How to (Sniff) Be a Wine Snob

Soon, you'll mean every syllable when you say that. It's crucial that you learn what tastes you like and stick with them. Here, I have some suggestions that won't dent your wallet. A friend of mine -- an ultra wine snob -- believes we should always drink a red wine from the Rhone Valley of France. In her words, "Why ignore perfection?" Rhone wines are easy to find and a sound place to start building your wine horde. (T.W.S. always has a stash of wine that's so prominent in his home that his guests practically trip over it when they walk in the door.)

In the Rhone Zone

Rhone wines are some of my favorites because I like how they taste. (And to T.W.S., this is all that matters.) Let's start out with Rhones from two different areas, Gigondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which means "new castle of the Pope." Wines from both areas are similar in that they are a combination of grape varietals -- two of the most common are Grenache and Syrah -- that taste spicy yet smooth. Two wines I recommend are the Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas 2001 and the Elisabeth Chambellan Chateauneuf-du-Pape, either a 1999, 2000 or 2001. Both are inexpensive: the Gigondas retails for about $27 a bottle and the Elisabeth Chambellan is around $23.

Remember, what you want to do here, is see if you like the taste. And if you like red wine at all, you will. The wines are spicy and what you should taste are flavors similar to blackberries, coffee, plums and licorice. When you bring these gems home, be sure to serve them at the right temperature in a wine glass with a big bulb. Swish around the wine in the glass and take a sip, and another and another. Smile as you do it. (T.W.S., a true hedonist, also enjoys every drop of wine in his glass and makes sure everyone on his block knows that he's at it again.)