Simply enjoying wine is great, but with a bit of knowledge, you can be your own sommelier! This article will guide you through many ideas which you may never have thought of before. This will ensure that you start pouring a glass of wine which never disappoints yourself or your guests.
Get to know your local wine retailers. Every shop is different, so it’s important. Selections and prices can vary, depending on the store you are in. Particularly if you are a new wine enthusiast, a shop that has a lot of pricey wines may not be your speed. Find a wine shop that fits you well.
Particularly if you are just discovering wine, don’t buy too much of any one thing. You may want to grab several bottles of whatever you enjoy, but as you continue learning more, you are going to start to like different things. You probably won’t be interested in the wine that you enjoyed several months ago.
Look at the entire wine store. Do not just stay in one aisle. Some stores are better organized than others, and you may even find some great deals in a section that you may not normally look in. Take some time to explore it. Surveying the store can help you avoid missing anything.
A good tip if you’re interested in learning more about wine is to go to as many wine tastings as you can. Wine tastings are great because they allow you to try out all kinds of wine which will help you figure out what you like and what you don’t like.
You should know that old bottles are often worthless. You could try selling it to another wine connoisseur, but most buyers look for large quantities. Keep in mind that serious buyers will want to know everything about the provenance of the wine you want to sell, which is not always feasible if you found a bottle in your basement.
Go to wine tastings when you can. Wine tastings are the best place to test your pallet against the many different types and brands of wine. You can even find some that are free, but do remember to spit your wine. You can not accurately tell the taste of a wine once you begin to become intoxicated.
If you enjoy fine wine, plan on visiting a wine country so you can see where grapes grow. It’s a gorgeous place to go on vacation, plus you get to enjoy your favorite wines.
No two stores are exactly the same, so when you are hunting for that perfect wine, know what you that perfect wine is and know what the stores are serving. Reading the latest reviews and offerings from the local selections helps give you a better feel for what lies within their cellar. Knowing what the store offers will help narrow down the selection process to a few names that work!
The real flavor of wine comes from the smell. Smell makes up about 90% of the overall taste of wine. The key to bringing this out in the wine is oxygen. When you pour a glass of wine, swirl it in the glass. This allows the wine to mix more readily with the oxygen around it, thus enhancing the flavor fully.
Stick to wines that you enjoy. Some restaurants or bars promote a certain brand. But you might find that it is very expensive. When it comes to wine, the price tag does not always correlate with the quality. Drink what you like, regardless of price.
The body of a wine is a great way to pair it with a dish. The “body” of a wine refers to how substantial the wine is. It often also correlates with the alcohol content, with fuller-bodied wine containing more alcohol than a lighter wine. Heavier dishes should be paired with a full-bodied wine, as a lighter wine runs the risk of tasting watery when paired with something like a hearty steak.
Here is a little bit of wine history for you: wine has been around for as long as 7,000 years! Egyptians are the first civilization we know of to have records of drinking wine, and those date back to 2,500 B.C. They created wines much like we do today, including bottling the beverage and storing it.
Don’t bother to get expensive wine if you are cooking with it. Most of the wine’s alcohol content cooks off as you make your dish, and the other ingredients will add taste to whatever wine you choose. Save the expensive stuff to drink separately when you sit down to your meal.
When selecting a red wine, you need to give the wine a chance to breathe after opening. This gives the wine more time to interact with the oxygen in the air. If you are pressed for time, pour the wine through an aerator and into a decanter so that it breathes properly first.
If possible, buy your wine from small vineyards run by the same family from generation to generation. Larger vineyards usually care about earning high profits and selling to a large public while smaller vineyards will put the authenticity and the unique flavor of their wine first. You will often get better prices too.
Do not buy wine only because it is a good deal. Many people will buy wines that are on special or have a bulk discount. Have you tried this wine? Have you done any research? Most have not and will make a purchase that will end up not being drunk, or passed over by guests.
When trying to find the perfect wine/food pairing, consider your wine a condiment. If a dish would taste good with pepper, figure out where to get a peppery red wine. If your meal includes lemon and/or butter, choose wines with hints of those flavors. This way you’ll always have a lovely pairing.
Now that you’re well versed in wine tips, you should feel confident in your new knowledge. Want to learn more? Keep reading and stay on top of news in the wine world. With all of the knowledge at your fingertips, you’ll be able to take wine to astronomical new levels!