You Are What You Drink: What Your Wine Choices Reveal

THE CONTEXT EFFECT: HOW YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRINK: WHAT YOUR WINE CHOICES ACTUALLY REVEAL

Short on time? Your wine choices send signals about comfort, status, curiosity and classic taste. Understanding these patterns means you can use them deliberately rather than unconsciously. Below, find your archetype and learn how to expand it.

Every wine tells a story. But here's the uncomfortable truth: the wine you choose tells a story about you.

Not in some mystical personality-test way. More like handwriting analysis or taste in music – subtle markers of how you see the world, what you value, where you've been. The Napa Cab drinker and the Jura wine enthusiast aren't just choosing different liquids. They're broadcasting different identities, priorities, relationships with risk and tradition and status.

This isn't judgment. It's recognition. After a decade watching what people pour, patterns emerge. The wine in your glass isn't random – it's autobiography in liquid form.

THE COMFORT SEEKERS

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

You value reliability over surprise. You discovered wine through a gateway bottle (probably Cloudy Bay, possibly Oyster Bay), and you're not embarrassed about it. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, grown in cool maritime conditions with high UV exposure, produces wines with distinctive tropical fruit and herbaceous character. You order the same dishes at restaurants you know. Your holidays involve sunshine, decent hotels, and no unpleasant shocks.

You're accused of playing it safe. You'd counter that you know what you like. Both things are true. That Marlborough Sauvignon will never disappoint because it never challenges – all passionfruit and gooseberry and dependable brightness. It's the friend who always answers texts, never cancels plans, shows up on time.

The tell: you describe wine as "easy-drinking" without irony.

Australian Shiraz

You're nostalgic for a version of confidence that doesn't apologise for existing. You like things generous, obvious, unapologetic. Barossa Valley Shiraz, from one of Australia's warmest premium regions, develops intense ripeness with chocolate, spice and concentrated dark fruit. Subtlety feels like withholding. When you cook, portions are abundant. When you speak, people listen – not because you're loud, but because you take up space comfortably.

That Barossa Shiraz is you in a glass: ripe, rich, occasionally overwhelming, never boring. You don't do minimalism. You don't trust people who claim to prefer "elegance" over "power" – sounds like scarcity thinking dressed up as taste

The tell: you've described Pinot Noir as "thin" at least once.

Prosecco

You understand that wine's primary job is to be delicious and make people happy. Prosecco, made via tank fermentation in Veneto, produces soft bubbles and accessible fruit that works everywhere from Tuesday evening to wedding toasts. You're not trying to impress anyone. You're trying to enjoy your evening without homework.

You likely roll your eyes at wine snobbery whilst secretly knowing more than you let on. You've worked out that the happiest wine moments rarely involve the most serious bottles. You're right, of course, but you'll never get credit for it because you're having too much fun to care.

The tell: you keep a bottle in the fridge "just in case."

Italian Pinot Grigio

You want something cold, refreshing, and uncomplicated after a long day. Northern Italian Pinot Grigio, from regions like Friuli and Alto Adige, ranges from light and neutral to more textured and mineral depending on producer ambition. You're practical about wine the way you're practical about most things – it should work, it should be pleasant, it shouldn't require a seminar.

You've been mocked for this choice by people who take themselves too seriously. You've learned not to care. Your version of sophistication involves knowing what you need in any given moment, and sometimes what you need is a cold glass of something that pairs with Tuesday.

The tell: you've defended Pinot Grigio to a wine snob and felt no need to justify yourself.

Chilean Merlot

You're practical. Wine is a pleasant addition to dinner, not the centrepiece. Chilean Merlot, from Central Valley's warm conditions, delivers soft tannins, ripe plum fruit, and approachable structure at accessible prices. You'd rather spend money on the meal, the company, the memory. You find wine snobbery exhausting and slightly offensive – why complicate something meant to be enjoyed?

That Chilean Merlot does the job beautifully: soft, approachable, reasonable. It doesn't demand attention or specialist knowledge. It doesn't judge you for drinking it from a tumbler. It's democratic in the best sense – good enough for anyone, pretentious for no one.

The tell: you've never decanted anything in your life.

THE STATUS FLEXER

Napa Cabernet

You believe in American exceptionalism but would never phrase it that way. You value ambition, achievement, visible success. Napa Valley Cabernet, from benchland sites in Oakville and Rutherford, combines power with polish – ripe cassis, structured tannins, and oak integration that signals serious winemaking investment. You drive a good car, live in a good postcode, send your children to good schools. "Good" here means expensive and recognised.

That Napa Cab – especially from Oakville or Rutherford – signals you've made it. It's bold, structured, built to impress. It costs enough to matter but not so much that anyone questions your judgment. It's the wine equivalent of a Rolex: functional excellence wrapped in unmistakable status.

The tell: you know which critics rate which producers but claim not to care about scores.

Bordeaux First Growth

You're a traditionalist with resources. You respect heritage, pedigree, things that last. First Growth Bordeaux – Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion, Mouton – represents centuries of terroir refinement and the apex of Cabernet-based winemaking. You don't follow trends; you observe them from a comfortable distance, occasionally amused. Your wine cellar (and you definitely have one) reads like a stability index – Latour, Lafite, Margaux, purchased en primeur and stored professionally.

You don't drink these wines to enjoy them in some simple hedonistic sense. You drink them because they represent something larger: history, craft, investment-grade quality. The liquid is almost beside the point.

The tell: you've used the phrase "drinking window" in casual conversation.

Super Tuscan

You're drawn to rebellion, but expensive rebellion. You like the idea of iconoclasts and rule-breakers, provided they went to the right schools and know the right people. Super Tuscans emerged when Tuscan producers planted Cabernet and Merlot outside DOC regulations, creating wines like Sassicaia that commanded Bordeaux-level prices whilst thumbing their noses at tradition. That Sassicaia represents your perfect balance: non-conformist credentials wrapped in luxury pricing.

You tell the story about Tuscan winemakers challenging DOC regulations whilst simultaneously dropping four-figure sums on bottles. The contradiction doesn't bother you. In fact, it's rather the point.

The tell: you describe yourself as "unconventional" whilst maintaining a thoroughly conventional lifestyle.

THE EXPLORERS

Jura White (Savagnin/Vin Jaune)

You fetishise difficulty. Mainstream tastes bore you; accessible pleasures feel cheap. Jura's Savagnin, aged under a veil of yeast like Sherry's flor, develops oxidative walnut, curry spice, and saline complexity that rewards patience and divides opinion. That Vin Jaune's oxidative character, its walnut-and-curry complexity, its sherry-like intensity – these aren't bugs, they're features. You want wine that demands work, rewards patience, separates the committed from the casual.

You likely work in something creative or academic. You own books about wine. You've made a pilgrimage to Arbois. You secretly enjoy watching people's faces when they taste Vin Jaune for the first time and clearly hate it.

The tell: you use the word "uncompromising" as a compliment.

Friuli Orange Wine

You're culturally literate enough to know that orange wine predates the natural wine movement by centuries, yet contemporary enough to appreciate its current moment. Friulian skin-contact whites – fermenting Friulano or Ribolla Gialla with grape skins for days or months – produce tannic, amber-hued wines with tea-like texture and complex phenolic structure. You value craft, tradition, small production. You shop at farmers' markets. Your kitchen contains at least one item from Japan.

That skin-contact Friulano signals intellectual curiosity wrapped in aesthetic sensitivity. You're not trying to shock anyone. You're demonstrating informed taste that exists outside conventional categories. You appreciate wine that makes you think.

The tell: you've described a wine as "having a conversation with you."

THE CLASSICISTS

Grand Cru Burgundy

You're a completist. You don't just appreciate Burgundy; you've mapped its hierarchies, understand its climats, track its vintages. Grand Cru Burgundy – from sites like Musigny, Chambertin, and Montrachet – represents Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at their pinnacle, shaped by Jurassic limestone and centuries of observation. You believe in the concept of "greatest" – greatest producers, greatest sites, greatest expressions. You're not interested in value; you're interested in pinnacle

That Musigny or Chambertin isn't just wine; it's the culmination of everything viticulture can achieve. You approach it with reverence bordering on religiosity. You've spent more on single bottles than most people spend on holidays, and you consider this perfectly reasonable.

The tell: you've used the phrase "a revelatory experience" about a wine.

Barolo/Barbaresco

You're drawn to things that reward patience and punish haste. You don't want immediate gratification; you want earned complexity. Nebbiolo from Barolo and Barbaresco demands time – high tannins and acidity in youth soften over decades to reveal tar, rose, truffle, and extraordinary finesse. That Nebbiolo demands time – years in the cellar, hours in the decanter – and you respect the discipline required.

You likely have strong opinions about tradition versus modernity (you're probably traditional). You think "approachable" is code for "dumbed down." You believe great wine should be difficult, should require experience and attention and respect.

The tell: you've served a wine "too young" deliberately, to demonstrate its structure.

Chablis

You're a purist. You distrust embellishment, question necessity of new oak, value transparency. Chablis Chardonnay, grown on Kimmeridgian limestone in Burgundy's coolest northern outpost and aged in neutral vessels, expresses steely minerality and crystalline precision without oak decoration. That Chablis is Chardonnay at its most honest – all steel and stone and crystalline precision. No makeup, no filter, no apology.

You apply this aesthetic to other areas of life. You favour clean lines, minimal intervention, things that speak for themselves. You find the term "authentic" overused but secretly structure your life around pursuing it.

The tell: you've described California Chardonnay as subtle as Harry and Megan Netlix show.

THE ENTHUSIASTS

Oregon Pinot Noir

You're an optimist who reads as a pragmatist. You want world-class quality without Burgundian prices or Californian flash. Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, from cool-climate Oregon, delivers elegant red fruit, earthy complexity, and genuine terroir expression at more accessible price points than Burgundy. That Willamette Valley Pinot represents your perfect compromise: serious winemaking, genuine terroir expression, accessible entry points.

You likely moved to Portland before it was saturated, discovered Scandinavian design before Kinfolk magazine, understood farm-to-table before it became ubiquitous. You're good at spotting quality before consensus forms.

The tell: you've said "great QPR" (quality-price ratio) without embarrassment.

Santa Barbara Chardonnay

You're a convert. You dismissed Chardonnay for years – too rich, too oaky, too Nineties – until you tasted something that changed your mind. Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, from California's cool coastal edge, channels Burgundian elegance with saline minerality, precise acidity, and restrained oak rather than tropical butter bombs. That Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, with its saline minerality and precise acidity, proved that California could do restraint, could channel Burgundian elegance without copying it.

You like the narrative of redemption: the misunderstood variety, the overlooked region, the unexpected excellence. You're drawn to comeback stories and second chances.

The tell: you preface Chardonnay recommendations with "I know what you're thinking, but…"

Loire Reds (Cabernet Franc)

You're the friend who makes excellent recommendations that nobody follows. Loire Cabernet Franc from Chinon and Bourgueil delivers pure red fruit, herbal freshness, and pencil-lead minerality with food-friendly acidity and digestible alcohol. You've been trying to convince people about Loire Cabernet Franc for years – its purity, its digestibility, its food-friendliness, its value. You're mystified that Chinon and Bourgueil remain relative secrets whilst lesser wines command attention.

You have strong opinions about restaurants, films, music. You're usually right. People acknowledge this retrospectively but rarely in the moment.

The tell: you've sighed audibly when someone ordered Malbec instead of Cabernet Franc.

THE SENSUALISTS

Valpolicella/Amarone

You're drawn to drama and intensity without pretension. Amarone della Valpolicella uses dried grapes (appassimento) to concentrate sugars and flavours, producing powerful wines with dried fruit, chocolate, spice, and almost port-like depth. That Amarone's concentrated richness delivers hedonistic pleasure without requiring critical analysis. You're not interested in tasting notes; you're interested in impact.

You likely enjoy opera, bold flavours, emotional directness. You find minimalism cold. You'd rather risk too much than settle for too little.

The tell: you've finished a meal with Amarone instead of port and considered it an upgrade.

Rhône Valley Reds

You're a generous host who values conviviality over ceremony. Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côte-Rôtie blend multiple grape varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) from warm southern Rhône sites, producing generous wines with garrigue herbs, dark fruit, and spice complexity. That Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Côte-Rôtie brings people together without intimidating them. It's serious without being stuffy, complex without being difficult, delicious without requiring explanation.

You throw good dinner parties. Your table is abundant. You'd rather pour generously than serve precisely. You understand that wine's highest purpose is shared pleasure.

The tell: you own large-format bottles for "special occasions" that arrive more frequently than planned.

Rhône Valley Whites

You're the person who orders interestingly at restaurants. Condrieu's Viognier delivers apricot lusciousness and heady floral aromatics, whilst white Hermitage ages Marsanne and Roussanne into honeyed, complex wines that challenge Chardonnay's supremacy. Whilst others default to Sauvignon or Chardonnay, you're exploring Condrieu's apricot lusciousness or white Hermitage's honeyed power. You understand that the most rewarding experiences often come from unexpected choices

You apply this philosophy broadly: the overlooked neighbourhood, the underrated film, the second book by a promising author. You're good at finding value in places others overlook.

The tell: you've converted at least three people to Viognier.

THE REGIONALISTS

Rioja

You're a traditionalist who doesn't broadcast it. You appreciate things with history, with established identity, with proven track records. Rioja Gran Reserva, aged minimum five years (two in oak, three in bottle), transforms Tempranillo into refined wines with leather, tobacco, dried fruit, and silky texture. That Rioja – especially Gran Reserva – represents patience rewarded: years in barrel and bottle producing something refined, complex, complete.

You likely buy quality items infrequently rather than disposable items constantly. You repair rather than replace. You view fashion cycles with bemused detachment.

The tell: you've described something as "classic" and meant it as the highest praise.

South African Chenin Blanc

You're an early adopter who does the research. South African Chenin Blanc from Swartland's old-bush vines produces extraordinary wines – from crisp and mineral to textured and age-worthy – at prices that haven't caught up with quality. You recognised South African Chenin's quality before critics consensus formed, before prices climbed, before sommeliers made it their cause. You found those Swartland producers making extraordinary wine for extraordinary value.

You enjoy being ahead of curves – not to brag, but because discovery itself brings pleasure. You're the friend who knows about the pop-up, the new producer, the undervalued region.

The tell: you've felt proprietary annoyance when "your" wine appears on trendy lists.

Californian Syrah

You're comfortable with contradiction: New World location, Old World sensibility; American scale, French restraint. Central Coast Syrah from Sta. Rita Hills and Edna Valley produces elegant, peppery wines with restraint and structure that reference Northern Rhône more than Australian power. That Central Coast Syrah – especially from Sta. Rita Hills or Edna Valley – represents your aesthetic: powerful but elegant, ripe but balanced, Californian but not excessively so.

You likely moved away from Parker-era blockbusters towards something more nuanced without swinging fully to natural wine austerity. You want your wine expressive, not extreme.

The tell: you've explained the difference between Syrah and Shiraz to someone who didn't ask.

WHAT THIS DOESN'T MEAN

Here's the liberation: these patterns exist, but they don't define you. The Napa drinker can appreciate Jura wine. The Burgundy completist can pour Chilean Merlot on Tuesday. The orange wine enthusiast can enjoy Champagne.

Wine choices reveal tendencies, not destinies. Understanding the signals you send – consciously or not – means you can use them deliberately rather than unconsciously. This is what makes developing your palate so liberating: you stop being prisoner to a single identity and start exploring the full range of what wine can be.

"Your wine choices say something about you. But what they say changes every time you open something unexpected."

The most interesting wine drinkers resist categorisation entirely. They pour First Growth Bordeaux one night and obscure Slovenian field blends the next. They understand that wine exists on multiple axes simultaneously: pleasure and education, tradition and innovation, accessibility and challenge.

Your wine choices say something about you. But what they say changes every time you open something unexpected, learn something new, let context shift perception. The glass you pour tonight might contradict everything you poured last month.

That's not inconsistency. That's evolution. The best wine drinkers aren't loyal to categories – they're loyal to curiosity, to moments, to the endless possibility that the next bottle might surprise them completely. Understanding what you like is just the beginning. Discovering what you could like – that's where it gets interesting.

This is precisely what good wine curation offers: not reinforcement of what you already know, but intelligent expansion into what you haven't yet discovered. A thoughtful wine subscription doesn't tell you who you are. It shows you who you might become, one bottle at a time.

You are what you drink. But what you drink keeps changing. The Prosecco drinker discovers Champagne Grower. The Napa loyalist finds Northern Rhône. The Chablis purist tries skin-contact Friulano and doesn't hate it. The Chilean Merlot regular graduates to Loire Cabernet Franc.

Each bottle is a small identity shift, a tiny expansion of possibility. String enough of them together and you've transformed completely – not because you abandoned your taste, but because you let it grow.

That's the real story your wine tells: not who you are, but who you're willing to become. And that story is still being written, one glass at a time.

Discover who you might become, one bottle at a time

Join Ourglass and receive a curated wine subscription that expands your palate one step at a time. No randomness. No pretension. Just intelligent discovery.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do wine preferences say anything about personality?

They are gentle signals, not destinies. Your choices reveal tendencies around comfort, curiosity and status, which you can use deliberately. Understanding your palate helps you recognise these patterns and expand beyond them.

Is it snobbish to judge people by what they drink?

We avoid judgement. The point is recognition and growth, not hierarchy. Wine should bring people together, not create artificial divisions. What makes extraordinary wine has more to do with context and curiosity than price or prestige.

How can I expand my palate without wasting money?

Try guided flights, half bottles, and a curated wine subscription that nudges you one step beyond your comfort zone. The best way to discover new tastes is through intelligent curation rather than random experimentation.

Are "classic" wines always better than the new or obscure

Classics earned their status, but discovery is half the joy. Balance both. If you like a certain wine, there are often fascinating alternatives worth exploring.

What is orange wine and why do people like it?

It is white wine fermented with skins, adding texture and tea-like tannin. Many enjoy its food pairing range and complexity. Italian orange wines from Friuli pioneered this technique centuries ago.

About the Author

Benedict Johnson is the founder of Ourglass, a London-based wine platform dedicated to helping people become confident wine lovers. He writes on the economics of flavour and the psychology of choice, exploring how our wine preferences reveal – and shape – who we are.