Wine Tips

LEARNING ABOUT WINE

Wine is a subjective thing. All of us have different tastes and preferences
– if we didn’t, there would only be one type of wine. So, how do you start to learn about wine?

A good start is to attend wine tastings, these allow you to taste a number of different wines and compare them, without making the monetary outlay of buying all the bottles yourself. The only way to taste 6 wines on the same night is at one of these events, because it would be impossible to duplicate at home.

Keep notes of the wines you did or didn’t like – there are no wrong answers, the notes provide clues as to which wines fit your taste preference. Refer back to your notes over time, and you may notice that a style of wine you didn’t care for initially, now you like. This is actually a common thing, as your tastes develop over time to appreciate different tastes and aromas of more complex or intense wines.

Don’t be afraid to experiment – there is a whole world of wine out there, and every region, producer, or year is different.

WINE SERVICE

The most common mistake most of us make is serving wine at the wrong temperature. Very few white wines are served at fridge temperature – allow them to rest 15 minutes before serving to allow the aroma molecules to warm up and be detectable. Red wines are said to be served at room temperature, but the room being described was before central heating. Try putting any bottle other than an old treasure in the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes to bring the temperature down to about 15 degrees. The acidity will be brighter, and the tannins a bit more pronounced, but the wine will be more refreshing, and more like what the winemaker intended.