Originally Posted by brentley

No offense taken, as a born and raised wine snob I know exactly what you mean, but beg to differ with you on people in wine shops and tasting rooms being accessable. Having shopped for wine all over the country I can tell you that it is rare to find people that look down on beginners.

In Napa Valley you will find a lot of wineries that offer specific tours and tastings designed to attract more people to wine (usually their wine). There are also a lot of places that most standard issue tourists cannot get into, but for the most part these folks are interested in paying the super big bucks for the trophy wines anyway.

I will give that box wine a shot (if for no other reason than the cooking tip).

regards
Brentley