Cork Dork: Getting the most out of wine classes

Recently, I wrote a little rant about the problems I have with rating — and even worse, buying — wine by numbers. If there was any doubt about the depths of my disdain for the 100 scale, hopefully they’ve been handily dispelled.

My gripes aside, the popularity of wine-by-the-numbers points to a deeper issue for the wine lovers. There’s a lot of wine out there, much of it is plonk, and everybody’s been suckered by slick marketing and pedantic salespeople. Now finding the right wine merchant — somebody passionate, with expansive knowledge, who is happy to work with your taste — that’s when you strike gold as a wine lover.

That being said, even the most heroic wine merchant can’t help you explore all the nooks and crannies — and can’t help you order the right bottle of wine at a restaurant or pick that perfect pairing for your unexpected dinner guests. The solution: wine classes.

I know I just lost about 25 percent of my readers: Classes probably sound a lot like work. But wine classes, when they’re done right, involve drinking (err ... tasting) a lot of wine. Can you think of a better way to figure out what you like and don’t like about a product that is almost entirely defined by the joy it brings you when you drink it?

Wine classes come in all shapes and sizes, but many of them are just conduits for wine sales. If you really want to learn about wine, to learn about your own likes or dislikes, here are a few things to lookout for when you’re considering signing up for a wine class:

Anybody pouring more than six wines isn’t interested in helping you learn — they’re trying to get you tipsy so that they can squeeze a big sale out of you.

Look for businesses — wine shops, restaurants, and culinary institutes — that offer classes consistently. In general, wine classes aren’t a big money maker. A business that offers them consistently is most likely doing so because they have a genuine interest in cultivating well-informed wine consumers.

Start with the basics. You don’t need a doctorate in viticulture to find enjoyment in a glass of wine. That being said, a bit of information and some time spent tasting alongside a wine educator will pay huge dividends when it comes to making selections, or guiding a sommelier or shop clerk toward regions and varieties you might enjoy. Start with basic wine appreciation — component tastings, food and wine pairing classes, and basic regional classes. These will give you a great foundation not only in terms of making informed purchases, but in terms of contextualizing your wine drinking, and pointing you toward new regions and grapes to enjoy.

Pay attention to the vocabulary and ask lots of questions. If a wine educator doesn’t distill wine vocabulary for you, don’t hesitate to ask them a lot of questions. As a matter of fact, experienced wine educators should encourage questions and afford you ample time to discuss some of the more technical aspects of wine appreciation.

The more adventurous you become, the more rewarding your wine drinking will become. Don’t be afraid to take classes that might shatter your long held assumptions about a particular variety, style or region. Either you’re going to find something entirely new to enjoy, or you’re going to know categorically what you don’t like and why.