Different Ways to Learn About Wine
The best online wine store knows that wine should not be intimidating. This is a beverage to be enjoyed that can also lead to ever-expanding knowledge of so many areas like history, geography, culture, and even chemisty.
Highlights:
- Learn simple wine tasting steps to build confidence without memorizing jargon.
- Explore geosensorial tasting, a terroir-driven method that emphasizes texture and mouthfeel.
- Discover your Vinotype and why everyone experiences wine flavors differently.
- Find approachable, enjoyable ways to learn about wine that fit your style and curiosity and will help the next time you order wine delivery.
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Twenty years ago, a wine expert and author named Mark Oldman published his Guide to Outsmarting Wine. He rejected the idea that wine requires expert credentials to enjoy, noting instead that a handful of simple principles can open the door to real appreciation. The book made a bold promise: to cut through the confusion surrounding wine appreciation like a “samurai sword.”
Today, wine lovers have more options than ever for learning, and the best methods all share a common theme. And that is accessibility. Whether you prefer to start with the basics of tasting, dive into terroir-driven approaches, or explore your own unique palate preferences, there are clear, fun, and approachable paths to becoming more confident with wine. Choosing an amenable wine tasting approach will help you the next time you buy wine online.
Wine Appreciation Can Be Simple
The most important lesson is that wine should not be intimidating. You don’t need encyclopedic knowledge of grape varieties or regions to start appreciating what’s in your glass. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to pay attention to your own impressions.
Here’s a straightforward way to practice tasting:
- Look and smell: Swirl the wine in your glass, breathe deeply, and let associations come to mind. Does it smell floral, fruity, or spicy? Wine can evoke everything from apricots to violets, and practice will sharpen your ability to notice these impressions.
- Notice oak influence: A sweet or vanilla-like aroma will tell you if the wine was aged in oak barrels.
- Assess structure: Tingling on the sides of your tongue signals acidity. A puckering dryness points to tannins, much like in strong tea. A “hot” sensation reflects the wine’s alcohol.
When you put these impressions together, you will quickly build a personal map of the wine incuding its aromas, textures, and character. At first, don’t worry about memorizing regions or terminology. Learn to describe wine in your own terms and trust your senses.
Also Read: Wine Tasting Terms Explained: A Beginner’s Guide
Geosensorial Tasting
Another option gaining attention is geosensorial tasting, a method promoted by the University of Strasbourg in France. Unlike traditional analytical tasting approaches used by organizations such as WSET or the Court of Master Sommeliers, geosensorial tasting emphasizes a wine’s connection to terroir (soil, climate, and geography) over a technical breakdown or analytical chart.
This approach prioritizes mouthfeel and texture rather than cataloging aromas or flavors like blackcurrant, pencil shavings, or brioche. For example, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux will create a very different tactile impression than a Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Instead of focusing only on fruit descriptors, just consider how the wine feels and how that sensation ties back to its place of origin.
Advocates such as French wine educator Jacky Rigaux argue that conventional tasting methods often standardize evaluation, pushing tasters toward technical precision while overlooking authenticity. Geosensorial tasting offers a more holistic, intuitive experience, helping you connect directly with a wine’s environment and history.
For enthusiasts curious about terroir, the geosensorial method can deepen appreciation. This is wine learning grounded in pleasure and natural responses rather than memorization.
Or . . . Discover Your Vinotype
A third pathway to wine confidence is the concept of the Vinotype, created by Master of Wine Tim Hanni. His idea challenges the notion that there’s a single “correct” way to taste or appreciate wine. Instead, he emphasizes perceptual individualism: each person experiences wine differently.
Hanni explains that variations in taste sensitivity mean one person may find a wine perfectly balanced while another finds it bitter, acidic, or overly sweet. In other words, you are not less sophisticated if you prefer Moscato over Cabernet Sauvignon. There is no universal hierarchy of taste.
The Vinotype framework groups wine lovers into categories—ranging from those who gravitate toward sweeter wines to those who enjoy highly tannic reds. Recognizing your type helps guide you toward wines you’re more likely to enjoy, regardless of what critics or sommeliers might say.
Hanni sums up his approach to food and wine pairing simply: match the wine to the diner, not the dinner. The focus should always be on what brings you pleasure, not on following rigid pairing rules.
I’ll Do It My Way
The three methods above are basic wine tasting, geosensorial exploration, and identifying your Vinotype. All three highlight one essential truth: wine learning doesn’t have to be pretentious or overly complex. Whether you prefer structure and analysis, terroir-driven immersion, or a personalized approach, each path first allows you to celebratesenjoyment after you order wine online.
Wine should never intimidate. It should invite exploration, spark conversation, and reward curiosity. With just a little practice, you can grow your skills, build confidence, and most importantly, find more wines that you love.
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