This summer, I've been reading Hugh Johnson's "A Life Uncorked", an educational and entertaining memoir which so far is living up to its publisher's positioning:

"At the heart of A Life Uncorked is the idea that wine is more than a drink; its characteristics link it directly to memory, to locations around the world where grapes are grown and wine is made, and to the dining rooms, restaurants, bars, and gardens where we consume it."

This book offers a terrific way to expand one's frame of reference. At the same time, it confirms for me the fact that the more you see, the less you know. And boy do I have a lot to get to know when it comes to wine, for there are places around the world that I have yet to become truly familiarized by visiting them in person.

I know the benefits of wine travel after visiting the Piemonte, Liguria, Toscana and Veneto regions of Italy as well as New World areas such as Australia, California, Washington and Oregon. These visits imparted a sense of place and people that remain me to this day. As such, my frame of reference on wines from these regions is much stronger.

However, I haven't traveled to France or Germany with a focus on wine. Sure, I've tasted many French and German wines, but have yet to visit these regions to create that lasting imprint on my wine memory. It is that memory that serves one well in building a frame of reference; not just tasting the wine, but connecting to the places and people behind it.

Bottomline, I have a lot to learn about French and German wine. With these nation's varieties being the basis for many of my favorite Oregon and Washington wines, it seems appropriate to put both at the top of my global travel goals in the coming years.

In the meantime, I can still gain a lot from reading Johnson's firsthand accounts covering wine in Europe and other parts of the world. Having just completed two of the four sections in the book (bubbly, white, red, sweet), my frame of reference on Old and New World wines has expanded dramatically.

All of which goes to show that experiencing wine is more than just tasting it, for there are deeper connections to be made through books like A Life Uncorked. Stay tuned for a review later this Fall when I've completed Johnson's book.