Your Wine
LEARNING ABOUT WINE
By Leslie-Ann Sheppard
Last week a customer walked into The Cellar and asked me for a wine to pair with bouillabaisse. This particular recipe called for fennel, saffron, roasted tomatoes, potatoes and of course, plenty of fresh fish and shellfish.

I was hungry, which helped, but I quickly pulled those flavors into my mind to imagine which wines would heighten the experience. Sauvignon Blanc? Possibly a bit too acidic. Vouvray? Perhaps. Txocali? Too 'different'… she didn't seem excited about being too experimental for the dinner party. We settled on a wonderful 'Bianco' - a blended white from Sicily; even though bouillabaisse is a popular dish from Provence, France, it most certainly is Mediterranean cuisine. The Bianco would provide minerality and a sense of the salt air of Sicily to harmonize with the flavors of the food.

At times like this, when I am able to find several options and speak about the intricacies of each wine, I am often asked how I know so much about the wines. And, how do I remember all of the details?

Well, as a wine buyer, it certainly behooves me to know the product, so I taste almost all the wines I offer before buying them. I ask questions of the salespeople. I read about wine, and I travel and taste a lot. Every night there's homework to do; I'm just happy to say that I enjoy my homework. And I am even happier when friends get involved in the learning!

For those who genuinely seek more wine knowledge, I do have some suggestions. Reading is (obviously) a great way to learn. There are many, many books written about wine, and all aspects of it. I think it's best to start with texts that have broad scope - kind of like a 'survey' course of wine. Then, once you've had the intro, get into more specific regional studies. All of this reading should certainly be supplemented by plenty of tasting!

A good idea is to do some light research, either online or using books, when you are trying a new wine. Try to uncover the basics: the who, what, when, and where of the wine. Who is the producer? What is the wine - its name and its grape varietal composition? The 'when' refers to the vintage - the year the grapes were grown, and also, if possible, how long from the grapes being pressed, to aging, to bottling? And the 'where' would be the location of origin, as specific as possible.

Keeping notes is certainly helpful. I have several three-ring binders in which I keep scribbled notes about most wines I've tasted. Mine are

organized by the 'source' of purchasing the wine, so that I know which salesman to call when I want to order. I date the notes, and jot down the essential facts and my impressions of the wine.

If you really want to learn about wine, enrolling in a wine course is a good idea. I attended the Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center, a division of Boston University's continuing education program. There are many different courses available, there and at other venues, and they offer an opportunity to listen to experts, read, think and ask questions, and as a bonus, most of these types of classes include in the curriculum - yes, you guessed it: wine tastings. This is an excellent path to more wine knowledge and confidence. Actively participating with others, hearing different perceptions and perspectives is a good way to work towards comprehension.

Attending wine tastings can be as fun or as serious as you decide to make it. It is certainly possible to learn about the wine, particularly if there is opportunity to ask questions about the products. Again, taking notes is helpful to remember what you tasted and if you want to find and buy the product again. Many tastings are free, and it's a great chance to buy like the professionals, which is to say, try before you buy.

My final word on learning about wine is that it is a humbling experience. The more you learn, the more you realize you don't know. The world of wine is huge, and there are so many layers of history, culture, flavor, and people. This is one of the reasons I love wine; there is always

something new to discover. I

Leslie-Ann Sheppard is the proprietor of The Cellar, a wine and cheese shop on Surfside Road. She offers weekly wine tastings and has taught many wine classes on Nantucket.