So, I'm new at this whole wine thing.

[SRwinesalot]

yes, as my subject suggests, I am new at this whole wine thing. I'm a college kid seeking to expand my cultural horizons by learng about something other than cheap beer and well drinks. I've always figured that the value of a wine is a matter of personal taste. However, I'd like to become familiar with the (what I'm guessing are) standarized conventions of what makes a wine a wine, a merlot a merlot, a brut a brut, etc. Any help would be appreciated.