Oenowhat?

Oenophile. How it is that means 'wine lover' is beyond me. It's not a sensible, easily -recognizable word like bibliophile or audiophile. But there it is, hanging around the bottles of Hair of the Dingo, Yellow Tail, and Smoking Loon. By the way, don't bother producing a new line of wine unless you are prepared to give it a name that invokes the image of a garage band. You are probably aware that Iowa has a thriving wine business, ranking 14th in number of wineries per state in 2007*! And there's quite a range of wines to choose from - the sweet wines of the Amanas to Summerset's dry Marechal Foch or Seyval Blanc. Here is a link to the Iowa Wine Growers Association. Here are some books to help you pick out wines you like. Or as the oenophiles would no doubt say, 'to assist you in becoming your own sommelier'.
The wine club : a month-by-month guide to learning about wine with friends

Andrea Immer's wine buying guide for everyone.

Educating Peter : how I taught a famous movie critic the difference between cabernet and merlot, or, how anybody can become an (almost) instant wine expert

*Des Moines Business Record, 2008, 02/25/08 p. 3
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