What Not To Drink: Overcoming Overwhelmed

Overwhelming is almost always the first word I use when people ask me about my feelings on wine appreciation, but I'm not sure whether I mean it positively or negatively. While some people are energized and inspired by selection, it causes others to shrivel up and cower in fetal position. Anyone who has watched TLC's What Not to Wear understands this phenomenon (broke fashion victims are suddenly given $5000 and a free trip to New York's finest department stores, only to end up teary-eyed and panic-stricken in the face of the clothing cornucopia that others would kill for). I have an insatiable appetite for learning more about my particular interests, but I also have a counteractive and rampant fear of specialization. One of my favorite parts from any novel is in East of Eden is when Adam Trask and Lee look out over California's changing landscape and ponder the demise of the Wiseman; the death of the village elder who is knowledgeable about all things. In today's world, you must specialize in order to succeed, but I've always found more satisfaction as the Jack-of-all-Trades and Master of None.

I personally don't ever want to end up focusing on something so intensely that I lose track of the other great pleasures in life--in this case, the great variety that exists within the wine world. I'm always advising our customers to branch out and try 12 different wines, rather than a solid case of one bottle, but for some wine drinkers there is safety in the California Cabernet routine. Back to the What Not to Wear comparison: Falling into a habitual and unimaginative rut is what leads fashion experts Stacey London and Clinton Kelly to track down women all over America and give them the confidence to completely remake their wardrobe. At first the subjects are intensely stubborn and defensive, but after they see the difference a new hairstyle and a great pair of shoes can make, there is no going back. It's not they didn't care about looking their best before, but rather they had no idea how to go about it. If shopping for clothes can be that intimidating, then shopping for wine must be downright petrifying for some people: labels in foreign languages with absolutely no information, prices that seem like the wine must be made out of gold, and snooty clerks that mock your ineptitude with a pretentious sneer (well, not at K&L, we hope). If you feel like you're getting stuck with the same boring bottle every night and you want to branch out, then I have a few tips for you that helped me when I was just starting out. It may take a bit of research on your part, but I promise it will only proceed to heighten the enjoyment you derive from wine (and beer and spirits, for that matter) and lessen the overwhelming dread that may occur upon entering a large wine store like ours.

1. Choose a region that interests you: When I was 23 I decided that I needed a long vacation and that I wanted to go to Romania. Why Romania? Because I loved Dracula movies as a kid. That's it. I went all the way to Cluj-Napoca and Sighisoara for that reason alone. If you don't believe me, I have a picture of me eating at the restaurant that now exists in the childhood home of Vlad the Impaler I can show you. Sometimes acting impulsively on a random interest can lead to adventure, especially with wine. If you've always had a thing for Don Quixote or quixotic and romantic endeavors, then why not learn more about the wines of Spain and La Mancha? If you enjoy mafia movies or the genius of Leonard Di Vinci, then why not choose some Italian wines? Personally, I got started with the wines of Germany and Austria because I speak German and I used to live there. That's literally the only reason why I started learning more about Mosel Rieslings and my curiosity only progressed from there. If you are of French ancestry, then maybe it's time you started learning about your ancestral home's impressive viticultural traditions. Make an effort to understand the region, the varietals it produces, and how the wines work together with the traditional cuisine.

2. Pay attention to what you eat: While I like buying a little bit of everything, I started to realize that I hardly ever eat red meat anymore. That's mostly by default rather than choice, but nevertheless it means that full-bodied reds have a less-significant role at my dinner table. I love to cook with garlic, olive oil, and the trimmings from my herb garden, so it became the natural course of things that I buy more wines from Italy. Taking a moment to think about what you eat can help you determine what you should drink. If you eat mainly flavorful and spicy cuisine such as Chinese, Thai or Indian foods, then it's time to start learning more about aromatic whites like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Muscat. If you eat chicken, duck or fish on a regular basis, then Pinot Noirs from all over the world should be on your radar. It's true that there are plenty of non-traditional pairings (such as Cabernet and pizza) that can also be rewarding, but as Stacey and Clinton say, you need to understand the basics of matching.

3. Start a tasting group: In order to become more knowledgeable about wine, one must simply taste. As Jeff Garneau says, "The best tool for learning about wine is a corkscrew." Unfortunately, going through 10 to 15 bottles in a night isn't possible for most people, both economically and physically. It is for this reason that tasting groups exist. Not only can you discuss the elements of the wines and share your opinions, you can all share the costs as well. Usually wine tasting is based around a theme, so pick a grape or a region, take a trip to K&L, and call some friends over. Wine is usually an efficient motivator when it comes to bringing people together. Even people who don't necessarily like you will come over if you have booze. If you still can't get anyone to come over, we have store tastings every Friday and Saturday in Redwood City and on Thursdays and Saturdays in San Francisco and Hollywood.

4. Get a reference book and buy what sounds interesting: I am easily influenced by the printed word and I love encyclopedic-style reference manuals about almost anything. I think that some good beginners books include Karen McNeil's Wine Bible and Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine. Even Wine For Dummies is a great start. While I don't agree with McNeil about some things, her book is unpretentious and easy going; a perfect manual for storing in your purse or backpack. Robinson's gigantic atlas is the textbook for the Master of Wine program, so that may be a bit too much for some people. There's a lot of focus on topography and geography, rather than the basic introductory subjects. Do not buy a ratings manual that gives you tasting notes and points, rather than a general overview. That's like sitting around and watching someone eat and drink, while reaping none of the tasty benefits. What I like about wine reference books is that they give you ideas, much like a cookbook or a travel magazine. If a certain wine sounds interesting, then go and seek it out! I've been doing that for the last few months while studying for my WSET Advanced Certificate. Doing my homework was never so intoxicating.

These are four easy ways to break out of a wine rut and to heighten your wine enjoyment. Drinking the same thing all the time is like drinking to survive. Can you imagine a future where coming home and eating dinner means swallowing a pill that contains all your essential nutrients, satisfies all your hunger pains, and gives you a slight buzz? If that sounds like a great invention to you then leave this blog now and never return again! Eating and drinking is one of the true pleasures in life, so there is no reason to fall into a lazy culinary routine or habit. Like my fiancé always says, "Why would you wear flip flops and yoga pants if you can afford a Chanel suit and decent shoes?" Almost everyone can afford to wear something that looks great, because there are great clothes at all price points. The same rule applies to wine. As much as I complain about watching her fashion programs, they do resonate with me because they are completely parallel to the world of wine in which I live.

—David Driscoll