It was with some reluctance that I first subscribed to the 3 Wine Guys podcast on iTunes, as I didn't know what to expect with the "explicit" label and all. But after noticing that they had done two shows focused on Washington blends and Oregon pinot noir, I just had to download and listen.

Boy, am I glad to have experienced what these guys are doing, for they have set themselves apart from the rest of the podcasting crowd by connecting you to the who, what and where of what they are drinking.

First of all, the 3 Wine Guys position themselves as wine "drinkers" versus "tasters". This is an important distinction. I find little, if anything, to gain from watching or hearing an individual swirl a glass, take a big sip, spit it out and then tell me what they just tasted. Wine tasters impart little toward connecting me to wine in a way that goes beyond the bottle. In fact, I would suggest that wine tasters are best at finding cocktail wines, those that might taste good on their own, but do little in the way of complementing food or carrying you past one glass.

You see, the 3 Wine Guys experience wine the same way I celebrate it: with other people while enjoying a meal. Before recording each show, these 3 friends sit down to a dinner with the 4 to 6 wines they have chosen to experience that night. Even better, they continue to sample each wine hours after it has been opened. No hurried tastes and quick analysis here. Instead, a slow, well-paced experience with each wine while enjoying dinner. Just like at home or in a restaurant.

Even better, the fact that you have three good friends, rather than just one individual, commenting on the wine makes for a more enjoyable overview of each bottle. Their friendly banter adds a lot to the show, as it gives you the impression you're sitting next to these guys at the dinner table. They clearly have a lot of fun doing this, but they do take their show seriously in terms of imparting how each wine was experienced during and after their meal.

I like the way they provide context around the wines they are drinking. The 3 Wine Guys conduct a bit of research before each show, digging up factoids on the regions the wines are from and gathering information on each winery. They even comment on each winery's web site, which I think is a great idea. I learned a ton about the who, what and where of each wine from the two shows I recently sampled. Whether it was the show on Washington state blends or Oregon pinot noir, I came away much more enlightened and connected to the Pacific Northwest wines they showcased.

The sometimes explicit language and crude analogies are worth getting past to enjoy what the 3 Wine Guys are doing to connect folks to wine. As a new, regular subscriber to their podcast, I highly recommend listening to the 3 Wine Guys. Find a show on a wine or region that appeals to you and give these guys a listen. You'll learn more from these three than you would from an individual slurping and spitting wine in front of a video camera.