From here on out, we’re getting serious. Very serious. So serious that you’re going to have to do some work. It’s not hard work, but it requires some time and dedication.
The next phase of your wine education (from this site, anyway) is to begin exploring what many people call the “Big Six” grapes: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t know why these six make up the “Big Six” other than they are pretty dominant in terms of plantings and wines available in the marketplace. I don’t know why Syrah/Shiraz isn’t included in place of Merlot. It is what it is, so we’ll have to live with the fact that the “Big Six” may include some grape varieties that you’re not entirely enthusiastic about. Deal with it. 
The best way for you to study these wines, and others, is to get a couple of bottles that represent different styles. Then you get to taste them and try to describe them. If you want extra credit, leave your description in the comments for each particular grape variety. (Seriously. If there was a way I could force you to turn in your homework assignments by leaving a comment, I would. Bloggers like me love comments. It tells us you’re reading and we’re not doing the written equivalent of talking to an empty room.)
When you buy the wines, I would aim for bottles that cost at least $10 US. I don’t think you need to go overboard, however, and buy $100 bottles of wine. (Well, if you’re Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, perhaps you can.) It’s getting harder and harder to find well-crafted wines for less than ten bucks. That’s not to say that sub-$10 wines are all bad. Some of them are quite drinkable, but they may not have the extra quality that helps you learn to distinguish a Cabernet Sauvignon from a Merlot, for example.
The other thing you may need unless you plan on finishing both bottles in one sitting is a way to preserve the wine that’s left over. My recommendation is the Vacu-Vin, and it’s dirt cheap. Pop the stopper in the bottle, use the pump to remove the air, and your bottle is preserved for a couple of weeks.
Why do you need to do this, you ask? It’s simple: when wine is exposed to air for too long, it begins to oxidize. Think of an apple you’ve cut and left on the counter for too long. The brownish color the apple begins to take on is oxidation. The same thing happens to wine, so you need to use something like Vacu-Vin to get the air out of the bottle. Otherwise your leftover wine will taste crummy. (Yes, that is the technical term.) (Yes, I was joking–about the term, not that the wine will taste bad.)
Finally, make sure you have a good tulip-shaped wine glass. I’m really partial to the Riedel Overture Magnum glasses. Even if you don’t want to buy Riedels (which at $10/glass are not cheap), take a look at the link so you at least see what they look like. Better yet, let me show you a few pictures:
Two bad wine glasses; don't buy them
A good wine glass; buy ones that look like this
Don’t worry for now about the difference between white wine glasses and red wine glasses. If you buy ones that look like the picture of the good wine glass, they will do just fine. Trust me–I’ve got bunches of Riedel varietal-specific wine glasses, and I find myself just using this stock Overture Magnum glass (it’s technically for reds, but it works fine with everything else, too).
That’s probably enough drill-sergeant barking for one article. Look for the next article where we dive headfirst (figuratively) into Riesling!
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