What did you know, and when did you know it?

I recently wrote about how much you needed to know to enjoy wine. Hint: not much. I am constantly writing to show how much I know about wine. Occasionally, my writing also reveals how much I don't know about wine. Wine can be an incredibly technical pursuit, and it is ever evolving.

Since we know that you don't need to know any more about wine than you are comfortable with, and I have admitted that there are many things I don't know about wine, the question begs: How much does the average winemaker know about wine?

To be fair, I need to ask a related question first. How much does a winemaker need to know?

When I am not enjoying wine for its own sake, I tend to think of it in a technical light. By far and away this is more because I am a techy person, than it is because wine requires a technical understanding. In fact, almost everything I know about wine was discovered in the last 100 years or so.

It wasn't long ago that pretty much everything that happened was attributed to supernatural intervention. This approach made correlating cause and effect quite difficult, and so "technology" evolved slowly, when it evolved at all.

By the Twentieth Century wine had broken the bounds of superstition and was well on its way to being understood as a natural process that could be shaped. This was a stark contrast to thousands of years of "doing everything you can and hoping for the best."

The result has not only been more consistent wines, but more profitable wineries.

Technology has now allowed the winemaker to take full control of the process, from designer yeast to micro-oxigynation and barrel alternatives.

But does the average winemaker really understand any more than their predecessors from earlier millennia? Has technology become the new magic for winemakers to blindly follow and believe in?

At a recent educational seminar for winemakers on the role of oxygen, many attendees were seemingly lost during the in depth sessions. Considering that much of the talk focused on recent research and cutting edge science, it is understandable that some would have a hard time following.

But was it just the hard core science that was causing rounds of narcolepsy? Wine Business reports that they "appreciated [the] last slide, on which were outlined the following three nuggets of winemaking wisdom:

(1) Oxygen is everywhere-we can't live without it.

(2) Oxygen's impact should be considered in all of our winemaking decisions.

(3) Oxidation and reduction systems are very complex in juice and wines, so be careful when extrapolating."

Am I out of my gourd here, or are these 3 "nuggets" so basic that I shudder to think there is anyone making wine who doesn't know this?

I have no problem with a winemaker not being able to follow a lecture on hard science, I live for that stuff and more than once I have been accused of snoring.

I have a huge problem with a winemaker not understand the basic role of wine in making oxygen.

And yet...

Winemakers have been making perfectly good wine for generations, by utilizing their practical experience and careful craftsmanship.

So if wine can be made without understanding the nuances of the process, is it possible to apply new technology to traditional techniques, and thereby transform the consistency and profitability of the winemaking?

Ay, there's the rub...

Only by deep understanding, and or meticulous experimentation can one hope to effect appropriate change. Too many winemakers will take up technologies without full appreciation for the damage, as well as good they may cause.

I see a world of mid priced wines, each tasting almost identically of oak with pronounced secondary aromas. Actually, this is pretty close to what we have now, only it will be increasingly easier to produce these wine at a profit.

There will always be the rogue winemaker who bothers to understand. Who yearns to experiment in order to get it just right. And chances are, I will be drinking their wines.

Chances also are that these wines will employ "appropriate technology" and will be the better for it.

My two favorite design axioms are: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. And if it doesn't add, it takes away.

This is as incredibly true in winemaking as it is in cooking. Adding every spice in the cabinet doesn't make a better stew.

If you are a wine consumer you don't really need to know much about wine to enjoy it, but slightly more to buy it, unless of course you wish to excel.

If you are a winemaker you don't need to know much to make wine, but slightly more to be profitable at it, unless of course you wish to excel.

Wine Games

There are any number of "games" that the unscrupulous play with wine. Bait and Switch, misrepresentation, and prices that fluctuate on a whim are some of those that we have covered. Today though, I am writing about a completely different kind of wine game.

The kind that is fun. I first created WineEducation.com over a decade ago, and it has always been my intention to make learning about wine as much fun as i can. Therefore, over the years I have created several on-line games to play.

Until today I created all over the underpinnings behind the games myself. I wrote every word and every line of code that made it work. The crossword puzzle I just added was made with the help of another application. It does a pretty nice job of the mechanics, so if you haven't yet check it out.

So far all of these games have been for on-line use. I have not created any stand alone wine games, yet.

I have been contemplating writing a game based on the topsy turvy world of wine investing. As it would take me a year or more to write, it is not a trivial project.

Other game ideas I have include a stand alone (and updated) version of SimVin the winery simulation game, or even something silly with a wine theme. Since wine is an adult venue I want to ensure that I create age appropriate games that are fun, and trick you into learning something.

Hundreds of thousands of people have come to my site just to play the games. Amazingly, a good number of them are from wine schools around the world. I consider this an indication that I am doing the right thing, but my creditors would like me to find a way to make money and not just friends.

And so I have a question for you:

This would be a great time for feedback on the existing games, ideas for future games, or for a game publisher to contact me. As always I can be easily reached by email.

P.S. Thanks to those of you who came out to the wine tasting in Denver. It was great fun and I can't wait to do it again soon. If you want me to come visit you and or your wine tasting group, the first step is to get in touch!

Everything you need to know about wine

I make my living teaching people about wine. I write about, I lecture about it, and I even teach people how to teach other people about wine. In fact, I will even be Live In Person at the Denver Merchandise Mart on April 11th pushing my wine education services and signing books (if you are in the neighborhood, drop by for a free component tasting).

So, the question that begs to be asked, is simply "How much do you really need to know about wine?" Considering what I do, taking into factor how committed I am to wine eduction, you may be pretty certain of my answer.

If you suspected I was going to say "You don't need to know anything at all" you would be right.

I think, I espouse, I live and breath the gospel of wine education, and yet, I am saying it is not necessary. Wine is food. You don't need to take classes in cheeseburgers. There is no certification program for ice cream appreciation. Rarely do you hear long conversations on which potatoes go best with which meats.

To enjoy wine, you simply have to drink some. It helps if you find a wine you like, but once you have, chances are you may never again need to give wine a second thought.

So why are you reading a blog about wine education? Why I have I honed my craft, and dedicated a better part of my life to teaching about the nuances of this one seemingly special food stuff?

In fact some do celebrate food, and some do talk about it. These people, and I am surely one, fall under the heading of Gourmet. Some foodies can spend a night talking about potatoes, although it sounds like a painful night to live through, but mostly they just really appreciate food.

Many gourmets are critical. Not just about food, but about everything they encounter. Again, this is a social sin I revel in. These critics are often early adopters of technology (and yes, I am loving my AppleTV) and they are the discerning consumers others look to for shopping advice.

On one side of the scale are the "wine that I like with the food that I like" people. They tend to be content, and (perhaps blissfully) unaware of any shortcomings to their food and wine experience.

On the other side of the scale are those poor unfortunate individuals, like myself, who are rarely content. For us the perfect meal is an unapproachable ideal, and so every dining experience is doomed to some degree of disappointment.

The great majority, especially of my readers, fall into the middle somewhere.

For you, knowing nothing about wine is too little - and knowing everything is too much (and besides, it is a lot of work).

And so, I continue to dole out my morsels of wine education. Hoping to provide you with the right balance of information vs. fun (sort of like acidity vs. fruit).

How much wine education you personally should know is entirely up to you. You can enjoy wine without knowing anything. You will probably enjoy it more if you aren't obsessed with knowing everything.

It is my job to learn everything I can. Not only so I can pass it on to you, but so I can try to satisfy a thirst I can not name (with my apologies to Kris Kristofferson). And well, lets be honest, I have learned everything I know just so I can show off - but this isn't a therapy session.

So how much should YOU know about wine? Exactly as much as is fun! And don't you worry, I will always be here to give you more when you want it.