Wine Mentors

I have seen it mentioned on here in other threads. I have never thought about learning wines through a mentor. Does this type of relationship happen often, how many others have had a type of mentor in their wine journey?

I’ve had two both when I was just starting this journey. In my case, they taught me more about wine than just tasting but both of my mentors had made wine a career each in a different way. What I learned from them was invaluable to me.

I had a couple of true wine lovers whose enthusiasm for the juice was infectious. I had the opportunity to ask questions, taste wines, and learn all sorts of neat anecdotes about the culture and history of wine. Both they and I were in the business of selling wine.

I also had a couple of very kind customers who loved to talk wine. The more my coworkers and I knew about wine, the better disposed we would be to make helpful suggestions in the future.

As the in-house wine nerd, I was invited to wine dinners, gifted random bottles, and received all sorts of books and learning materials.

At no time did I get to share a one-on-one nonprofessional relationship with a true mentor - not as I now would envision one to be: a wine expert with a personal collection of diverse wines and a selfless interest in passing on his/her expertise to a greenhorn. I envy anyone who has.

My dad’s best friend was my wine mentor. He used to open up 66 Bordeaux and the 69 Burgundies when I was a teenager - hooked me.

I love the idea of a wine mentorship - the hardest part about wine, for me, is finding a foot in the door beyond going to the liquor store, trying to find something someone mentioned online that one time, and then drinking it blind (and then usually only with a meal or by yourself after the kids are asleep). I find that if I wanted to drink wine, take notes, and try to codify, for where I am in my life right now, it’s a bit of a lonesome endeavour.

A mentorship could help flatten the learning curve and point you in the right direction of wines that may expand your horizons without putting you off (either palate or financially).

I’ve had many starts and stops with my wine enthusiasm, and I can say pretty conclusively that any time I stop it’s because I either become frustrated, or I’m at a loss as to the next step.

And not that you’re suggesting it, but I honestly wonder how a mentorship program could/would work, if it’s even feasible in any sort of formalized way, and if members of this forum would even be interested in participating.

I’ve mentored plenty of people professionally (not ITB) and it’s not something you can force. You either have philosophical similarities that allow the relationship to work, or you don’t.

I wish I had a wine mentor; with the right person(s), learning anything is easier than going it alone. I’d settle for a few friends near me that share the passion to the same level. Most of my wine friends live out of state.

I can suggest some other ways to learn about wine. First, read books and take classes. I was lucky enough to take some classes, often 1-night a week over several weeks, from people who sourced representative examples of wines from a region that really illustrated the ideas they were teaching whether it was varietals, wine growing regions, etc.

Second, my wife and I go to selected tastings. For example, if you live in or travel to SF, you might want to go to the Napa Wine Library tasting held each August at Silverado Resort. They typically focus one varietal, and you can taste the same varietal from over a hundred different NV producers. Well, not taste all of them but you can pick a subset. Winery reps are there explaining the wines and their production. Another tasting I like is the French UGC tasting of Bordeaux varietals that tours the U.S. every Jan-Feb. They only stop at selected cities, but you can taste 40-50 wines from the vintage that is about to be released. They stop at major cities (e.g., NY, Chicago, Washington DC, LA, SF, etc.). This year’s tasting was last Sat in SF. They brought the '13 vintage that is widely viewed as poor. But, I found the wines much less expensive than the previous 5-7 years, and they are much more approachable. They won’t age, but paying $20-$40 for a well-produced Bordeaux wine that you can drink now or in the next couple years seems like a treat whether it is for everyday drinking or a weekend special treat. Good way to compare old world Bordeaux with new world Napa/Sonoma Cabs, Merlots, and Sauvugnon Blancs.

Third, find a place to do blind tastings. Many wine stores will have a blind tasting program, or find 5-7 friends to join you in a tasting. Set a target (e.g, '13 NV cabs, Sauvignon Blancs from anywhere in the world from '12-4 vintage) and every brings a wine to taste. You need to set a price range, or get your local retailer to suggest a set of wines to taste. Taste blind, everyone writes down comments and ranks the wines 1-N where 1 is your favorite. Add up rankings to get a group order and then in reverse order (i.e., start with highest cumulative ranking) have everyone announce their rank and impressions of the wine followed by revealing the wine. I always learn something from these tastings, starting with how my tasting skills are not that sharp.

Finally, visit wine growing regions and taste local wines. Nearly every state has wine producers. Start there and then purchase similar wines from elsewhere to see how they compare. I find it hard to really understand wines from a particular region unless I visit it and see the vineyards, taste the wines, and discuss products and production.

OK, as my wife says, too much info (TMI).

Larry

My father was my earliest wine mentor. Growing up in California he took us to Napa in the late 60’s and 70’s when things were very different. He instilled an appreciation for wine at an early age.

Later in life I joined a fine wine club and have met several people with tremendous wine knowledge. Whenever I’m around them I act as a sponge, learning as much as I possible can.

Like, mentor to Mr Draper?