10 Things to Learn About Wine
1. THERE ARE NO RIGHT OR WRONGS
As much as the wine priesthood may suggest otherwise. No-one can tell what you like, in the same way as someone can’t insist you like aubergines if you don’t. Your taste is your taste, though interestingly it's a fluid thing and will evolve with your habits in much the same way as your music tastes shift with exposure to new influences.
2. DISTINGUISH BETWEEN OPINION AND FACT
It’s important to distinguish between a wine’s merit (i.e. made with discretion or even finesse from fruit sourced from well kept vineyards) and your opinion (i.e. whether you like it or not). Blanket generalisations offered as gospel truth don't carry much weight, often revealing more about the person offering the opinion, rather the wine itself.
3. CONTRARIANS RULE OK
Running contrary to the crowd can pay dividends, as some of the world’s great wines like single barrel sherry or sweet white Bordeaux (excluding Yquem) offer exceptional value due to their being out of favour.
4. SCREW PROPERLY i
Choose a corkscrew with a hollow helix to enable maximum purchase on the cork and so minimise potential dispiriting breakages. A standard screwpull is a tried and trusted tool of the trade.
5. SCREW PROPERLY ii
Some very good wine (e.g. Felton Road or Kumeu River) is now sealed with screw-cap so this needn't indicate inferior juice, even if does lack ceremony vs. a cork pull.
6. EQUIP WELL
Good glassware, much like good hi-fi equipment, reveals greater nuance and interest in the source material. Ultimately, a single ‘universal’ glass can cover red, white and fizzy wines if carefully selected, though it can be fun geeking out on what each glass shapes reveals in the nose and palate. We’ve pulled together a glassware guidance here to make it easy.
7. TEMPERATURE MATTERS
Too cold and the wine won't taste of anything; too hot and flavours will be indiscernible. As red wine is often too warm and white is often too cold, it's smart to give the red 15 minutes in the fridge, and the white 15 minutes out of the fridge to acclimatise before serving. For guidance on ideal serving temperature by wine type or style, please click here.
8. LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY
Try to fill a glass no more than a third full, so that you can swirl the wine around the bowl of the glass and experince the fullest range of aromas available.
9. COLOUR DOESN'T MATTER AS MUCH AS YOU'D THINK
When matching with food, the weight and acidity of the wine can matter more than its colour (an often simplistic binary distinction). We expand on classic and exciting wine and food matching here.
10. WITH TIME, LIBERATION
As you learn more about wine, you’ll develop your palate, your repertoire and the wine language to describe your experience. The feeling of confidence in being able to switch gear between choosing wisely at an important client dinner vs. a smashable bottle of ‘glou glou’ at a week night meet up is liberating joy in itself en route to becoming a wine expert.
WHAT NEXT?
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