Any sommelier's on this board?

[RonaldFrobnitz]

What's the best method to learn about wines? I'm not much of a wine drinker (or a drinker, period) but my boss really wants to see me succeed in my new job in a liquor/wine store, and there are two new stores opening in the near area in the next year, so even if I don't get hired on full time following the holidays, (I'm currently just seasonal,) there's the possibility of more work in other local stores.

We carry a huge selection of wines, not only domestic but many from France, Germany, Italy, etc. Aside from the fact I can't pronounce half the names (how the heck do you pronounce those French wines anyway? Chassagne-Montrachet, Fieuzal, Gewurztraminer, for example). Any suggestions or directions to books/pubications/websites where I can learn more would be greatly appreciated.

[Jester]

I often say that I love beer, and know a lot about it, and it love rum, and know a lot about it, and I love wine, and I don't know a damn thing about it.

Thing is, the more you know about wine, the more you find out you don't know much about wine.

That being said, short of drinking more wine or going to a sommelier class (which may be expensive), you might want to look into a book about wines, like Wine for Dummies or something along those lines. And then, as you get more wines in your store that you are unfamiliar with, do a quick google search on those wines and learn what you can.

[corwin02]

Some links to get you started

http://www.winemag.com/wine-for-beginners/

http://www.freewinecourse.com/CompleteWineCourse.htm

http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/wine.htm

A bunch of podcasts

http://archive.org/search.php?query=...r%20Newbies%22 that should help you with pronounciation as well.


Auslese ouse-lay-seh
Beaujolais boh-jhoe-lay
Bourgogne boor-guh-nyuh
Brut brute
Cabernet Sauvignon cab-er-nay saw-vee-nyon
Chablis shah-blee
Chardonnay shar-dohn-nay
Châteauneuf-du-Pape shah-toe-nuf-doo-pahp
Côte-Rotie coat-roe-tee
Gewürztraminer geh-vairtz-trah-mee-ner
Haut-Brion oh-bree-ohn
Hermitage er-mee-tahj
Loire l'wahr
Mâcon mah-cawn
Merlot mer-loh
Meursault muhr-so
Moët moh-ett
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo mon-tae-pul-chee-ah-noh dah-brute-zoh
Montrachet mon-rah-shay
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer moh-zel-zar-roo-ver
Muscadet moos-cah-day
Pauillac poy-yac
Perrier-Jouët per-ree-yay-joo-ett
Pinot Grigio pee-noh gree-joe
Pinot Noir pee-noh nwahr
Pouilly-Fuissé pwee-fwee-say
Riesling reese-ling
Rioja ree-oh-hah
Sancerre sahn-air
Spätlese shpate-lay-seh
Viognier vee-oh-nyay
Vosne-Romanée vone-roh-mah-nay


Hope this helps you out

[KiaKat]

I've been in the biz for nearly my entire adult life. I've got certifications, books, and a fair bit of cred.

The best way to learn is to taste and listen. When your boss is tasting, ask him to walk you through the wines. When he's selling, pay attention to what he says. You can read to supplement, but nothing outstrips the experience of someone who knows the wines on your shelves.

My personal favourite literary sources are Jances Robinson and Hugh Johnson. Jances' books are fairly reasonably priced.

What is your boss' expectation of your role in the store? Sales? Marketing? How large is the store, and how are products selected for sale? Learn the business side as well as the wine. Find what interests you and run with it.

Last point- vocabulary. A sommelier is someone who works in a restaurant. It literally means "the one who holds the keys to the cellar." There's a certification process for people intending to become a Master Sommelier, similar to the process for a Master Chef. For those interested in the retail, journalism, or business side, there's the WSET certification. See if your boss would be willing to sponsor you, or help out on the cost, for Level 1. You'll find it very useful from a novice standpoint.

Also feel free to PM me with questions. I'm a wine and cocktail geek, and love teaching others.

EDIT: Now that I'm at an actual computer, let's break down some of the basics. This is my quick-and-dirty lecture on some of the most-sold or most-requested regions.

If you're expected to sell, you're expected to know the product. I work in a hand-sell store; everything is tasted before it is put on the shelves, and our clientele expects us to be able to not only describe the wines, but also know pairings, similar bottles, and be able to upsell or downsell, depending on what their budget is for any given meal. Most stores are not this complex, or this involved. For most of them, you're expected to be able to say "oh, yes, Brunello is in Tuscany, so it's Sangiovese, but not like Chianti - it's bigger, fruitier, and bolder." Or, "that's from the Saint Emilion region in Bordeaux, so it's mostly Merlot, but it has 10 months of new oak, so there's some tannin."

Some key points to know about non-American wines:

1. France:

Red Burgundy (or Bourgogne) is ALWAYS Pinot Noir. There are a ton of small regions and vineyards in Burgundy, and one can spend one's whole life studying it. Here's a map: http://winefolly.com/review/guide-to...ine-with-maps/
White Burgundy is ALWAYS Chardonnay (unless it's Aligote - but those are usually marked as such).
Beaujolais is the southern part of Burgundy, and technically a separate appellation (region), where they grow Gamay instead of Pinot Noir.
Chablis is the northernmost region of Burgundy, and always grows ONLY Chardonnay. One distinction is that they use stainless steel or concrete for the containers, so the flavours are completely different.

Bordeaux is always a blend. The primary base grapes are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and occasionally Cabernet Franc. These can be blended in any proportion, depending on the specific appellation. The two other grapes used are Petit Verdot and Malbec. Bordeaux has a classification, called either the Classification of 1855, or the Grand Cru classification. It has five levels, with the top level only having five wineries. Here's a map: http://www.bordeaux.com/us/vineyard/appellations

Rhone Valley is an area split in two. The Northern Rhone is primarily or entirely Syrah (Hermitage, Cote-Rotie), and the Southern Rhone is primarily or entirely Grenache (Vacqueryas, Faugeres, Gigondas). Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a special region within the Rhone. Although there are thirteen grapes approved for use in Chateauneuf, most wineries don't use all 13. Map: http://winefolly.com/review/cotes-du...ine-with-maps/

2. Italy:

Piedmont produces some of the world's longest-aging wines. This is due to the high levels of tannin found in Nebbiolo skins. Tannin is a preservative - the chemical in black tea and red wine that dries out your mouth. It's a very good preservative, and when found in high quantities, can preserve the flavours and structure of a wine for decades. This is why you'll hear people talking about incredible wines they had, with vintages of 1970, 1964, 1949, or earlier. Barolo and Barbaresco are two of the preeminent villages for Nebbiolo, although Carema and Gattinara are fantastic, and not as expensive.

Tuscany is the source of multiple different styles of Sangiovese-based wine. Chianti, Brunello, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. All are different spots in Tuscany, and all have very different styles.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a fantastic table wine. Quattro Mani makes one that I particularly adore. It's a great go-to when someone is looking for an inexpensive everyday dinner wine.

Prosecco is a good everyday fizzy wine. Inexpensive, and if it's well-made, it can be completely dry and lovely.

Italy has an interesting way of certifying wines, called the DOC/DOCG system. Some of my favourite wines fall outside the system, but generally, if a wine has a DOCG flag wrapped around the top of the bottle, it has a guarantee of quality. That's not to say it has a guarantee of value, though.

3. Spain:

Barring fortified wines, two of the most well-known regions are Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Both regions use Tempranillo as their base grape, but they're made in wildly different ways. Another region is Priorat, which is Garnacha (Grenache), Syrah, and other grapes similar to those found in the Rhone Valley in France.

4. New World:

The New World encompasses Australia, South Africa, South America, and the US. For the most part, the grapes will be listed on the label. A note - Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. The choice of which is listed on the label is up to the winery. Frequently, Syrah is used for a more European/Old World style, whereas Shiraz is used for a New World style.

A New World style is generally higher alcohol, with more fruit flavours and less "earthiness." What do we mean by "earthiness?" Any flavour or scent that reminds you of something earthy, rather than herbal or fruity. Mushrooms, damp soil, hay, barnyard, etc. They're generally a bit more difficult to distinguish, which is why most people tend to start with the New World style wines (i.e. big California Cabernet Sauvignons or oaky, buttery Chardonnays); they're easier to understand.

Hopefully that helped a bit, definitely feel free to ask questions! I didn't even get into things like oak, malolactic fermentation, minerality, or Why Alcohol Is A Controversial Topic.

(further ninjaedit: I also didn't get into Germany. There's a reason for that - your store probably has one sweet Riesling, and a whole bunch of confusing dry ones. The Riesling Nerds will know what they want, and unless you find that you really truly love German wines, it's not necessary for most daily functioning in most stores.)

[RonaldFrobnitz]

WOW! Many thanks!!! Great information - thank you all so much for the pronunciations and links!!

Kiakat right now I'm just a lowly clerk and stocker, but its my hope to work my way up to something like management or marketing, so in this case knowledge is my friend. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and its very likely I'll PM you with questions in the future!

Thanks again! Lots to learn.