I joined ABC as a Wine Consultant a year ago, and at the time I thought I knew a lot about wine.  Boy was I wrong.  Every day I’m learning something new as I am asked different questions about varietals, regions, winemaking, and then some.  I’ve also had the wonderful opportunity to taste hundreds of wines and gain perspective about what is involved in winemaking and wine in the marketplace.  Many people ask me how I know so much about wine, but in reality I’ve really only scratched the surface.

My first piece of advice to people seeking wine knowledge is to try as many wines as possible.  ABC puts on many great wine tastings in different regions in a monthly basis.  On top of that, the website www.localwineevents.com is a great resource to get out and try new things.  Every bottle of wine is an adventure and it’s a great way to quickly find something you like.  I believe there is a wine for everybody; they just have to keep trying them to find out. 

Another great way to learn about wine is to ask a lot of questions to other wine drinkers.  I have gained so much knowledge from my customers about wines they like and why, and it’s led me to branch out and try wines that were previously not on my radar.  Even wines I’ve already tried are taken to the next level when listening to what other people think of it.  It’s amazing what you can learn when you stop talking for a minute and listen to what others have to say.

Finally, there are many resources online to find out more information about anything.  While books are a great macro way to learn about wines, I prefer to delve deeper into each varietal.  Wikipedia is a wonderful resource for each grape and where it comes from, and many times it can lead to information about related wines and grapes.  I’ve spent countless hours clicking from one article to the next as each wine I research leads to another.

I’m looking forward to learning even more about wine in the future at ABC, and I’m glad they have given me the opportunity to expand my horizons in an area that has always been a passion of mine.

Bill Dahl, wine consultant at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits in Lakeland. Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebilld.