NEW TO WINE

Wine is an absorbing hobby. The vast range of wine styles, the many thousands of different producers, the hundreds of different grape varieties, and the differences apparent between each vintage and the next all conspire to maintain the interest of even the most ardent geek. But this complexity, which in truth keeps us all novices, can be off-putting to the wine newbie.

Learn About Wine: my 'introduction to wine course' with a difference, in blog format

Go into any decent-sized wine store and you will encounter a bewildering array of wines to choose from.

If you are going to make anything other than blind guesswork the basis of your buying strategy, then you'll need some advice on where to start. But, in the world of wine there are many potential sources of advice—it seems that just about everyone has an opinion—and while many of these are reliable, some are not. Here, I try to point you towards wise counsel, and throw in a few tips of my own

• Oak
  all about the important effects of oak barrels on wine
• Wine's image makeover
  How it went from elitist tipple to drink of the masses
• Drinking well on a budget
  what are the wine world's best value bottles?
• Sweet wines
  An introduction to these unfashionable gems
• The wine route 2005
  What's hot in the world of wine, and how to experience it
• Introducing Port
  Wanna know all about Port? A guide to this unique wine style from Portugal's Douro region
• Good cheap wine
  What is the key to a successful cheapie? It needs to be 'dishy'
• 'You are always right'
  We all live in slightly different taste worlds: no one can tell you what you ought to like
• Taste blind and save money
  A slightly tongue-in-cheek look at how we sometimes pay a premium for certain labels and don't get extra for our money 
• Drinking not hoarding
  Let's not forget what wine is really for!
• Glossary of wine words
  Not as dull as it sounds: wine words explained simply, accurately and in an entertaining fashion - a valuable resource for those wanting to stretch their wine knowledge
• Oak: the inside track
  Why are oak barrels so important for wine production? Find out here... 
• All about vintages
  The vintage date on a wine bottle reminds us that wine is primarily an agricultural product, made in the vineyard. This feature takes a sideways look at vintages and why they matter so much. 
• Learning to taste
  You aren't born with a taste for fine wine. You need to train your palate to get the most out of this hobby: here's why...
• Being a savvy wine buyer
  Top tips for smart purchasing
• Serving temperature matters
  It really does make a difference. Honest!
• How was it for you? The mysterious art of the tasting note
  Jamie Goode's advice for budding Robert Parkers.
• Ten reasons why wine is such a satisfying hobby
  As if you needed any persuading to become a wine geek!
• Still a learner
• Journey into wine: a vinous metaphor
  Do you want to travel on the motorway, or take the back roads?
• Ten things that can impair wine drinking pleasure
  Some of the factors that can ruin that perfect bottle of wine

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SEE ALSO

The world's most interesting Glossary of wine words

Ten tips for wine newbies
Sound advice for those new to wine

Questions and answers from readers

How to drink well on a budget
My tips for the best value wine regions.

Why does wine cost what it does?
...and is a £10 wine twice as good as one costing a fiver?