7 Wine Tips for Beginners
Are you thinking about exploring the world of wine more thoroughly? If that’s the case, feeling somewhat anxious due to your limited understanding of wine-related matters is quite natural. It’s common to feel daunted by the wealth of information you’re not familiar with when you initially develop an interest in a new hobby. Nevertheless, much like acquiring any skill, mastering the art of wine involves taking gradual steps.
Exploring wine is a beautiful experience. If you are only beginning to get exposed to the wine dimension, hold tight, for it is a daunting yet refreshing affair. To help you with your journey of better wine knowledge, we have listed some wine tips for beginners like you.
1. Collect and experiment
Everybody has their favorite wine child. But to discover yours, you must not shy away from exploring all that the wine world has to offer. Collect different wines, compare their flavors, and select your favorites according to your preference. You can only acquire a particular taste for wine once you have exposed yourself to many of its types and flavors.
It is easy to stick to one wine or label when you have only started down the wine path- but you could miss out on all the other better options if you become complacent on the first try. So here is our tip: get all the wines you think you might like and explore them extensively before settling down.
Come to think of it, choosing your favorite wine is sort of like finding your soulmate- the first one is rarely the right one. So before settling down, spend some time getting to know the wine market. Your wine alternatives are endless, from red and white to rose and dessert. If you are on a quest to expand your wine palate, try different variations like mountain chocolate wine from Tennessee.
2. The right equipment
Regular glass or straight out the bottle- what’s the difference, right? Wrong. Using the right stemware can make all the difference in making your wine experience worthwhile.
Getting glasses, especially for wine, does not mean you spend on expensive and aesthetic wine glasses- it means you buy the ones that enhance the quality of your wine. As a beginner, stock up on glasses with medium-sized bowls, for they work for most wine types. Glasses with thin rims are also the best to add to the taste of your wine. It is better to look at the wine glass guide and choose according to your wine preferences.
The search for the right glass is over; what now? Glasses alone do not make your wine taste better- you may need other wine tools too. Wine openers and corkscrews can be very convenient when opening or storing your wines.
3. Know your wine etiquette
Mastering a few wine etiquettes can make any beginner look like an emerging wine connoisseur. Knowing your wine etiquette can help you step up your wine game in no time.
If you have ever noticed people holding wine glasses from the stem, it is not only to avoid greasy fingerprints on the bowl. Holding a wine glass by the bowl warms the wine too quickly, taking away from the wholesome wine experience.
Aside from the proper way to hold a glass, there are plenty more wine etiquettes you can follow. Opening a wine bottle correctly, properly toasting wine, and drinking it right are only a few etiquettes you’ll have to know inside out.
4. Join a wine-tasting club
As a beginner in wine, there is a lot you are yet to learn- and what better way than in the company of fellow wine lovers? Joining a wine club may be expensive, but its benefits make it worthwhile for those exploring the wine world.
Conversing with the members of the wine club will allow you to divulge deeper into wine; you will learn so much while connecting with new people. Furthermore, joining wine clubs also brings you special discounts on wine purchases.
One of the other benefits of wine clubs is all the wine-tasting events you can attend. Going wine-tasting is one of the best ways of exploring the taste and learning the history of different wines. A deeper insight into the wine world will make you a wine expert in no time.
5. Learn how to store your wine
Bringing The Parent Trap’s famous wine cellar scene to your attention, you should know there is a reason why wines get stored in basements or underground. Consider sunlight your wine’s worst enemy- any place where your wine can come in contact with the sun is a no-go. With that said, the best place to store your wine would be in your darkest rooms. If you don’t have a basement or an unused room to spare, store your wine in the dark corners of your closets.
Proper lighting is not the only thing you should consider when storing your wine: accounting for temperature is just as important. There is no standard temperature when storing wines; each wine has its own temperature needs, ranging from 45 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. To best store your wine, research the storing requirements of your favorite wine so that it only improves in quality.
6. Discover the best food-wine pairings
One thing to know about wine: when paired with the right type of food, it can create a divine meal experience. Not every wine works with every food, and experimenting with different combinations of foods and wines will help you develop an insight into what works.
Some research and your own trials are the best ways to know more about food and wine pairings. However, to get you off the road, remember as a rule of thumb: spicy food with sweet wine and sweet food with a sweeter wine.
7. Keep a wine journal
Exploring wine can be exciting but also overwhelming once you have had an information overload. The best way to keep track of this knowledge is to keep a wine journal. You could use the journal to make notes of all the wines you liked or disliked, the smell and aromas you prefer, the wine labels you are impressed by, and anything else wine-related.
The next time you go wine shopping, your journal can point you in the right direction for what you would like according to what you have already tasted and judged.
Conclusion
Acquiring the taste for the right wine is all about experimenting and trying. You will never know what wine might strike your fancy unless you try it out. The “right” wine is subjective- what works for you may not work for others, which is perfectly normal. After all, by the end of the day, it is about finding a glass that satisfies your taste buds.
Like any other worldly activity, wine tasting is about exploring, learning, and moving on. All the great wine connoisseurs started somewhere, and this is your journey to gain a better knowledge of the wine world.
