Look like a wine expert!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Look like a wine expert!

14 Charts That'll Help You Look Like A Bona Fide Wine Expert

We've heard wine experts toss around phrases like "Oaky with a bit of banana" or "jammy," as if the rest of us could also distinguish those flavors. The film "Sideways" was filled with that type of annoying bravado as it followed two friends across California's wine country. "A little citrus, maybe some strawberry. Passion fruit, and there's just like the faintest soupçon of, like, asparagus, and there's a flutter of, like, a nutty Edam cheese," one of them said. And we rolled our eyes thinking, "Sure."

While there's a good argument against wine experts' tasting abilities, knowing something about wine is still one of the ways we prove to ourselves that, yes, we are classy adults. We know that Champagne might feel at home in a vintage coupe, but pinot noir is better off in a wider wine glass. And if we're serving veggies, a white wine might go along with them nicely. See? Fancy.

You, too, can brush up on your knowledge of vino -- here's a crash course in wine, as told by these 14 charts.

Where It All Begins