Learning About Wine

Fun To Know: The Secrets Of Wine (DVD) — Skip the sales pitch and know what wine to buy. A wine expert explains how to reveal the taste and aroma in the most popular types of red and white wines. Learn to taste, smell and choose the right wine for you, and how preserve its values for a longer period of time. Run Time: 60 minutes.

Understanding Wine (DVD) — To quote British comedy character Alan Partridge, "It's all this wine nonsense now. Wine this, wine that. Oh this one has a snazzy bouquet, smells of — I don't know — basil." To avoid sounding as idiotic as he does, snatch up a copy of this highly informative video. TV's "First Lady of Wine" and certified Master of Wine Jancis Robinson takes the novice through all aspects of wine, from production, to tasting, to the business of wine, as well as reading labels and choosing wines. No more Port for us. Run Time: 100 minutes.

Wine Fundamentals (DVD) — Wine Fundamentals contains the essential information for understanding and demystifying the often intimidating subject of wine. After watching this DVD, you will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to fully enjoy the world of wine. Run Time: 60 minutes.

Wine Noir (DVD) — What is Wine Noir? It's an entertaining, instructional DVD created in the style of the classic noir film that helps consumers unlock the mysteries surrounding the world of wine. This includes ordering wine in restaurants, buying wine for personal enjoyment or for gifts. Although there are a myriad of books on the subject, this DVD is extremely user friendly with individual chapters that can be revisited time and again at the leisure of the consumer. Run Time: 90 minutes.

Jancis Robinson's Wine Course (DVD) — Jancis Robinson's Wine Course leads you on a beautifully filmed and entertaining journey through the world of wine, focusing on the grape varieties that shape its flavor. Editor of the award-winning best-seller The Oxford Companion to Wine and the wine columnist for both Financial Times and Wine Spectator, Jancis Robinson shares her own knowledge as well as some of the time tested secrets of the Masters of Wine, bringing the labels behind the liquids alive. Whether you are a wine connoisseur, or don't know the difference between a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir, this in-depth and engrossing series will help you appreciate and enjoy wine like never before. Run Time: 5 hours. A great companion to the book, Jancis Robinson's Wine Course.

Jancis Robinson's Wine Course — Introduction and Chardonnay (DVD) — In the introduction to her wine course, Jancis Robinson instantly makes viewers feel comfortable with their level of wine understanding. She points out that even among the experts, people frequently disagree about what is a quality wine, taking us to a wine tasting in which participants vehemently differ in their opinions. Then she acquaints us with the basics of how wine is made. One caveat to this video: be prepared for much spitting; wine tasters don't swallow their wine (a hazard of the job). The second half of this tape covers Chardonnays and their quest to take over the world. Also explained is the importance of the oak barrels used to store the wine. Run Time: 60 minutes.

Jancis Robinson's Wine Course — Cabernet & Sauvignon Blanc (DVD) — For those of you fortunate enough to be able to collect the wines, Jancis Robinson explains how to start a wine cellar in this, the second video in her wine course. Looking into the one of the most popular wines in the world, Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as sauvignon blanc, Robinson visits wineries in France, Chile, and New Zealand. "Flying winemakers" those who travel worldwide to produce their wines — are also examined. She presents a fascinating comparison between old and new methods of winemaking — the traditional versus the high-tech. The glimpse into the different vineyards is beautiful and fascinating, and each one has a character of its own. Run Time: 60 minutes.

Jancis Robinson's Wine Course — Syrah, Shiraz and Riesling (DVD) — Pulling the cork out of a wine bottle is frequently no easy feat, and Jancis Robinson looks into the situation in the third installment of her wine course, "Syrah, Shiraz and Riesling." Riesling, one of the most misunderstood (and most mispronounced--it's rees' ling) wines, is a superb dry wine with a bland reputation. Learn how "noble rot" can actually create a lovely sweet wine. Germany's wine situation--which is a disaster--is examined, and Robinson also shares with us the Austrian antifreeze scandal. Run Time: 60 minutes.

Jancis Robinson's Wine Course — Pinot Noir and Merlot (DVD) — In the fourth tape of the Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, Robinson tries to establish whether a wine can truly express a terroir, the taste and feeling of a particular location. This is done by traveling to Burgundy and to Napa Valley, where she explores the Pinot Noir and the Merlot grape varieties. Americans may be particularly amused by this tape, as Robinson extols the health benefits of wine, pooh-poohing the Surgeon General's warning and expressing disbelief at the (what she says are) exaggerated health warnings on the labels. She paints a rather staunch picture of the U.S., which should prove fun to most American viewers. Also discussed on this edition are organic wine growing and phylloxera, a tiny louse that destroyed many of California's fields.

Jancis Robinson's Wine Course — Fizz and Grape Invaders (DVD) — Bubbles in bottles, grapes, and gas, the first half of this video covers everyone's favorite party drink: champagne. This, the last video in the five-tape series, Jancis Robinson's Wine Course, is perhaps the most fun as Robinson demonstrates how winemakers get the bubbles in bubbly. You'll also learn how to open these bottle without putting an eye out! The last course in the series, "Grape Invaders" shows how Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are taking over the wine industry (as she says, the "chocolate and vanilla" of the wine world), and she introduces us to some of the indigenous wines of Spain. As always, Robinson focuses as much on the people of the wine industry as the wine itself, and this is a delightful end to an informative series. Run Time: 60 minutes.