For many people, wine is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Some people spend a fortune on purchasing fine wines and traveling to places where certain wines are made, and there are enough books on wine to fill many libraries. How do ordinary folks find a wine or wines that are good for them, whether they’ve been enjoying wine for years or are just starting their wine-tasting journey? Here are six tips for finding new types of wine.
1. What Do You Want the Wine For?
One way of choosing the right wine is to figure out what you want the wine for. Do you want it to sip in the evening after a hard day’s work, or use it as part of a cocktail such as a Pineapple Cooler? Are you planning to serve the wine with a meal? Do you want it to be enjoyed by friends and family at a party, or do you want the wine for a very special occasion such as a wedding?
2. Consider the Other Foods You Enjoy
Scientists have found a fascinating correlation between what types of wine a person enjoys and their favorite foods. For example, people who love apples tend to go for sweet whites, while people who like their coffee black tend to prefer wines from Europe.
3. Read the Label
Some people are nervous about reading wine labels because they seem complicated. They’re not, but they can contain a lot of information. A good wine label has about seven items on it. They tell you the following information:
- The country or the region of origin, which is usually at the bottom or top of the label
- Name of the vintner
- Type of grape
- Year the wine was made, which is called its vintage
- Alcohol by volume or ABV level. Red wines tend to have more alcohol than whites.
- Whether the wine has sulfites. Some people are allergic to sulfites.
- How sweet the wine is. Most wines are on the dry side.
4. Don’t Worry About the Price
Some very good wines are reasonably priced, or even cheap. When wine goes on sale it probably means it’s been in the wine shop’s backroom for a while, but this doesn’t necessarily affect the taste. A bottle of wine dug up from an ancient Roman grave in 1867 is still thought to be potable. You’ll have no issue with a wine that’s been sitting around in the store for a few months.
5. Don’t Worry About the Age
Many people are surprised that wine isn’t supposed to be aged the way liquors such as whiskey or brandy are. Ideally, your wine should be no more than five years old, though red wines can get away with being older. Also, there’s the example of that ancient Roman wine mentioned above.
Toast L’Chaim to the Jewish New year with New Wine Selections(Opens in a new browser tab)
6. Write It All Down
Write down the names of the wines that you’ve bought and that you really like. Indeed, some people peel off the labels of wines they especially enjoy and keep them for future reference.
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