The Maryland Wine Festival

Being a new wine connesseur I should take advantage of anything that will help me better understand the world of wine. The Maryland Wine Festival is a tradition that has been going on for decades and it happens to be this weekend September 15-16th. Not only will there be wine tastings from wineries all over Maryland but there will be live music, wine education seminars , food from local restaraunts and the presentation of the Governor's Cup Award by Gov. O'Malley. Sounds like a great time to learn more about wine, maybe I'll see you there!

Wine for Dummies

Like many people I love to drink wine, but I can honestly say I dont know the difference between a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Chianti. Therefore my goal this semester is to become wine saavy. I want to know why people slosh their wine around in their glass while delicately sniifing the aroma. What makes some wines considered hot and others not? And finally how do wines get their name? Is a Merlot made from Merlot grapes?

Although I have just begun my research I have found many helpful sites to get me on my way. The Maryland Wine website has a wine glossary which helps beginners like me expand their wine vocabulary. While Vino! has a wine 101 page which goes through everything from how wine is made to the basic differences bewteen red and white wines. I didn't find answers to all my questions today but I look forward to learning more about Maryland wineries and wine in general.