From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Best Way To Learn About Wine

October 18 2006

Seventh Street Wine Co.
701 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954/522-5560, Seventhstreetwine.com

Seventh Street provides two ways to learn about wine: Teach yourself by sampling as many as 96 wines at the eight Enomatic tasting machines in the store or attend the regularly scheduled tastings in which an expert from a particular vintner waxes lyrically about his grapes. If you take advantage of either option, it won't be long before you'll discern the difference between perky Spanish tempranillos, temperamental West Coast pinot noirs and classic French Bordeaux. The Enomatic machines dispense a one-ounce pour and are activated with a debit card purchased at the shop. Tasting notes accompany the vintages, and on Friday and Saturday nights, Seventh Street is usually filled with casual wine drinkers eager to share their impressions. The machines are frequently updated, so you're not likely to run out of wines to sample. The shop holds sit-down tastings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays (free with a debit card; $10 without), after which the wine-bar crowd begins arriving for what becomes a lively and civilized social outing.