Notes From the Vintner Welcome to our archive of vintner notes. We hope that you will return to learn interesting notes on wine and related subjects. Each month we will have a new "Vintner Notes". We will also keep this archive in case you missed one or just want to refresh your memory. This first appeared 4/1/00. IN THE BEGINNING......tasting wine, getting started… There are many books on the market that will tell you how to taste and drink wine. Some are good and some are not so good. What is important…is that you try different wines. Do not try one white, then a red, then a dry, and then sweet, but try wines in the same class. Start with a sweet red, tasting several sweet red wines. Spend some time learning about the sweet reds…how they taste, what foods they go with, what grapes are used, what part of the country they come from, what you do not like about them. It is important that you learn your likes and dislikes. After some time on sweet red wines, move to sweet white wines. You will want to do the same with the sweet white wines. Your taste will move from sweet wines to dry (wines with no or very little sweetness in them). After several years of enjoying wine, your taste will move little, by little to dry wines. Make it a point of trying a new wine each week. Have wine with a meal, or enjoy a glass in the evening. Learn that wine is a blessing…not to be abused. Learn to limit your wine to a glass or two. Never drink for the effect of it, only for the enjoyment of the gift. Have wine when friends come over, or take a bottle of wine as a gift when visiting. Wine is to enjoy and to share. Treat wine with respect, for it was meant to be enjoyed. These are a few pointers for starting to enjoy wine. It is never too late to enjoy wine. Robert G Cowie Wine maker