Do you hear others talking about wine and you have no clue what they are talking about? Read this guide to learn how to hang with the experts. While you won’t become an expert overnight, following these tips religiously will put you far ahead of the rest of the pack.
Have a plan prior to picking your wine. Be sure you know which wine you’re looking before to avoid getting overwhelmed by brands, varieties, and prices. Certain wines fit dinners and others better fit large parties. Knowing which wine suits your needs can help you choose a better wine than browsing and choosing something on a whim.
Read everything you can get your hands-on with respect to wine. Not only are there books available, but the Internet is a great resource as well. Check out blogs and reviews. New ones are coming out all the time, and they can be very valuable in helping you select wine that you might enjoy.
Even though white wines should be thoroughly chilled when you drink them, you should avoid storing them in a refrigerator for weeks at a time. The best thing to do is to keep them at room temperature and refrigerate them an hour or two before you plan on serving them.
Take a trip to the regions that are growing the wine. Visiting the areas where your favorite wine is made will give you a greater appreciation of the different taste of the grapes. It will help you understand the terminology and the reason behind the different tastes. Also, the areas are ideal vacation spots, so enjoy yourself.
A decanter can be a useful product to have. If you have not been able to get one, or if you do not like them because of the time involved in using them, think about getting an aerator instead. They fulfill similar functions, and they are often easier to use.
Most people cannot afford a wine cellar in their home, but that does not mean you cannot create an atmosphere that is conducive to storing a few great bottles of wine. Try to store you wine in a darker location where the temperature will remain fairly consistent. Doing this will preserve the quality of your bottles of wine until you are ready to drink them.
Take digital photos of wine labels and store them with your notes. Your wine hobby will take you to dozens of tasting and hundreds of wines. At some point, it’s going to get a bit overwhelming and confusing. These photos – when paired with notes- will help keep your knowledge on track.
A good tip if you’re buying any wine from the grocery store is to make sure you get a bottle that’s fresh. Like anything in a supermarket, all the old stuff gets pushed up to the front, so you might need to dig a little deeper to find the newest bottle of wine you want.
Carry a map or some sort of direction for your given area. Some of the best wine venues are incredibly organized and easy to navigate, while others are chaotic and will lose you in the twits-and-turns. Print off a map of your designated area, and you’ll never miss that perfect shop just around the bend.
If you are out on a date or with someone you want to impress, do not order a wine that you have not had before. Try to order wine that you are familiar with, or know that you like. Be adventurous in your own time, when you are not out in public.
Always smell your wine before you taste it. One reason is that it could be spoiled, which can be easily identified by smelling it, which could save you from getting sick. Additionally, you can also learn a lot about the wine from its aroma, and if you stick with this habit you will begin to identify how over time.
Don’t just order by the glass if you are at a restaurant with a group. Keep in mind that one bottle is about six glasses. Try to share it. If you try a new wine, you may possibly find a new favorite and save a great deal of money to boot.
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 ordering a wine in a restaurant, let the type of restaurant be your guide. If you are eating in a French restaurant, it is best to order a French wine. If you are dining in a Spanish restaurant, choose a wine from Chile or other parts of South America. This will help you to order the best-quality wine the restaurant has to offer and also a wine that pairs well with your food.
A good tip if you’re offering wine at your restaurant is to make sure you pour the right amount of wine into a glass. This should go without saying but the right amount of wine to be poured into a glass should be a small amount, so that the wine has room to breathe.
No matter, how much you enjoy a particular type of wine, do not purchase a whole case of it. As your palate becomes more educated, your taste will change enough that you prefer another variety of wine. This could leave you with a supply of wine in storage that you no longer care for.
There is nothing more embarrassing than being in the company of people that know more about something than you do. This is why you should study all of the information that is included in this article. The next time there is a discussion about wine, you should be ready to join in the talk.
