SOYOUWANNA LEARN THE BASICS OF WINE?

4. LEARN THE BASICS ABOUT SOME STANDARD WINE REGIONS

So we've gotten you past the threshold and into the land of respectable restaurant ordering. But as you will no doubt quickly learn, the universe of wine variables is vast. Once you have begun to get a grip on the color scheme, geography will be the next lesson. Anyone can make wine almost anywhere, but we all know that a few places have learned the process better than others. When we think of wine, we think first of France, Italy, and perhaps California. So when you are first starting out, just stick to those regions. Sure, there is a wonderful universe of wines from Spain, Chile, Australia, Germany, and beyond, but we're looking to avoid embarrassment here, not to have you winning sommelier competitions.

Now that you know how to finesse the red versus white debate at the table, here's another way to flex. Most fine restaurants, and many feeble ones, are either French or Italian. If they're neither, then they'll probably be American eclectic. So you'll obviously be on the right track of if you order a native wine when eating the food. Here's a quick guide to geographic specialties:

FRENCH ITALIAN AMERICAN (California) Bordeaux Chianti Zinfandel Burgundy Spumante Chardonnay Merlot Barbaresco Sauvignon Blanc

Please bear in mind that we are merely scratching the surface here and that each of those three regions produces myriad other kinds of wine. But there is no way to teach you all that information in this format — ultimately, you are going to have to be the one to sit down and start tasting. Begin with these basics to fill out your landmarks in the wine universe, and then you can branch out to the more esoteric wines.