Wine For Beginners

I was wine tasting recently, and the people pouring described the wine to us in fantastic detail. The Pinot Noir tasted of spiced strawberries and black cherries, the Chardonnay was barreled in 50% new oak with a citrusy dryness at the front of the tongue, etc. I didn't know what they were talking about, but I enjoyed the experience enough to try and learn more about wine. My first (and so far only) step has been to read the book Winewise: Your Complete Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Enjoying Wine.

WineWise is a great first step.  It describes the different wine varieties as well as the different regions in the world where they are created. There is an introduction to pairing wines with the right food, season and occasion. And in one of my favorite sections the authors choose their "best bargain" wines at different price levels, and the levels aren't painfully high (under $12 and under $20). Wine has recently surpassed beer and spirits as the alcoholic beverage of choice in the United States; this book has a great deal of information and a refreshing lack of pretense for beginners learning more about it.