All opinions are mine and mine alone.
If you are someone with a passion for food and all things indulgent in life, you may want to take your knowledge to the next level. When you are someone that appreciates a good glass of wine with a meal, you may want to tell a bit deeper into becoming an oenophile. You don’t necessarily need a wine cellar to become a wine expert. Where do you begin?
Asking for Recommendations
If you want to tell the difference between a good wine and a bad one, you can go to specialists and ask for recommendations. They will ask you about what you want to drink, and if you’ve got a specific type of wine in mind, such as fruit wines or something to go with a cheese board, they can point you in the right direction. You must go to a wine shop to start building up your knowledge. Ask the staff what they’re favorites and why. It also helps to think about the meals you plan on having. Certain wines go with specific foods such as red wine going with red meat. It’s also a good idea to look for award-winning bottles and those that aren’t recommended. Once you begin to cultivate an understanding of why one is good and why one is not, this will set you off in the right direction.
Master the Art of Drinking It
You may think you’re an expert in putting liquid down your throat, but getting the most out of wine is about mastering the basics. First, you need to look at it and examine the color. Secondly, you swirl it to coat the sides of the glass, which releases the aroma. Then you can smell it and look for certain notes. And once you’ve done all of this, then you can gently sip it. After this, you can start to delve deep into terms like tannins and terroir.
Improving Your Lexicon
This is something that comes with time, but you can appreciate tasting wine by researching specific terms. Some wines might be fruity, whereas others could be spicy or savory. And if you gradually want to improve your appreciation of wine, understanding the main categories where the flavors fall under can help.
Join Wine Tasting Clubs
The great thing about wine is that it is always trendy. If it’s something that you would like to nurture as a hobby, you could join a wine group. But rather than it being an excuse to go drinking, it is a very serious pastime for many. And while these groups are usually full of experienced wine drinkers, the vast majority of groups have individuals of various experiences. You can always find someone that just enjoys drinking wine. And if wine tasting clubs are too expensive, you could introduce informal tastings at home. This is something that you could do to save money instead of going out.
Why is a very cultured pastime, and if you are looking to expand your palate or become a wine expert part-time, there are plenty of routes for you.
Speak Your Mind