What's in Store

Wine is definitely undergoing a revolution of sorts…oenophiles are starting out younger and younger these days, and that’s more than apparent with some of the wine events targeted at the 20 and 30-somethings in my town (San Francisco), put on by local wine aficionados Courtney Cochran and Don Davis.

I graduated from a university with a world-renown Viticulture and Enology program (read: “grape growing” and “wine making”), but while I wasn’t a wine major, I was fortunate enough to take an introductory wine tasting course and have been in love with the juice ever since.

Feel like you’re ready to jump on the bandwagon? If so, here are some tips to get you on your way to being a verified wine snob…

Sip in Style

Are you a klutz like me? If so, opt for a less fragile wine receptable than the traditional wine glass, and get some stemless wine glasses that won’t tip over with the bump of an elbow. These personalized Riedel stemless wine glasses from Shopping.com merchant, Wine Enthusiast, were featured in O Magazine’s April issue, as one of Oprah’s favorite things. After they ran in the magazine, searches for these particular glasses on Shopping.com increased by a whopping 325 percent!!!

Pop the Top

Invest in a wine rabbit corkscrew opener. I use mine several times a week and it saves me the hassle of wiggling the cork out by sheer strength, which I seem to lack. You can find an affordable one at many stores…and it’s practically foolproof.

Tasting Party

Plan a wine tasting trip for a friend’s birthday. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area or near other U.S. wine regions like California’s Santa Ynez Valley, Oregon’s Willamette Valley or Washington’s Yakima Valley, you are set. Rent a limo or charter a small bus for the day and head up with your friends in style. You can hit up several wineries to get a good feel for the different varietals grown and often buy wine at the winery at a discount.

Here’s one to start out at if you’re in Napa - PlumpJack Winery. San Francisco’s very own dreamboat mayor, Gavin Newsom, is a founder…maybe you’ll run into him there.

Join the Club

Last, but not least…join a monthly wine club. Specialty wine stores exist everywhere, so let their buyers do all the hard work of scouting down great bottles to add to your collection or just to enjoy with a nice meal. There are so many club options to choose from, where you can receive bottles of just red, just white, or a mixture, every month. And, there are varying membership levels — start out with just two bottles per month and work your way up to a case if you have the wallet to back it up. Check out K&L Wine Merchants, a California-based wine retailer which ships all across the country.

Bottoms up!

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