To become a wine savor, you don’t have to be an expert on wine terminology and types. You need curiosity and the willingness to try new things. For beginners, we have some tips on choosing wine and tasting wine. This will help you feel more confident when you start to explore the world of wine.
Ask for a recommendation
You can ask a specialist wine store for advice if you are a novice wine drinker. Don’t be alarmed if there isn’t one nearby. It would be best if you did not have any trouble finding the right wine in most liquor and grocery stores.
So that you can find the perfect wine for you, tell the store associate or wine expert what you like about wine.
Tell your server what you will be eating if you plan to have wine and food.
Select a wine
It is important to know what you are looking for in wine. There are many types of wine. Are you looking for a wine with a lot of body or one that is light? The wine’s body is how heavy it actually feels in the mouth. Do you prefer sweet or dry wine? Dry is the opposite of sweet in wine-speak. Are you looking for a dry or crisp wine? A wine with refreshing acidity will be crisp while a wine that feels more smooth is considered soft.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir are the most well-known red wines.
A white wine is a good choice. You should try a white wine.
Try the wine
Take small sips. Gently swirl the wine around your palate. To fully absorb the flavor, hold the wine in your mouth from 5-10 seconds. Notice the finish or aftertaste of the wine once you have finished swallowing it. The finish of high quality wines is more defined. High quality wines tend to have a more defined finish.
Sip your wine
It is better to enjoy wine slowly and take in the flavors, rather than gulping it down. Before you swallow, take a few small to medium sized sips. This will let you taste the wine’s complex flavors.
Red wine has a rich flavor that is best enjoyed slowly. You can either serve it with dinner, dessert, or just by itself. Slowly sip your wine to fully appreciate its flavors. You should swirl your wine before you take every sip. This will allow the wine to oxidize more.
White wine can be enjoyed on its own or with a range of dishes and desserts. Red wines are more refreshing than white wines, which helps to balance rich flavors. Before swallowing, take a small amount of wine. Let the flavors settle in your mouth before you swallow.
Enjoy the wine with the right food
When pairing wine and food, there are several things to keep in mind. It’s easier to see pairing wine and food as a balance act. Sparkling wines are great with salty and fried foods. With each sip, the carbonation and acids mimic beer and remove salt from your mouth.
Silky white wines are best paired with creamy sauces or fatty fish. Chardonnays are great with salmon and other seafoods in rich sauces.
A dry Rose is a great pairing with rich, cheesy foods. Some cheeses are better with white wine while others work well with red. Dry rose has the acidity and fruitiness of white wine, but almost all cheeses can be paired with dry rose.
Red wines like Cabernet and Bordeaux pair well with red meats such as steaks and chops. They are great with red meats like steaks and chops.
When pairing desserts, ensure that the wine tastes the same or more sweet than the dessert. Pair a dessert with a sweet, dark chocolate, and a wine with some sweetness like a late harvest Zinfandel.
For more information on pairing food and wine, see Pair Food and Wine.
You can switch wines
It is common to taste a range of reds and whites when you drink wine. It is best to move from sweeter, lighter wines to more dry, fuller wines. You can start with white wines, then move on to reds. Drink a chardonnay while you eat and then move on to a red wine after your meal. A sweet red wine could be paired with dessert.
Open your wine
There are many types of wine bottles. Most have screw caps or corks. Screw caps are simple to open. You can open wine bottles like regular bottles. Corked bottles can be a little trickier.
To open a wine corked bottle, you’ll need a simple corkscrew. First, remove the cork’s foil. Next, insert the corkscrew’s spiral into the cork. After half of your corkscrew has been in the cork, remove the corkscrew handle to release it from the bottle.
You don’t need a corkscrew to open wine bottles. Instead, use a sommelier knife and a shoe.
Make sure your wine is at the right temperature
You want to get the best flavor from your wine. Make sure it is served at the right temperature. Red wines should be chilled, while white wines should be kept at room temperature.
Red wines are best at 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is slightly cooler than the room temperature. You can get the wine to this temperature by cooling it in an ice bucket or freezing it for 10 minutes before serving.
White wines taste best when they are between 41 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit. White wines should be kept in the refrigerator. White wines should be kept in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to ensure they reach these temperatures.
Use the correct wine glass
Red wine glasses are usually smaller than white wine glasses. White wines don’t need to oxidize as much as red wines. Choose narrower glasses with a tapered tip when drinking white wine. This will increase the aroma concentration and make your wine last longer. [11] Red wine must oxidize to develop its full flavor. This is why red wine glasses tend to be larger than white wine glass. Red wine glasses are more open to air because of their bowl shape. The wine’s character becomes more rich and pronounced as it breathes.
Always hold your wine glass at the stem when drinking wine. Never place it by the bowl. It will quickly warm a wine glass if it is held by its bowl.
Place your wine in a glass
Different wines are served differently. To get the best wine experience, make sure you pour the right amount of wine into the glass.
Red wine should be poured into a glass. You should have approximately 4 ounces. This should yield approximately 4 ounces of wine.
Wrap a napkin around a bottle of white wine before pouring it. This will prevent your hands from heating the bottle. Slowly pour the wine into a glass until it is about three ounces full. You can then stop pouring the wine by twisting the bottle up until it is one-third full – approximately 3 ounces.