Wine for the Confused

So I found myself getting more and more into wine. It seemed like a good idea to learn more about it, but I didn't want to fall into the vat of pretension that often associates itself with being a wine drinker. You know the kind of thing - "By smelling this Merlot, I can tell you which year this was probably made." Hey, that's great. And there was me figuring it was about *taste*. I'm clearly too stupid to grasp this whole concept. Fortunately, for the person who just wants a good, light but informative introduction into the world of wine without being made to feel like they should start thinking about Saabs, "John Cleese's Wine For The Confused" perfectly fits the bill.

You can rely on John Cleese to lighten the mood while he takes you on a trip through vineyards across California where he now lives. The documentary covers all the basics, giving you either enough information for your general wine-drinking needs, or as a solid foundation if you want to discover more afterward. From really good tips such as the need to refrigerate red wine slightly because the idea that it should be served at room temperature comes from the days before central heating (yet too much kills the flavour), to more involved facts for the new enthusiast, like how to tell which grapes make which wine. There's something for everyone throughout the forty-five minutes of the show. 'Wine For The Confused' reminds us that wine really is for anyone, and the that belief it's something only enjoyed by the higher rungs of society is nonsense - and a fairly recent nonsense at that. If you have any interest at all in getting to know more about what you're drinking, and better ways in which to drink it, but don't want to be 'sold' a lifestyle, this is the program for you.

This show is a great low key introduction to wine, wine making and wine tasting. It isn't meant to be a comedy, although with John Cleese how could you not laugh occasionally. The descriptions and the information are all geared toward novices at wine tasting, so it does keep things on a rather simple but enjoyable level. I plan to use this as the ice breaker at a wine tasting party...John's party featured in the show inspired me to have a blind tasting too.

Of particular interest to me were the segments which talked about learning to describe the flavors, scents, textures and other qualities of wines you like or don't like in a common vocabulary.

Very good show to watch...the title says it all...