Jim LaughrenBack in the days of roommates and communal dinners, I'd put together a pot of spaghetti and red sauce (that and scrambled eggs being my entire culinary repertoire) and serve it to friends along with a jug of California's best. Though the jug wine wasjug wine--the Hearty Burgundy most certainly contained not a drop of Pinot Noir, while the Chianti was likely a Sangiovese-less blend of Carignan and Zinfandel--it managed to sink its vinous hooks into my palate and its taste, tannins, and alcoholic buzz into memories of good times with good people.

And to this day, one of my great pleasures is sharing my passion for wine with new groups and generations of wine drinkers and explorers. I hope that 50 WAYS TO LOVE WINE MORE and A BEER DRINKER'S GUIDE TO KNOWING AND ENJOYING FINE WINE, along with the new 15 MINUTE WINE GUIDE series, will help instill in you a similar appreciation for this remarkable beverage. Stop by jimlaughren.com to signup for my newsletter and get a FREE wine aroma wheel. See you there! Read More Read Less