The 3 levels of wine drinkers

I like wine. So when I meet someone who says "I like wine, too", I firstly get quite excited. Then my mind jumps to "Well, how much do you like wine?".

Internally I categorize wine drinkers into 3 levels.

Ok, actually, I hate this idea that somehow there's a hierarchy in this, that somehow being more wine-obsessed makes you "better". So let's make it instead a sideway funnel of wine obsession.

On the left of the obsession funnel, you have Level 1. Most people are probably here, or want to be here, or like to think that they are here.

Level 1 wine drinkers can mostly distinguish between the different grapes. You know Cabernet Sauvignon is big and bold, Riesling is sweet and aromatic, Sauvignon Blanc is acidic and refreshing. You start to use wine lingos like "dry", "tannin", "oaky" correctly.

More committed L1 drinkers will recognize the broad regional styles. You might understand that California produces assertive wines, New Zealand is known for Sauvignon Blanc, champagne is sparkling wine from Champagne in France... etc.

Level 2 drinkers will start diving deeper into regional and temporal differences. This is where the concept of "terroir" comes in.

Each sub-region within a region can produce and be famous for really different wines. This is could be due to geography, tradition, or market demands.

For example, Napa and Sonoma Valley are both in Northern California, within an hour of each other. But the former is known for oaky, fruity, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon and buttery Chardonnay; while the latter is known for more elegant Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and lighter, more zesty Chardonnay.

Another example: the villages Puligny-Montrachet and Gevrey-Chambertin are both in Burgundy, maybe 30 minutes from each other. Both make ethereal Pinot Noir reds and Chardonnay whites. But whites from Puligny fetch much, much higher prices and clouts than whites from Gevrey, and vice versa for reds.

This regional difference can get quite fractal. Below the subregion level, even different specific growing plots have different soil types, drainage, sun exposure that leads to different results (and staggeringly different prices).

Adding to this, the conditions on different years will also create a distinction. Colder years will mostly create leaner, more austere wines. Warmer years will lead to higher alcohol, usually more fruits and body*.

*: Neither of which is per se good or bad, it's a matter of style and personal taste

Level 3 is when you really care about the producer and cuvée.

In general, reputable producers in a wine region will adhere to the regional style. But they can still employ different techniques to create their own signature profiles.

It's like Beethoven vs Mozart, or more aptly Pauli Gee's vs L'Industrie, if you have experienced enough you would be able to distinguish them (and likely have a preference).

Actually, I lied when I said "no level is better than others". Most people who "like wine" are probably on "Level 0". They might like some wines and dislike others, but they don't know why. They have heard of wine lingo like "dry, tannin, oaky" but might not understand them correctly. They might have preconceived notions (older wines are always better) that could be incorrect.

There's nothing wrong with being on Level 0! The world of wine can be extremely opaque and confusing from the outside.

However, I personally think that if you stay on Level 0, you're doing yourself a disservice. If you even semi-regularly drink wine (no shades if you don't), you can get so much more out of it by obtaining basic wine knowledge.

You will know what you like and why you like it. You will have confidence conversing about and choosing wines at the shop or restaurant. You might even decide to get deeper, to L2 and beyond!

And what better way to get knowing than tasting? Come to one of our super beginner(L0-1)-friendly tastings in Manhattan. Take a look at our event calendar here.

We are NOT snobs. We DON'T dump a tons of terms at you. We guide you through usually 6-8 wines, which we carefully pick, with the aim of giving you a framework to understand what you like and why you like it. Most people said tasting this many wines side-by-side really helps them see the contrast between different wines.

Hope to see you there!