How to set up your own wine club

I've had friends in other cities ask me about wine tasting clubs, about whether a newbie who doesn't know anything about wine could join. Many people, it seems, are terrified of wine - they appear to be intimidated by all the fancy terminology, and the hundreds of unpronouncable grape names.  

Here's my #1 advice for someone who's interested in learning more about wine: THE WORLD OF WINE IS NOT A SCARY PLACE. Don't go in frightened that you'll look dumb because you don't know the difference between a Burgundy and a Pinot Noir. Who cares (I could tell you the differences in theory, but when it comes to the practical matter of tasting, it's all WAG - analyst-speak for wild ass guess)? So long as you enjoy it, and aren't afraid to keep on drinking and trying new stuff. Besides, I can point out lots of snotty rich people who like to lecture people on what the good wines are (case in point, an uncle of mine, who said that Australian wines cannot be compared to French ones because the Aussies use too much sulphur in their wines and that's why people get headaches. Snort.), and who have no idea what the hell they're talking about. You only believe them, because they sound so convincing. Haha. Well then, here's a trick for you - pretend to be convincing too! After all, in the subjective tasting world, what works for you might not work for others. Some people might like cats' pee, while others, well, don't.

And here's my #2 advice: Don't think that only the expensive wines are good wines. There are PLENTY of delicious wines at really affordable prices. So ok, once in a while, you might come across duds, but getting it right every single time does not make the experience as thrilling right? :)

Come on people, it’s not hard to start your own wine club. All you need is a group of like-minded friends who like wine and fun! Who cares if you don’t know anything about wine? You’ll soon learn plenty just through drinking and experimenting.

Here’s how I set up my tasting group:

1. Gather a group of friends who are interested in wine and would love to learn more about it

2. Commit to holding the event at regular intervals, say, once a month or once every two months

3. Take turns to host the event – the host gets to pick the theme for the tasting, e.g. Italian wines, Adventurous wines, Pinot Noirs. Anything goes

4. The host buys the food (nibbles, or if you love cooking, fancier hors d’oeuvres) and the wine; everyone else shows up and splits the cost

5. The host assigns random bits of research to the each member of the group – e.g. what are the characteristics of a Cabernet Sauvignon grape? Or, in what climate does Chardonnay grow best? Answers can be easily found a click away, on the ever trusty Wikipedia, and so really doesn’t require much time/effort on any one individual’s part

Simple enough model eh? So come on people, I say, don’t waste your money on self-help books on how to start your own tasting club, or start-up kits for that matter. Rather, spend it on the wines!