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Buying wine can be baffling if you are a newbie. Always go to the store prepared. Take a list or a wine guide. Be open to talking to the wine shop merchant or retailer about what you want. Be adventurous in your choice when you can.
At home, follow appropriate procedures for both serving and storing wine. You may prepare and serve according to tradition or adopt your own procedures. As long as it meets the demands of the wine, be free to utilize your skills and knowledge. Read up on serving etiquette and storage procedures. You are a newbie. The more you read, the more you will discover about what may become your favorite subject – wine. You may even decide to venture into the next level of this world – wine tasting.
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SWISH, SWIRL, DON’T
GARGLE – WINE TASTING 101
The motto of any wine lover is simple: “Try as many wines as possible.” If you wish to embrace this philosophy, you need to go out into the world and taste whatever wines are available. This may be easy or hard. It depends upon your location, your financial situation and your level of confidence.
You can approach the subject in a number of ways. The first step is to find out where such events may occur. There are several possible options.
• Wine shops. They offer wine tastings on a sporadic or regular basis. Some may even provide courses or workshops on the subject.
• Wine courses. Some universities, colleges, and vineries offer the chance to take a course on the subject. These may involve more than wine tasting. In fact, some provide a solid grounding in the science and economics of all aspects of the subject.
• Go to a wine region. Some wineries offer visitors the chance to taste a variety of wines produced from their winery. As part of a tour package, you may get to sample (taste) various wines of a specific region.
• See if a winery is hosting a wine and dine with the wine maker. This is another way to find out about wine making. You can learn what wine matches what food while you taste the product and enjoy the conversation. You may get to ask questions and expand your knowledge.
Before you go to a tasting be aware of the type of tasting. There are, essentially, two major kinds: vertical and horizontal. No, this does not refer to the position of your body after the tasting of several potent wines. Vertical refers to a tasting in which all the wines are different vintages of the same wine. Horizontal tastings involve trying a single vintage from several different wineries.
Both types of tastings will help you understand wines. Both may be conducted blind. Tasting blind involves concealment of the labels of the bottles. This prevents conjectures might influence the perception of the wines. Whatever type of wine tasting you decide upon, be sure you understand basic wine tasting etiquette.