Tasting
“Learning” how to taste wine takes many different forms. My first real experiences were in a series of classes run by Andrew Pirie in the 1970s. Very interesting stuff because much of the material was from his PhD studies which pointed the way to Tasmania and Pipers Brook as a region for cool climate wines. One of the best Chardonnays I’ve tasted came from Pipers Brook. The vintage I’ve forgotten but the place was Hobart at the end of 1986 or 1987. And the taste was……well it is just a memory now. But Pirie’s lectures and tasting provided me with the realization that wine was more than liquid in a glass. There was stuff to learn!

And where do you learn. At the feet of the master, of course! And if that’s not possible then you read his book. Which book? This book. Buy yourself a copy. Buy a friend a copy. Include a little note that says:

The ancient Greeks thought wine the nectar of the Gods
Pity the Gods
They never had the pearls of wisdom in this little book