making tasting notes accelerated my understanding of wine considerably. Going through the process of thinking about the flavors and nuances of different wines will help you to learn the differences between them. But most important is, taste everything you can! And don't ever lose your perspective for appreciating simpler wines: its easier on the pocket book, and will allow you to really appreciate the exceptional wines when you have them.

[Jenise]

Well, some of the different wines I have liked (and I am not sure if these are just the types of wines that newbies tend to like) are Chardonnay for white and the Cabernet and Merlot for the reds. I have specifically been enjoying California and Chilean Cabs.

I am currently enrolled in a wine and cheese class and we went through Pinot Noir and I am not a big fan of that, but maybe in time...

It will; I was once you. Chard and cab were my first loves, and I detested Sauv Blanc and pinot noir. You'll change, I promise you!

[Jenise]

Oh, and re book reccomendations: buy either Hugh Johnson's Wine Atlas (presuming he still updates it) or the Larousse Wine Encyclopedia, I think it's called. Then when you go buy and drink a bottle of, say, Chianti, open the book and read about Chianti while you're tasting one--the wine, the grape, some history and origins will all then kind of imprint themselves on you while you're tasting it, greatly enhancing your experience and giving you something to take away from it.

Oh, and re book reccomendations: buy either Hugh Johnson's Wine Atlas (presuming he still updates it) or the Larousse Wine Encyclopedia, I think it's called. Then when you go buy and drink a bottle of, say, Chianti, open the book and read about Chianti while you're tasting one--the wine, the grape, some history and origins will all then kind of imprint themselves on you while you're tasting it, greatly enhancing your experience and giving you something to take away from it.

Jenise, I believe I saw somewhere that Jancis R. updates it now. In any case, that is THE book I'd suggest too...even if it is an older copy. It never gets old.

It will; I was once you. Chard and cab were my first loves, and I detested Sauv Blanc and pinot noir. You'll change, I promise you!

Or, at least, the pinot.

Yes, I'll definitely 3rd the Hugh Johnson. It was my first wine book.

Welcome Walter. Pray that you will never be able to appreciate Pinot, for the inevitable progression into red Burgundy will be the start of your financial decline. In the mean time just taste lots of stuff, AND don't buy large quantities of the first style of wine that you really like. Your palate will change.

PS: Don't let any of the Dr. L Riesling, or Aussie Shiraz haters get to you.

More book recommendations: As a solid (and surprisingly readable) reference I would recommend The Oxford Companion to Wine, Ed Jancis Robinson. But if you want a relatively slim volume to read from cover to cover, go for Essential Winetasting by Michael Schuster.

Regarding wines - I don't know how many white varietals you have tried Walter, but make sure you taste some of the "aromatic" ones - Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer. Nothing wrong with Chardonnay, but it is a relatively neutral grape, and the aromatic ones are quite different - Gewurztraminer in particular.

Ron and Sharon Herbst wrote Wine Lover's Companion and it is the easiest to use. Answers most questions quickly. I have worn out my first copy and am well into the Second Edition. Unfortunately Sharon died a few years ago, but the book, if you are only going to have one, is a winner. One of the few books to include pronunciation! Only about $15 at most stores. They also wrote Food Lover's Companion which will answer all those agonizing questions about food and kitchen related items (with pronunciation too).

Just pick up a copy of Hugh Johnson's latest edition (2009?) of the "Pocket Wine Book." It's small (i.e. actually fits in a pocket) comprehensive (at about 300 pages) fun to leaf through (whether you are an expert or novice) and a true gem; I believe you can get a good price by ordering it through WLDG!

marco