Twenty years ago, Mark Oldman wrote his Guide to Outsmarting Wine. The book had a simple proposition: to cut through the confusion surrounding wine appreciation like a “samurai sword.” Oldman discounted the “snobs” who “would have you believe you need a Ph.D. in linguistics to truly enjoy wine.”

Nugget One: Wine “Appreciation” Can be Easy

As is the case today with his Bevinars classes, Oldman “focused on providing an approachable answer key of quick, easy-to-implement nuggets of wine wisdom.” And the most basic nugget of all relates to learning about wine. The “dirty little secret” of wine appreciation, Oldman said, was that “there’s just not that much to” wine appreciation.

He elaborated: “I derive enormous pleasure from serving as a human filter for budding wine enthusiasts by distilling wine information down to its essentials. And because wine is not my primary business, I bring an independent perspective to the task. I am beholden to no winery, distributor, wine shop, publication, or restaurant.” So true.

Nugget One: so that you can communicate your preferences in wine to merchants, sommeliers, servers, and wine savvy friends, awareness of a few principles will provide “the lens through which to assess wine.”

Practice Tasting Wine

• Pour some wine in a glass. Swirl the wine, breathe deeply, taste the wine, and focus on “what comes to mind,” but don’t worry about. Think in free association. There’s no right or wrong answer. The important thing is to remember your own impressions.

• Does it smell like flowers? Fruit? Which one? Spices? Remember your impressions. Oldman notes that wine “can evoke everything from apricots to violets—but you have to train your nose to make these associations.” Practice makes perfect.

• Does the wine seem to smell sweet, maybe with a hint of vanilla? That shows you there was probably oak used in making the wine, probably in the form of barrels.

• How to taste wine? Ask yourself if there is there a tingle around the sides or tip of your tongue? Well, think of that as acidity.

• Does the wine cause a puckering dryness or roughness of your tongue and gums? If so, that is the sign of tannins, just like in a really strong tea.

• Does the wine taste “hot”? That is the alcohol in the wine.

Remember Your Impressions of the Wine

String these observations, feelings, and conclusions together and very quickly you have a vision of the wine, including its basic character, maybe something about wine regions, and possibly how it was made. It doesn’t have to be complicated, as Mark Oldman has said over and over. At first, don’t even worry about remembering the major wine regions, just focus on what the wine in your glass is saying to you in terms of texture, aroma, and flavors. Learn to describe wine in your own terms.

If you want more of this common-sense, unstuffy, and approachable means of learning wine, then consider signing up for a Bevinars class! Meet Mark, taste some wine, have a conversation, and become a wine enthusiast!

Nugget Two: A “New” Option to Learn about Wine: Geosensorial Tasting

Geosensorial wine tasting, a method discussed by wine education expert Charlie Leary and championed by the University of Strasbourg in France, is transforming how many people understand wine. This approach shifts focus from the analytical methods traditionally used by organizations like WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers, which emphasize aromas and structural components.

Geosensorial tasting, by contrast, emphasizes the relationship between wine and its terroir—factors such as soil, climate, and geography.

Terroir and Mouth Sensations

In this method of learning about wine, wine regions and their characteristics are important, which can make wine appreciation more fun.

This wine appreciation method prioritizes mouthfeel and texture, aiming for a holistic experience that reflects a wine’s unique place of origin. As wine education expert Julien Camus explains, this tactile approach is accessible to both beginners and connoisseurs, making it a revolutionary advancement in wine sensory analysis. You see, a Cabernet Sauvignon will leave a very different sensorial impression in your mouth—perceived intuitively—than will, say, a Pinot Noir.

The geosensorial method, rooted in a long tradition of terroir-focused viticulture in wine regions like Alsace and Bourgogne, critiques the modern tendency to standardize “analytical” wine tasting. This prioritizes technical precision over authentic expression. Critics of mainstream wine tasting practices, such as Bourgogne vintner Jacky Rigaux, argue that too much emphasis on aromas often overlooks the wine’s connection to its place of origin.

Taste Wine the Geosensorial Way

By focusing on tactile sensations and the overall mouthfeel, geosensorial tasting allows a wine enthusiast to have a more nuanced understanding of wine’s relationship with its environment. With institutions like the University of Strasbourg offering diplomas in this method, the geosensorial approach is poised to reshape wine education, fostering a deeper connection to terroir and a more intuitive way of tasting wine.

Check it out while you learn about wine!

Nugget Three: Your “Vinotype” and Perceptual Individualism

Do you know your Vinotype?

Over a decade ago, Master of Wine Tim Hanni came up with this concept to cut through a lot of the BS regarding the “correct” way to taste the “right” wine. He also wrote the book Why You Like the Wines You Like. He explains to Bevinars: “The Vinotype concept defines wine appreciation based “on a combination of sensory sensitivities, preferences, attitudes, and behaviors.” It recognizes that different people, quite simply, taste differently, so there is no “correct” taste or “right” wine. You are not, in other words, more of a wine sophisticate because you prefer Cabernet Sauvignon over sweet Moscato.

Beyond that, “the principles of Perceptual Individualism apply to any country or age group with the ability then to discover the potential for sweet wines, intense red wines, lesser-known varieties or regions, and expensive/luxury products.”

Hanni explains that “variation in taste sensitivity means that what one person perceives as a perfectly balanced wine may taste too bitter, astringent, acidic, or sweet to someone else.”

He told Bevinars that “an ‘objective’ evaluation, description, or rating of wine relies on the assumption that all individuals perceive wine uniformly, a premise that does not hold true. Period.” He likes to say regarding wine “pairing,” “my position is simple – match the wine to the diner, not the dinner.”

It’s All About Finding the Wines that You Enjoy, with No Pretense

So, Hanni developed MyVinotype to help people discover new wines that they will enjoy. People can like sweet wines particularly, be hypersensitive, sensitive, or tolerant to a variety of different wine styles, including, for example, highly tannic, dark red wine. By simply answering a few simple questions about your likes and dislikes, the web page will produce some wine style recommendations.

Give it a try, and then sign up for a wine class with Bevinars to expand your enjoyment of wine!

In all, the three nuggets of wisdom regarding how to learn about wine show that wine does not have to be complicated. Hanni tells us, “technical and often fantastical metaphorical descriptive language can intimidate consumers and alienate those who might not have the same level of expertise or interest in the fine details of wine evaluation.”

Mark Oldman’s approach of “quick, easy-to-implement nuggets of wine wisdom” lies in the same vein, and so does the geosensorial approach to wine tasting. The wine world should not be intimidating, and there are lots of ways to learn about wine—all kinds of wines, from sweet to dry—that do not involve complex rules and regulations.

So, check your Vinotype, take a wine class with Mark, explore geosensorial wine tastings, and enjoy drinking wine! Go ahead! Learn about wine!

Charlie Leary

A member of the Circle of Wine Writers, Charlie Leary has directed restaurant wine programs in the US, Canada, Costa Rica, and France. In the mid 1990s, while earning a PhD from Cornell University, he made artisanal cheeses and counted among the first North Americans inducted into the Guilde International des Fromagers; he later planned, planted, and managed an IGP vineyard in Andalusia.

His book-length guide to worldwide wine education programs (Leary’s Global Wineology) was first published in 2022, in part based on his experience earning numerous wine certifications. His feature articles have appeared in Decanter magazine, Jane Anson’s Inside Bordeaux, JancisRobinson.com, Sommelier Business, Hudin.com, and Tim Atkin MW’s website, among others. He recently consulted for the wine metaverse startup Second Winery and wrote a detailed report on the history of wine sensory analysis for the Wine Scholar Guild. Charlie now lives in Panama, where he offers wine classes, and is writing a book on the philosopher Montesquieu as an eighteenth century winegrower. IG: @bacopty