Merlot

Learning about wine is as easy as drinking a glass and noting whether you like it or not.

I like red wines, Merlot or Shiraz. When I was looking for a Merlot to have as my go-to wine, I sampled many bottles of Merlot, in different price ranges. The one I liked best wasn’t the most expensive; it was about $7 per bottle, several years ago. I like yellow tail, from Australia; it has fruit and spice notes, which I like, and I discovered I like all their wines. I like a dry wine generally, although when I eat sushi I like plum wine, which is sweeter. Fruity (plum, strawberry) and with a deep flavor, I like Merlot with cheese, heavy pasta, and poultry.

I usually make a note in a pocket reference about the wines I like, so I can buy it again.

Learn about wine

Learning about wine is as easy as drinking a glass and noting whether you like it or not. If you do, note what you liked about it. The more wine you drink, the more you’ll find out about what you do or don’t like. Write down the wines you like, the price (if you have it), and where you had it - this way you'll be able to have it again.

I was in Napa years ago, and in one day we visited six wineries. Note: don’t have wine and cheese for lunch when you’re visiting six wineries in one day. I jotted down which wines I liked on info sheets from each winery; once home, I never got around to putting all my notes together in one handy reference.

The best thing about tasting so many wines in one day was that I found out what I liked (Chardonnay) and didn’t like (oaky Chardonnay). If you can, take advantage of a wine tasting to see what you like.

I like a dry, full-bodied Chardonnay. It’s good paired with cheese, sandwiches, pasta and seafood. Take it along with you to enjoy at a picnic!