Learning About Wine

Fun To Know: The Secrets Of Wine — 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.

John Cleese: Wine for the Confused — John Cleese turns his attention to the subject of wine in Wine for the Confused, originally broadcast as a special on Food Network. "Don't let anyone ever try to tell you what wine you like, because people have different tastes and we shall honor that," he heralds at the start. The point of the program is clear and simple: to help you find and describe wines you like; to show how to buy wines at a good value; and to provide tips on how to get the most enjoyment from the wines you do buy. With this attitude, his considerable charm, and his gentle wit, Cleese is the perfect host for this material, and right off the bat he strikes just the right tone--instructive, but light-hearted. The result is delightful.

First covered are the six major varieties of wine-producing grapes (first the whites, then the reds, just as at a tasting), the fermentation process, and tasting notes to help you learn what you like and how to describe it ("Quality should be judged by your own taste."). Next is "Buying Wine." Now that you know what you like, learn how to find it at a good value for the money. Finally there is "Storing and Serving Wine," with simple tips for savoring your purchase.

Novice wine lovers will find Wine for the Confused helpful and reassuring as well as inspirational; don't be surprised if you find yourself turning off the DVD and heading straight to the wine shop with newfound confidence ... and that's just what Cleese would want for you.

Understanding Wine — 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.