Purdue 'Grapevine' series presents wine-buying how-to

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Picking out a bottle of wine to go with that holiday dinner you are attending or hosting is a task made simple if you follow advice offered in the final two parts of a Purdue University online series on Indiana's wine grape industry.

Part 9 of the "Through the Grapevine," released Tuesday (Nov. 5), takes the mystery out of wine tasting and helps shoppers pick out the right bottle of wine for their hosts, guests or just for themselves. They also will become more "label literate" by learning what terms such as "reserve" and "estate" on the label mean.

The final installment, Part 10 next week, will help novice wine shoppers know how to properly serve and store wine.

"We're billing the final parts of the wine series as a two-part guide to wine-buying for the frightened," said Natalie van Hoose, writer of the series by the Purdue Department of Agricultural Communication. "You may feel intimidated by that wall of wines at the supermarket, but you really shouldn't. Just relax and enjoy discovering what you like and just how diverse wines really are. "

Part 9 includes interviews with Indiana winemakers who welcome all wine drinkers - from the timid beginner to the seasoned pro - into their tasting rooms.

"One of the great things about an Indiana tasting room is that you have a chance to try a variety of wines in a warm, friendly environment," van Hoose said. "The stuffy, formal atmosphere you might imagine is not the reality in Indiana wineries. You can belly up to the bar in your jeans and baseball cap and expect to have a great time. "

The series is on the website of the Purdue Agricultures magazine. Part 9 is at https://ag.purdue.edu/agricultures/Pages/ThroughTheGrapevine/09-BuyingWine.aspx.           

Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, mailto:robins89@purdue.edu 

Source: Natalie van Hoose, nvanhoos@purdue.edu, 765-496-2050

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Keith Robinson, robins89@purdue.edu
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