Bordeaux is not the kind of wine most people fall for instantly. It lacks the sweet come-on that can be so seductive initially, but soon grows tiring. Instead, it’s a little austere, a bit reticent, especially when it’s young. But with time, Bordeaux reveals its many wonderful attributes. It’s a wine you learn to love.

This is not to slight love at first encounter, which is my response to many different wines. Our next wine will be exactly that sort; more on that shortly. But the gradual dawning of affection that can occur with good Bordeaux, followed by bolts of recognition and understanding, made it the perfect choice to inaugurate Wine School. It requires attention and rewards it, which is exactly the point.

This is the second installment of Wine School, a monthly column in which together we will explore a particular type of wine. The goal is create an atmosphere of pleasure, curiosity and attentiveness to wine that will lead to understanding what you like, what you do not and why. Repeating this exercise over the course of the year will, I hope, lead to a greater sense of ease and confidence. And if you already feel comfortable, Wine School offers an opportunity to re-examine your assumptions, sharpen your observations and share your insights.

The group participation this first month, with more than 600 comments posted and more emails than I can count, was wonderful and educational for me. I was particularly struck by the astute thoughts about the wines, which gave me insights into my own reactions. This was just the way I had hoped Wine School would work, as a sort of conversational back and forth rather than a lecture.