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ABCs of Wine

We break down the basics—from tasting like a pro to buying strategies to storing and serving.

» Grape varieties and their characteristics

» Glossary of wine terms

» Wines by region: video primers
Ask Dr. Vinny

Saucy answers to your questions.

New: What kind of white wine goes with black truffles?, November 20, 2009
How-to Videos

Learn to taste wine like a pro, pull a cork with flair, get great wine service in a restaurant and more
Hard Labor: How Wine Is Made

Get down and dirty in this video series as we discover how much work it really takes to make wine.
Inside Wine

Delve into how wine is made and what affects its taste: ripeness and rot, tannins and sulfites, the dumb period and more.
Wine Challenge

Test your knowledge with our fun, biweekly quiz.

New: California Cabernet Challenge, November 12, 2009
What Am I Tasting?

Test your tasting skills in our mystery-wine game.

New: This silky, light-textured red shows a polished finish. Can you recognize it?
Name that Wine Game

We randomly select four wines and mix up their tasting notes—you find the matches.
Great Grapes

This series spotlights the most important wine varieties, exploring their major regions, most exciting wine styles and key influences.
Wine Spectator School

Take your wine knowledge to the next level with our online courses—from ABCs to in-depth looks at specific regions to wine-and-food pairing. Share step-by-step tastings with friends and learn to get more out of each sip. Homework was never this much fun!

Check our course catalog
Professional wine sales and service courses
Free Tasting Guide, Journal and Method Chart
Learn Wine Forum: Got questions? Ask your fellow readers

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Top 100 of 2009: Don't Miss It!

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