I have just started to get into wines as well... and so far I am enjoying it very much

good wine with good cheese and fruits and company just can't be beat
The best way to learn about wine is to drink them! just pick up a couple of cheap bottles of various types of grapes: $10-$20 is a good bet (or go to a winery and do wine tasting if its available near your area). Wineries make different wine even though they use the same grape type. A cab sauvignon from one winery might be smoother than another. So it is your best to experiment. I find old heavy wines to be better from the old world (Europe) than the new world (Australia, Chile, New Zealand, US). However new world places make excellent lighter wines (light red or white).
Usually beginners start with white wine, because white is sweeter and it doesn't have too severe tannic taste that most reds have.
Some white grapes that I have tasted and liked (all of these are major grapes, ie common grapes):
- riesling: somewhere between dry and sweet. Can be drunk as is for beginners or with food.
- gewurtzermainer: probably my favourite white wine if drunk as is without food. Good gewurtz is very fragrant and has lychee like smell. YUM!
- sauvignon blanc: tends to be dryer than the above but still good
- white zinfandel: tons of these in napa valley, quite good also
- semillion: sauternes is made from this, very sweet and complex taste
- moscato: usually dessert wine, very sweet. Australia is famous for this.
- suave: had an excellent australian suave. Not really considered a major grape. But the taste is very smooth and quite light.
Some red wine varieties:
- cabernet sauvignon: a very common red grape. Heavy and usually very tannic. Usually not recommended for first time wine drinkers. When people are put off from drinking wine is usually because they had this for their first time. Young cab is high in tannic and usually not good, so you need to usually get an older vintage. Stores very well for long period of time (around ten years).
- Merlot: my favourite red. Not too heavy and tannic. Goes well with normal every day food. Some of the most expensive red wine in the world is made from this grape (chateau la fite roschild, pomerol petrus, etc)
- Shiraz: very good with asian or chinese food since it has a spicy flavor. Medium dry and not too tannic either. My second fave red wine.
- Pinot Noir/ Pinot Grigio: haven't had time to try this yet since I heard the good ones are very expensive
A common misconception is about wine aging. People think that all wines taste better as they age. This is simply not true for most white wins and light red wines. If you bought a couple bottle of wines (red or white) it is perfectly acceptable to store them in the fridge if you don't have a wine cellar. A constant temperature is crucial in maintaining wine quality and taste. If you keep a wine in hot temperature it will probably cook it thus destroying it.
Most white wines should be drank <3-4 years while for most light red < 5-10 years.
Also try getting some good wine glasses. For red try getting a big one with large mouth so you can put your nose in and smell the aroma. For white a smaller one will do. You don't need to get super expensive glass like riedel. A decent one will do (like the ones at costco). Oh by the way costco has good wine selection! and reasonably cheap as well!