BOOZE THEATER – WINE FOR THE CONFUSED (Review)

John Cleese is known for many things around the world. Whether it be the over the top antics with 70’s comedy troupe Monty Python, the quirky and lovable characters like Archie in a Fish Called Wanda, or the ever suffering Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers. One thing was always certain, you’d be grabbing your sides from laughing and marveling at his comedic delivery. John Cleese is a very funny man

With Wine for the Confused, Mr. Cleese takes into the world of wine, but in a humorous yet informative way. This video is primarily designed for the novice, but I took it as a reminder of how we should approach our wine enjoyment. It’s not a task, it a pleasurable experience, and sometimes we need to be reminded of that. One of the first “lessons”, and a very key one in my book. is to never let anyone tell you what wine to enjoy. This is a personal choice and if you enjoy box wine on ice. So be it. But to know what you like, you have to try some first, and determine what characteristics you enjoy in a wine. So to discover this, he holds a blind tasting at his home and asks the guests to describe what the like or don’t like about each of the ones being served wine. It’s a very simple process, but as you can imagine, this is great information to have those first few times you go in to pick up a bottle or when ordering a wine at a restaurant

Following this, Mr. Cleese heads off to some Santa Barbara wineries to gather information on winemaking, grape varietals and more. All of which is done in true Cleesian form. With each visit he delivers information on a new varietal (focus is on Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pint Noir) and various techniques and processes in wine making. All of which I knew, but found strangely refreshing due to Cleese’s “teaching” methods. Following these visits are sections on ordering and buying wine, which includes a hilarious skirt of Cleese (attempting) ordering wine from himself in a very “posh” restaurant from a somewhat arrogant sommelier. To wrap things up, he covers how to store and serve your wines. As I said, all pretty basic stuff, but with his comedic twist, it’s an hour and half worth of fun for any level Oenophile. It also might be something you would want to share with someone, who has an interest but may be intimidated about trying or ordering wine. Wine and laughter…how can you go wrong?

Rating: 4 out of 5 glasses

Order Here: WINE FOR THE CONFUSED