This may sound silly but...

[Botafogo]

>>How are you supposed to taste wine? I mean, how can you taste the different flavours in wine? I've tried with a few (2-3) different brands of wine but they all taste the same
to me!<<

Congratulations, Deb, you have stumbled onto the great campaign by many corporate wineries (most of the stuff you are likely to find at the local supermarket) that is precisely DESIGNED to make all wines taste the same, just like all Boy Bands sound the same. It makes it easier for the marketing weasels to shift the focus to packaging or lifestyle statements instead of quality.

BUT, what you should do is get together some friends and try not different BRANDS of wine but actual different VARIETIES of wine. I strongly suggest you go into a dedicated wineshop or at least a quality deli or grocier who may have some integrity and ask them for representative examples of as many of the following as you can afford to try (and tell them to keep it under $8-12, it's VERY do-able):

Cabernet Sauvignon
Zinfandel (Primitivo)
Grenache (Cannonau)
Pinot Noir
Malbec from Argentina
Valpolicella (or Amarone if you have $$)
Chianti (or other Sangiovese based wine)
Syrah
Rioja (or Ribera de Duero)
Beaujolais (or other Gamay based wine)
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

There is NO question you will be able to tell the difference between these types of wine and then you can explore the two or three that interest you the most in depth.

AND, don't forget, wine is better with food, ALWAYS!!!!!

Roberto


[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 10-04-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 10-04-2000).]