How to Become a Wine Critic

Wine is much more than a drink; it's a culture, a tradition, a lifestyle and, more and more, an industry. Wine critics are on the forefront of wine culture and industry and enjoy the benefits of this position. While learning to become a wine critic takes time and devotion, a few steps should help you along the way.

Instructions

1. Get to know your grapes. You can't become a wine critic without knowing the flavors and smells of the grape varietals used to make wine. Although this mainly entails drinking lots of wines, you should do so in a systematic way while keeping a log about all the different wines vintages that you taste.

2. Learn about the wine-making process. A huge part of being a critic is being able to analyze why a wine tastes good or bad. In order to do this, you must have a thorough understanding of every part of the wine producing process. Visit vineyards and wineries and even consider getting a job in one of these areas to improve your knowledge of the process.

3. Consider getting a degree in wine. Prominent universities such as UC-Davis and Cornell offer extensive courses in wine. These courses require a significant investment of money and time, but if you're serious about becoming a critic they will give you a boost into the field.

4. Get the pen flowing. You can't become a good wine critic if you don't know how to express your opinions and criticisms of the wine in written words. Many people have trouble with putting ideas onto paper, but with practice you will be able to develop your own method and style of communicating the tastes and smells of a wine to your readers.