Experimentation is also key to selecting wines to drink. Try two different wines, or even different vintages of the same wine, with a meal, these vintners suggest. More than two wines, however, will only confuse your taste buds. Gradually, you'll develop an appreciation for what good wines are. Campbell made his way to winemaking through a circuitous route from Claremont and Pomona College, through three years in a Zen Buddhist community, finally to a vineyard on northern California's Sonoma Mountain.
Wine critics are the worst thing that's happened to winemaking.
They can be consummate snobs. Of course, there are certainly standards to follow, he adds, but if you like a bad wine and are happy with that, then fine. The good news is that there are good wines to try in all price ranges. You don't have to spend a lot of money to find a good bottle of wine. Of course, trusting one's palate is often difficult when standing in the well-stocked aisle of the neighborhood wine shop.