To taste wine, don't peek first

I went to a tasting once where the instructor poured two wines after everyone was seated.

As he poured, we couldn't help but notice that the price stickers were still on the bottles. One bottle was $20, and the other was $100.

As all of us oohed and aahed about the pricey bottle, he revealed that he had played a trick on the class: Before we arrived, he switched the contents of the bottles.

What a powerful lesson about expectations and perceived value. I honestly can't remember which wine really did taste better on the second taste, but I've never forgotten that experience.

How can we avoid being influenced by famous names and big sticker prices?

Professional tasters evaluate wines "blind," meaning the bottles and labels are hidden and you have no idea what is in the glass. The pros use this when judging wines for magazine reviews or competitions.

It really forces you to think about what you taste, without any preconceived notions, and evaluate what is actually in the glass.

Do it yourself

Blind tasting can be a lot of fun. It can also be humbling, especially if you have to guess out loud what you think a wine is. But there is no better way to learn about wine.

It's easy to get started. You can make a blind tasting as nonthreatening and fun as you like. Simply ask someone at your house to pour some wine into a glass and let you guess what it is.

It's far more fun to do it with friends, though. You'll need a system to hide the bottles from the tasters. Wrap bottles in brown bags or foil, or pour them into other containers. I save oversize glass water bottles just for this.

Number the wines, give a corresponding number to each glass, and let the tasters go to work.

Ideas for your tasting

Try one of these for a blind tasting. They are easy, accessible and a lot of fun to do:

Choose one grape variety (preferably something that is widely grown, such as chardonnay or cabernet sauvignon) and assign each guest to bring an example of that wine from a different country. Make a list of which countries are represented, and see whether you can guess which wine came from which place. It's an excellent way to notice similarities and differences between locales.

Do a tasting of a handful of varieties, and see if tasters can tell a malbec from a syrah or zinfandel. It's harder than it sounds, but entertaining.

Pick a region such as Burgundy or the Russian River Valley and try an assortment of wines from that area.

Blind tasting is a way to expand your knowledge, your frame of reference, and your understanding of wine, while having a great time doing it.