Wine Experts on the Basics of Choosing Wine

I love wine. I mean, I really_love_wine! Understanding all that there is to know about selecting and enjoying good wine remains a simple exercise best approached with confidence and a humble appreciation of wine's complexities. CBS Marketwatch published a great interview with one of the wine industry's leading experts, John Thoreen, wine tutor at Meadowood Country Club in the Napa Valley, on the subject of selecting a wine that's right for you, whether at dinner or in the supermarket. Some of John's basic principles:

- Have a basic house white and a basic house red wine, things that you really like that aren't too expensive - drink these as often as you like
- Build your cellar starting with six favorite whites -- not something a writer told you to like -- and six favorite reds
- Start at the basic level, $10 a bottle or under for your basic wine and then upgrade
- When in a diner and unfamiliar with the wine on the list, tell a waiter that you don't see any wines you recognize but you really like X or Y or Z, what on your list fits that style?