Tips For Elevating Your Wine-Drinking Experience
Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur of wine or a complete novice, enjoying a glass of fine wine is one of life’s greatest pleasures. While you may enjoy the unique aromas and flavours each bottle offers, learning to appreciate your beverage like an expert is something acquired over time. If you want to elevate your wine-drinking experience, consider these practical tips recommended by sommeliers worldwide.
Beginner Suggestions
Is there such a thing as “wine for people who don’t like wine”? Surprisingly, yes! Many wine variants are better suited for those who don’t particularly enjoy the strong taste of full-bodied wine. Consider the following:
- White Zinfandel - A off-dry to sweet rosé, this wine is subtly floral and fruity with a crisp acidity Enjoy chilled or mix with lemon juice and club soda for a delicious white zinfandel sangria lemonade.
- Moscato - A sweet, low-alcohol white or rosé wine with notes of peach, orange blossom and nectarine. Best enjoyed with plenty of ice and a dash of lemonade or club soda.
- Riesling - Originating from the Rhine River region in Germany/Alsace, Riesling is a refreshing, aromatic white wine with aromas of orchard fruit, white flowers and honey.
- Sauvignon Blanc - One of the most popular types of white wine for casual drinking, Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, zesty and herbal with subtle notes of lime, gooseberry and green pepper.
- Sweet Shiraz - While many shiraz varieties are subtly fruit-forward and jammy, sweet shiraz is wonderfully smooth and balanced, with aromas and flavours of ripe fruit with a dark chocolate undertone. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth.
Ask For Advice
If you’re still unsure of where to start, it’s always worth asking the assistant in your local wine merchant. With a few straightforward questions about your preferences in terms of taste and lifestyle, they’ll be able to suggest some delicious wine varieties to get you started. Alternatively, you could book yourself and a friend or family member in for a wine-tasting experience. You’ll have the opportunity to sample a wide range of wines from across the globe whilst learning about the fascinating wine-making process.
Use The Right Type Of Glass
When dining out or participating in a wine-tasting event, you’ll notice that your wine will be served in different glasses depending on the variety. For example, red wine is typically served in glasses with larger bowls, allowing it to aerate, thus improving its quality. On the other hand, sparkling white wine is generally served in tall, straight flutes and tulip glasses to preserve floral aromas and maintain fizz.
Serve At The Right Temperature
Your chosen bottle of wine should always be served at the right temperature to improve the experience. As a rule of thumb, red wine should be served ever so slightly lower than room temperature - 62–68 degrees F (15–20 °C). White and rosé wines are generally served chilled, although the exact temperature often depends on the bottle. For example, the crisp freshness typical of most Riesling wines is better preserved at 45–49 degrees F (around 7–8 °C).
Basic Wine Vocabulary
If you’ve ever been to a wine-tasting event, or generally just in a room with a group of wine enthusiasts, you may have heard terms such as “buttery”, “coarse”, and “oaky” bandied about in conversation. In fact, there is a whole glossary of wine terminology used to describe aroma, taste and sensation. Becoming familiar with a few simple wine descriptive identifiers could help you pinpoint the types of wine you enjoy the most and why. Some other examples of wine jargon include:
- Tannin - Tannins are a group of compounds extracted from grape skins, seeds and stems to add bitterness and astringency to a wine.
- Finish - A wine’s finish describes the lingering aftertaste and sensation once it has been sipped.
- Complexity - A complex wine is multifaceted with layers of flavour that develop on the palate. It generally takes high-quality grapes to produce a layered, complex wine.
- Fruit-Forward - A fruit-forward wine generally has dominant flavours of sweet, ripe fruits such as cherries, raspberries and blackberries.
- Body - The body of a wine describes how heavy and rich it tastes. This is typically broken down into three categories - heavy-bodied like Cabernet Sauvignon, medium-bodied like Merlot and light-bodied like Pinot Grigio.