Wine Simple: A Totally Approachable Guide from a World-Class Sommelier

by Aldo Sohm

There’s a lot to be learned from a great bottle of wine. But there’s even more to be learned from one that you didn’t like.

Don’t wait for a special occasion to open a special bottle.

Wine’s number one job is to bring us together.

Terroir is one of those intimidating wine terms that get thrown around a lot regarding a wine’s flavor. As we defined it earlier, the French word refers to how the soil, climate,and terrain of a vineyard are discernible on the tongue.

any wine not made in Europe is considered New World.

At its most basic, cru, or “growth,” means that a panel of wine brokers in the mid-1800s classified the vineyard as superior in its terroir—best grapes, soil, exposure—consistently delivering high-quality wines. Bordeaux and Burgundy each uses its own cru classification system, with grand cru (“great growth”) ranking highest, followed by premier cru, village appellation, and regional appellation.