Best wine buying guides according to redditors

I'm going to actively try to avoid recipe books here in my links (that said, that means you're missing out on Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, Death & Co, Potions of the Caribbean, and The Joy of Mixology so.... YMMV)

Liquid Intelligence - IMHO must have guide on the technical aspects of bartending. This book is amazing and is the first thing I share with my coworkers that want to broaden their knowledge

The Drunken Botanist - In depth examination of the plants that go into making our favorite drinks, beers, booze, and sundry

Bitters - Has history of bitters, along with instructional on how to make your own.

Shrubs Kind of recipes but also talks about how to make shrubs and good proportions for them, which isn't super common.

Wine Folly Do you want a good intro-to-wine with good, clear reference sheets about styles and pairings? Here's your book

The Wine Bible Want to know way more than you ever thought you wanted to know about wine? This is what you want to be reading.

The Beer Bible - Same as above, but for beer instead of wine.

Holy Smoke! Its Mezcal Mezcal can be hard to pin down and I've found this one to be decent. Includes a table of things that were available in the US at time of publishing and the author's opinions on quality.

Vermouth - pretty in depth history on vermouth, focusing on its place in American cocktail Culture

Imbibe! In depth history of early cocktail culture, focusing on Jerry Thomas and the Bon Vivant's Companion

...I'm sure I could think of more, given the time. I'm trying to just delve into things currently on my shelf, and not in my wishlist.

Hey there! Fellow college student here. I’m not sure about your school, but I did some research with my school’s viticulture program, it eventually led me to working on some vineyards and learning the ins and outs. I would definitely recommend getting the Wine Bible or Windows on the World they’re insanely informative and helpful. Also, look around town for a wine bar, they usually do weekly tastings, if you’re in a bigger town, Total Wine does monthly classes and tastings a lot. Trader Joe’s has a lot of decently priced good wines, I would check it out, good luck!

https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/1563054345

Available on Kindle.

Edit: 2nd edition is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/0761180834/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

1. fame and trends are definitely a driving force, which don't always speak to quality. awards and designated quality level have an influence, but these can be misleading. italy is known for having certain top designations that were gained politically, not because of any outstanding quality that they were trying to preserve. winemaking factors can also affect price and often have more of a hand in quality. if the variety is fickle and difficult to grow, lower quantity means higher prices. manual labor is expensive so if you need to, say, hand-pick frozen grapes for an ice wine, a delicate process, the extra cost contributes to the wine's price. overall, lower yields generally bring higher quality fruit, but again with less product, prices will climb. at least the latter few influences are good indicators of better quality.
   
   
2. your palate will change and adjust over time. flavors and textures might impress you early on that you'll find yourself shying away from a year later. try different wines and don't get so hung up on what's better than what. people get so focused on finding the best wine end up chasing the one style they've deemed great and using it as a measuring stick for all else. a long way of saying: keep an open mind. also, wine is about the place it comes from so read up on what you're drinking or just find it on a map. it's a great way to travel from home.
   
   
3. oak does contribute much of the flavors like toast, smoke, vanilla, cinnamon, baking spices, caramel and on and on. the primary flavors attributed to variety are that grape's personality, which is then influenced by terroir, ripeness, vinification processes like lees stirring, malolactic fermentation or oak usage, so the range of flavors is vast and can be quite subtle.
   
   
4. try drinking wines side by side, even just two wines of similar style or origin can help you begin distinguishing the subtle differences in categories. tasting won't do you any good if you're not paying attention so try talking about it aloud or writing your thoughts down. check out How To Taste if you want some more specific guidance.
   
   
5. wine is completely dynamic. there are so many factors that play into even a single bottle of wine's maturity (storage, cork, temperature) let alone what was put in the bottle. wines built for longer aging have more tannin, acidity or sugar (influenced by variety, style and vintage) and sulfur is pretty much a must to age a wine to its potential. in general, reds can age longer because they have tannin but quality rieslings with high acidity can also age for quite a while. regular wine stores do sell ageworthy wines, but to know when the wine is at its peak is more of a mystery, a frustrating fact for many. some people double up on their wine purchase, and some even buy a case just to watch the wine mature over the years. others, like me, read reviews and follow CellarTracker.
   
   
6. newer barrels impart more flavor in the wine, but that's not necessarily a good or bad thing, it just depends on the style. for instance, new barrel usage could overwhelm the flavors of a delicate wine while giving structure and flavors of a heartier variety. barrels are reused, and with each usage they have less to impart than the previous time. eventually they are considered neutral barrels that have little or nothing to offer in flavor but do help to mature wines (micro-oxygenation and such).
   
   hope that helps, even if i breezed through some of it.
   
   edit: formatting failures to repair

I haven't read the book(s), though I'm aware of the trials. I know that the media presented the results as 'shocking', or as something which shook the wine world, but honestly I think most people who follow wine closely expected the outcome -- with some caveats.

Mainly, it's patently obvious that the price of a wine does not correspond, in any linear sense, to its quality. Is '05 d'Yquem (100 points WS) really ten times better than '05 Guiraud (97 points WS), as its price would seem to indicate? Having tried both, I certainly don't think so. But d'Yquem demands a premium not only because of its quality -- which is, admittedly, formidable -- but also because of its reputation.

Generally speaking, the 2005 vintage in Europe, and especially in Bordeaux, upset the pricing structures for a lot of wines, driving prices way up. It's something we're always fighting in wine, and it drives a lot of searching for value. The people who can afford to buy a lot at auction for $2.5 million really don't care where the prices go; the rest of us do.

Getting back to the Wine Trials, I don't always agree with the way that did their comparisons. Again, it's no revelation to people who follow wine closely that price and quality are only vaguely interdependent; critics -- notably Gary Vaynerchuk -- have been saying that for many years. That's not to say that you can buy a $15 bottle of California red wine that will rival an '05 Clos Des Papes; I don't think that's true at all. But more money will buy you better wine only to a point, and diminishing returns becomes a serious problem relatively quickly.

I would be more interested to look at coherent value comparisons. If someone put together a compendium of comparisons between like-styled wines in disparate price points -- say, French Chablis Grand Cru versus Australian Hunter Valley Sémillon -- I'd buy it in a second. Vaynerchuk did this to some extent with his book, actually, and I think he did a pretty good, if characteristically iconoclastic, job.

Great to see this message being spread in the NYT. I'm all for seeking out the rare, non-noble grape varieties.

I read the book that this was excerpted from (I think?) called Godforsaken Grapes if anyone else is interested in reading more like this. It was a fascinating journey through wines many have never heard of, hard-to-find grape varieties, and regions that don't get a lot of attention from wine media.

For your next gift holiday (birthday or xmas) ask for Johnson and Robinson's World Atlas of Wine and a rechargeable flashlight so you can read it under the covers when you should be sleeping.

https://www.amazon.com/World-Atlas-Wine-7th/dp/1845336895/

Let's make it easier for you by pointing out another good one! The Whisky Cabinet.

Wine can be intimidating, as there are so many different styles, and even when you find a great wine from a particular winery, it will still vary from year to year.

That said, there a number of ways to get into wine.

1. Take a class. I'm lucky being in California, as we have relatively relaxed liquor laws with regard to wine. There are all kinds of classes that will introduce you into wine and wine tasting.
   
   
2. Wine bars. Most good wine bars offer flights, usually 4 3oz pours of different wines. Find out what you like and what you don't.
   
   
3. Go to a good liquor store that specializes in wine, and ask questions. There are lots of good wines in the $15 to $30 range, and a good store will have someone knowledgeable you can make recommendations. Also, follow the recommendation on how to serve the wine re temperature, glassware, need to decanter, etc.
   
   
4. Stick with a style or region for a month at a time. Cabs for January, Pinot Noir for Feb, Chard for March, etc. Drinking similar wines will help you get a good understanding for each one, as opposed to jumping around from style to style.
   
   
5. Do the opposite and jump around from style to style.
   
   
6. Read a book about wine and follow its advice. The Wine Bible is a good one. https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/0761180834/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519175848&sr=8-4&keywords=wine+encyclopedia
   
   And most important, don't give up, as the more wine you drink, the better it tastes.

For overall wine knowledge: World Atlas of Wine is a wonderful resource and looks nice on your coffee table :) You'll learn a lot, and can reference it for specific things that come up.

Since you'll be working for a local winery, though, you're probably not going to be getting questions about how the presence of oyster shells in the soil affects the taste of Chablis. Your customers (ie: restaurants, stores) are going to want to know about your product. So read up on any literature the winery has to offer, and talk to as many people as you can who work there. What is the production process like? Are the grapes sourced from a single vineyard site? Is it aged in oak barrels, or stainless steel? What makes the wines stand out? How can I turn around and sell this to my customers?

Then as far as private events, I am 99% sure you'll get questions about food pairings. What should I serve with this? Would it work for Thanksgiving? So, do some research (tactile, sip and eat!) and get to know your product the same way your consumers will. Taste lots of other wines as well for comparisons. You'll probably hear something like, I typically drink Chardonnays, what would be similar?

And, most importantly, have fun! I used to have a blast running tastings, and I made the most sales by being friendly and willing to chat, and listen. As far as the lingo, you'll pick up on it the more you taste. It's an enjoyable challenge to describe sensory experience.

Hope that's helpful!

If you totally want to nerd out about it, The World Atlas of Wine is a good thing to have around. It's a great coffee table book. It's also large enough that you could use it as a defensive weapon in the case of a home invasion.

But seriously, Google is your friend.

• Red wine varietal basics from Wine Enthusiast
  
  
• Very brief comparison list of red and white varietals
  
  
• Or if an infographic is more your style...
  
  My rule of thumb is to buy something if I've never seen it before and it's a reasonable price. That way, it is either a positive new experience or a cheap lesson.
  
  Wikipedia is very helpful in learning about what you just bought or drank. In truth, Wikipedia is probably one of the best wine resources out there.

It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!


Here is link number 1 - Previous text "a"

Here is link number 2 - Previous text "few"

Here is link number 3 - Previous text "to"

Here is link number 4 - Previous text "get"



----
^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete

One of our mods - /u/ChampagneFloozy I believe currently works at an independent wine shop in NC and I'm sure would be able to help select some interesting bottles.

For a start on a book collection, it's hard to go past something like The World Atlas of Wine. The Oxford Companion to Wine is another essential reference book, but probably due for an update sometime in the not too distant future.

i would have never picked florence(or rome, venice or milan) to spend 6 months in, studying, it will feel claustrophobic/city like - whereas most italian cities are not (amanda knox was right in going to perugia - orvieto is also a great choice, there are other...).
ive lived in italy(am fluent in italian), and spent 2 weeks every year for the last 10:
florence has turned into a disneyland,
there's busloads of tourists cramping all over the place,
this has lead to higher prices and lower quality - of food and wine.
to a lesser extent, tuscany followed through, needlessly overpriced;
so my advice,
if you want to smell terroir,
and interact with italians,
and eat great and cheap,
you have to rent a car (or buy a vespa)and get the fuck out of it to umbria, abbruzzo, marche and emilia romagna.
it's no biggie because all are at 1-3hr drive from florence,
and there's wine and food everywhere (unlike florence with mostly pricy lower quality stuff, if compared);

winewise there are tons of grapes you never heard of that you only find in italy; table wine, cheaper than water in restaurants, can be excellent, so there's no need to order fancy bottles (in good restaurants the owners cook and know all wine producers of the region). food is taken seriously, ive spent hours on a meal in restaurants over the weekends and all you hear is people discussing food (and not politics). you will be mocked behind your back if you have a cappuccino after 10am, put grated cheese where you shouldnt, eat the cheese in the wrong order...
the wines people get here in the us, as commented, are chiantis, brunellos and super tuscans; but you can drink those over here. the italian foodie experience is eating at a hole in the wall in the only restaurant in a small city that serves only a few dishes, wines from the area and cheese. there are always very few ingredients in the dishes, the focus being on the freshness and preparation of it. coming from america, you will take a while to enjoy a strong pecorino(there are 100+ types of it) and a good cinghiale(prosciutto di parma is a joke compared to this), your tastebuds were taught to enjoy bland food. but once you get hooked on it, you will be very sad to come back and eat here. anyway, just write down the wineries mentioned by JANCIS, it's all you need to know for a 6 month stay. but dont limit yourself to visiting wineries - ive had equal or more fun visiting cheese, ham and olive curing, vinegar, or olive oil makers. and think before you go see ricasoli; over there you are just another irrelevant visitor and you will be treated accordingly; now, go visit unannounced a small producer off the beaten tourist path, and you will be bffs.

guidewise: if you are wealthy and a snob you could get the SLOW FOOD GUIDE for gourmet restaurants - i went to a few, liked them , drank well, but the most consistent thing about them was the high price. GAMBERO ROSSO (no! get the newest in italian you lazy) is the wine guide for italians - if this is your biggest interest while in italy, i would buy it, it's all you need - they are also selling restaurant/bar guides now . but the most useful for me has always been the good old michelin green guide; you can go with your eyes closed to any restaurant listed in there (even to the florentine ones) - they've been doing this for eons and they know food and italy. italians have their own tourism guide from the touring club; i find it terrible - i suspect some cities pay to be listed there as having something of interest when they got nothing.

most importantly, your trip will be a lot better if you study italian history and art so that you can tell the age of the things you see and put them in a context (depending on the time of the year: opera - to which i recommend the 3 part bbc series called "opera italia" -it's the best way to lose your hymen to a subject that is very popular over there and we here might think it to be bs when it isnt. the bbc also has 2 series from an italian dude called francesco that is also a good intro for you; one about italy (he visits the ricasoli - the inventor of chianti - since you asked about wines) and one about venice (which is better than visiting the city, imho)).

Drink This - Wine Made Simple - Great book for beginners

The Wine Bible

The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert - Seems like it's a joke, and it sooort of is, but there's some good information there, and the scratch and sniff thing is actually quite useful.

The World Atlas of Wine - Pretty much the ultimate wine book. If you don't want to spend that much on it, consider buying a used copy of the older edition. You can get it for just a few bucks. Obviously it won't be as up to date, but it's still extremely useful.

Pairing Food and Wine for Dummies - John Szabo is legit

Great Wine Made Simple

Up until recently I worked at a book store, these were the books I recommended most frequently to people. If you want ones about specific regions, there are some good ones out there too. These are all more general.

I HAVEN'T READ THE ZRALY BOOK THAT WAS RECOMMENDED, BUT I SEE IT RECOMMENDED OFTEN. I HAVE NOT READ "THE WINE BIBLE" IN ITS ENTIRETY, BUT I OWN IT AND IT SEEMS GOOD, AND IT IS ON AMAZON FOR ONLY $14 IN PAPERBACK.

https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/0761180834

General Reference:

Wine Atlas

Oxford Companion

Windows on the World

Specific Reference:

Vino Italiano

Wines of Rioja

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

General Reading:

Wine and War

Adventures on the Wine Route

Liquid Memory

Billionaire's Vinegar

Judgment of Paris

I second Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible as a great place to start. At 900+ pages for the cost of an inexpensive bottle of wine, it's a bargain no aspiring cork dork shoild be without. I'd suggest getting stick-on thumb tabs and labeling each country chapter for fast reference. You don't have to attempt to tackle the whole thing like a novel. Just pick a region that interests you and really concentrate on learning that region by tasting along with reading. That, inevitably will lead to more specialized books and inquiries about specific regions and time periods. Even though it's only a dozen years old, the Wine Bible could already use an update, but IMO, it's still one of the best intro to wine books out there.

If you find yourself hooked on the regions and terrior and want lots more, another one for mapoholics that I'm really keen on is [The World Atlas of Wine]( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1845333012/ref=mp_s_a_1?
pi=SL75&qid=1348009527&sr=8-1). You could think of it as a second year course, or a lifetime reference.

As has already been said, start trying different varietals and learn your general preference ... much like beers, there can be great differences between regions and/or styles. "Learn what you like" is basically it... and it will take a while and a bit of investment.

If you're close enough to a decent wine country, you can get a bit of experience (at least in that region) for not too big an investment... many will host bus tours that will take you around to a good number of wineries and tastings. Washington State (Seattle/Tacoma area), California (Napa, Sonoma, Monterey/Carmel, Paso Robles, Lodi), Colorado, Northern Michigan, New York and Oregon are all decent starts... there are more.

Tasting in restaurants can be expensive (they often double the bottle price , though you can sometimes spot good/reasonable deals). Some states may have a decent corkage fee (ie. bring your own bottle). Good restaurants may also staff a sommelier, which can talk to you intelligently about your wine choices and pairings.

Some big cities might host wine bars. For example, I've seen Blanc et Rouge around San Francisco. Bottle price is about 30% over retail... but you can get the bottle "to go" and pay pretty close to retail price. And, of course, the staff there is generally pretty knowledgeable about what's on the shelves.

There's also the option of big stores like BevMo, and they'll often host tastings... or big sales (eg. Buy One, Get Second Bottle for $0.05 Sale) that can really help expose you to more wines.

Lastly, if you want a huge amount of technical knowledge, I'd recommend Windows on the World - "A Complete Wine Course." It's a bit of reading, and will give you an enormous amount of knowledge... some might argue "enough to make you too picky."

Most importantly, though... it's just learning what you like, and then enjoying it as you branch out and discover new tastes.

Here's a few books I've found useful:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0520276892/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1404722183&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0198609906/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1404722276&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1845336895/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1404722276&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

When you sign up for the Level I course, you'll receive a copy of Sales and Service for the Wine Professional by Brian Julyan. Much of the Level I course will be taught from this book, so it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with it.

I'm a big fan of the World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Janis Robinson, since it focuses on regions and appellations and explores wine from there. Great for getting to know the smaller sub-regions that you'll be expected to know for future exams.

I also have a copy of the Oxford Companion to Wine by Janis Robinson. It's more of a reference manual than a book you can read straight through, but if you come across a term or a region you're unfamiliar with, this will be a great reference.

I also recommend Karen McNeil's Wine Bible and Wine for Dummies for a more conversational, digestible overview of wine. They won't delve too deeply into the Master-Level details, but for Levels I and II, they'll help immensely.

See this link for the Level I syllabus and recommended reading list from the Court of Masters. Hope that helps out. I took and passed Level I about two years ago, and will be sitting for Level II this year. PM me if you have specific questions about the test. Level I is pretty easy if you've been working with wine for a while, so October/November should be an attainable goal.

Wine Bible it is https://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/0761180834

Here you go

Godforsaken Grapes: A Slightly Tipsy Journey through the World of Strange, Obscure, and Underappreciated Wine

Absolutely! I would definitely recommend The Wine Bible and The World Atlas of Wine (7th edition)

Nice!

Wine is such a fun rabbit hole to fall down into.

I'd recommend grabbing the book: Uncorked if you're interested in reading and learning more.


As far as tasting goes, you seem to like fuller yet not overbearing wines with mild-dryness. Check out some Jura wines to get started!

To help put a perspective on wine and it's place in the human experience I'd recommend Tom Standage's "History of the World in 6 Glasses". Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson's "The World Atlas of Wine"

Edit: Correction to add Hugh Johnson as Author

Is this the Wine Bible you're mentioning?

This book, The Cork Jester's Guide to Wine is one of the books I first read when getting started in the wine world. It is funny, engaging, unpretentious, and super helpful with tasting profiles. It really helped me. Hope it helps you, too!

These will keep you busy (and, I hope, enlightened) for a while:

The Science of Wine: Extremely useful for explaining such phenomena as corked wines, volatile acidity, "red wine gives me headaches," etc.

The Wines of Burgundy.

Bordeaux

Vino Italiano

World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine

James Halliday's Wine Atlas of Australia

John Platter's South African Wine Guide

Wines of South America Monty Waldin is a bit eccentric for my tastes, but he knows what he's talking about.

The Wines of Spain This is due for revision (last one was 2006), but still excellent.

I have yet to find a satisfactory all-around book on German wines. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Definitely agree with this, no substitute for experience. Maybe join a wine tasting group, or food and wine group (I learnt loads from one of these, I miss it), do your own blind tastings etc. Wine is very experiential. You can read stuff and learn about grapes and techniques and all sorts of things but at the end of the day you need to get out and open a few bottles.

That said, this book by Jancis Robinson is pretty good, why not start there? Or maybe this one by Michael Schuster. Either way you'll only get 'advanced' but actually tasting wines (and probably taking notes as you go).

Wine:

Windows on the World - Kevin Zraly

The Wine Bible - Karen MacNeil

The World Atlas of Wine - Hugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson

Cooking:

The Professional Chef - The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America book page on Amazon

The Flavor Bible - Karen Page

The Wine Bible by Karen McNeil is the go to book as far as I'm concerned. You can find used ones online for like $3 if you want. It has tons of (almost too much) info, but you can skim the parts that aren't the heavy hitters or stuff that doesn't interest you.

I also enjoy pestering Sommeliers, not only because they love talking about it, but it kills time when it's slow. Most are super passionate, some just get too specific when you want to know basic stuff, or ask dumb questions.

I've been looking for something similar. I have read Tasting Beer and am currently reading Tasting Whiskey. I love the format of both of them.

Most wine books I've found are much easier to read by section as a reference than to read straight through. If you've looked at the Oxford Companion to Beer, a lot of them are kind of like that (and not just the Oxford Companion to Wine).

In order of most narrative to most reference I recommend:

Wine for Dummies (not kidding, nor to be confused with An Idiot's Guide to Wine)

Kevin Zraly's Windows on the World Complete Wine Course (reminds me of Bernstein's Complete Beer Course)

The Wine Bible

The World Atlas of Wine

The Oxford Companion to Wine

I once tried to read A Beer Drinker's Guide to Knowing and Enjoying Fine Wine. I couldn't read much of it because its tone seemed a little too... forced conversational.

The current edition of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book.

I suggest going to Barnes and Noble, flipping open Wine Spectator and look at their Best Under $10 list. Buy those, research basic info, drink, make notes, rinse and repeat. You can find a best list pretty much anywhere, I just say Wine Spectator because of accessibility. Also, the November issue will be the Top 100 best in the world, and probably a Top 100 on value.

Good luck.

P.S. Buy this book, it will help a ton.

If you read one book to learn wine, make it this one. No offense to everyone leaving long comments, but if you're new to wine it's good to know the basics before listening to people offer their opinions. For example, there's no way to group wines produced from certain grapes as smooth or fruity or spicy. This has more to do with the the winemaker's own style and the age of the cuvee than the specific grape.

I do! I was just talking about some books on bubbly.
For a reference across a wide spectrum with inputs from experts:
https://www.amazon.com/Christies-World-Encyclopedia-Champagne-Sparkling/dp/1402772246

Christies will give you a look that I find to be an inch deep and miles wide. But it might help you narrow down producers that might be similar in style, and within a price range you like.

I recently finished:
https://www.amazon.com/Bursting-Bubbles-History-Champagne-Growers/dp/1846892546/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505954012&sr=1-1&keywords=bursting+bubbles

It was a VERY interesting perspective on Champagne. The philosophy presented compares Champagne to other 'great wine of France'. Paramount to the authors POV, champagne does not really have terroir and that most of what you're getting in the bottle is all technical wine making... Maybe even similar to bulk 'critter' wines in some respects on how fruit is mostly purchased and wines blended to produce a consistent product, year on year.

But more to your question, it gives some cool insights into some of the most prolific of the 'grower' movement in champagne. Wines that in some cases people might consider... very un-champagne.

My introduction to wine course used Windows On the World Complete Wine Course. Excellent book because it starts with the basics and gives a good foundation to build on.

Surround yourself with people that are as enthusiastic about it as you. It will make it so much easier to study and retain information if you have people around you that you can talk to about it. As far as books go, I use 3.

Exploring Wine for extensive base knowledge of laws and history.

The World Atlas of Wine for maps of every wine producing area in the world.

Wine Lovers Companion for glossary terms and definitions.

If you can afford to, a subscription to Guild Somm will be so incredibly helpful. Wine law is updated as it comes out, news and podcasts about latest trends in the industry, lots of like minded folks to discuss stuff with. It's a fantastic tool.

Lastly, don't get intimidated. It's a big BIG BIG world of wine, larger than most people assume, but it's beautiful once you're immersed in it.

> I do decant my wine, but also sometimes use the magic decanter to see the difference in taste. Are the magic decanters frowned upon here?

I had to google this because they are marketed differently here and not called magic decanters. But I have used them when I used to work behind tasting bars. They do a little bit of aerating in my opinion, but I tend to just go with the old fashioned decanter. It's all personal preference.

> If there's any popular books you know of which are easy to read (i.e. more for beginners) then please let me know.

Are you thinking of just tasting books, to help you get in the swing of things? If so, here are a few:

• How To Taste
  
  
• Wine: A Tasting Course
  
  
• Wine Folly - this one is basically a lot of infographics and so it may not be as helpful on its own but in conjunction with one of the others it's good
  
  These are good starter books. Once you get the hang of it, invest in the Oxford Companion or other lovely tomes that may be a bit dense at the moment.

I don't know how seriously you want to take it, but Jancis Robinson wrote an awesome book on wine tasting called How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416596658/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_B2x9wbQJK15HZ) that really helped me develop a better understanding and vocabulary as to what I was really tasting. Which in turn helped me appreciate and enjoy both wine and beer a lot more.

Also yeah, as mentioned by others, most of it is just finding what you like and developing your taste in that area and kind of branching out from there. So basically: just drink more beer. But that's my solution to most things.

Wine For Dummies is a great option to create a solid foundation of basic wine knowledge. It costs about $15 + shipping on amazon for a new version, but I'm sure you could find a used copy at a local book store for much cheaper.

http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Dummies-Ed-McCarthy/dp/0470045795/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

The three books I found most helpful that aren't super expensive:

For General Knowledge:

Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine

For Tasting:

How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine

For More Detailed Knowledge of Regions:

The Wine Bible

You can get those three for $50 total and if you read through them and do some of the things they say, and try some of what is mentioned, you will notice yourself getting really informed really quickly.

After a few months with these books, you can branch out to the more expensive and more specific books of which there are many.

There's a small book that I recommend to people that I think explains a lot about wine without sounding pretentious or overly complex.

Here's the book, by Simon Woods. It's pretty humorous and a bit cheeky, but it basically informs you about the main wine varietals, the do's and don'ts of wine, plus how to be an informed buyer of wine without breaking the bank or being a douche about it.