Have you ever been in a situation where you had to select a wine for a group of people and realized you had no idea what to choose? Maybe you were on a first date or at a business meeting and were told to select a bottle of wine for the table. Perhaps you’re invited to a dinner at someone’s home and want to bring a gift and think wine is the way to go, but which wine do you bring?
Learning about wine is confusing! Sometimes the name of the wine is not the name of the grape that the wine is made from, there are so many different types, so many different regions, and let’s not even start with the right way to open a bottle! Regardless of its complexity, developing a comfort level with wine is a must for these two reasons:
- IT’S GOOD FOR BUSINESS
Youknow how they say a lot of business deals are made on the golf course? Well, just like it’s smart to stay on top of your golf game, there are a lot of business deals made over a dinner or at an event over a glass or bottle of wine! Whether you are entertaining a potential customer or discussing business with the VP’s of your company, there is a strong chance that you might be in a situation where the responsibility of ordering a bottle of wine for the evening is up to you. It’s important that you are comfortable ordering the appropriate bottle for the occasion. Just like it is good for business to be knowledgeable on politics, current events, and sports, it is also important to include a little bit of wine in there as well.
2. IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR PERSONAL LIFE
Birthday parties, family gatherings, first dates, and gift giving are all reasons to develop your wine comfort zone. Whether you’re trying to impress someone on a first date or are gifting a bottle to someone to thank them, it’s important to select the perfect bottle. It’s also a smart financial decision. How many times have you purchased a bottle of wine only to be disappointed? Once you develop your foundation of wine knowledge, you’ll become more familiar with what styles you enjoy and won’t have to spend money playing the guessing game of purchasing wine and hoping you like it!
So how do we become wine savvy so that we can kill it at the next business dinner and be the person who brought the good bottle of wine at the next party? Here are my five tips to slide into your wine comfort zone.
- Taste Properly
The first time I played golf for a work event I was freaking out because I had never played. I took two lessons to prepare which was definitely NOT enough. The best advice someone gave me was to “look the part”. Same goes for wine. Here’s the breakdown on what the swirling and smelling is all about. 1. Look at the wine. Pick up the glass and tilt it to the side. Looking at the color says a lot about the wine. If it is a darker white, it might be aged and/or oaked. A red wine with a more purple hue is probably younger. A red wine with a lighter brick color around the edges is probably aged. 2. Swirl the wine to open it up and allow the aromas to jump out of the glass. We can smell more than we can taste which is why we do this. 3. Smell the wine with a few quick sniffs rather than one long one (you get more aromas out of it this way). 4. Take a sip and breathe some air in through your teeth while the wine is in your mouth to help open it up and release more of the flavors.
2. Talk the Talk
When describing a wine, always use two fruit characteristics and one non-fruit characteristic. For example, a California Chardonnay might be described as having green apple, lemon, and oak. Examples of other non-fruit characteristics can reference the weight or body of the wine, the acidity, the alcohol, or notes of spices, herbs, or earth. When choosing your two fruits keep in mind that if the wine is a white wine, it probably has more light fruits (think citrus and tropical). A red wine will have more dark and red fruit notes (berries, cherries, plum, etc.). Oak on a wine imparts different baking spice notes and flavors of coconut or vanilla.
There are a few other terms you should be familiar with when describing a wine. When talking about the acidity, think about biting into a lemon. It is tart and makes your mouth water. This is acidity. If a wine makes your mouth water and is refreshing, it has high acid.
Ever hear people talk about the body of the wine? We can reference this to something we are all familiar with: Milk! A light bodied wine is similar to skim milk.When you drink it, it is somewhat watery and feels light to drink. A full -bodied wine would be similar to whole milk. It’s full bodied meaning it coats your palate and has a heavier weight to it. The same goes for wine!
Dry or sweet? Most wines are dry and a lot of times people confuse fruit with sweet. Just because a wine is fruit-forward does NOT mean it is sweet. Sweet means you taste sugar. Most red and white wines are dry, but may be fruit forward.How do you know the difference? In the privacy of your own home (not at the business dinner), Take a sip of wine and keep it in your mouth. Hold your nose and if you taste sweetness, the wine is sweet. If you don’t, the wine is dry.
Talking the talk takes practice. The tough part for most people is pin pointing what they are smelling. A Master Sommelier recommended smelling the produce when visiting the grocery store. This helps train your brain to recognize the different aromas in wine. It’s worth looking a little crazy in the grocery store, promise!
3. Take Notes
Whether it’s in your phone or in a notebook, take notes on what you drink as you expand your wine knowledge. Specifically notice which grape varietals you consistently enjoy. Take it a step further and see if there is a specific region that every time you drink a wine form there, you like it. Generally speaking, the main grape varietals and wines from wine growing regions will have similarities. This means that if you can find a type of wine you like and/ or a region you like,you will be able to select different producers even though you haven’t had that specific wine and will most likely enjoy it! This comes in handy when looking at a wine list or looking for a bottle in a store, but you don’t see anything you’ve had before. If you know the type you like or the region you like, you can make your selection based off of those options!
4. Have Your Go-To Options
Pick your Super Six. These are your three white and three red wines that you love and know are great options! Make this super six a mix of different styles, different regions, and different price points. These can’t all be $100 bottles. You need your go-to bottle that you take to the parties or enjoy at home during the week and your go-to bottles that are higher end when trying to make an impression. Your Super Six will evolve over time which is perfectly fine! Just have a good variety in your super six so that you can have your go-to options for any occasion.
5. Drink Up!
The BEST way to learn about wine is to drink it! Try as many different types from as many different places. Just be aware of what you are drinking and take notes! When drinking wine, taste it the right way and think about how you would describe it. Just like anything, getting comfortable with wine takes practice!
Wine can be intimidating, but you now have the first five steps to building up your wine confidence! I didn’t become a Certified Sommelier over night! I’ve been the girl who opened a bottle of champagne with a corkscrew and had it fly across the restaurant (thankfully, no one was injured!). I’ve said names of wines the wrong way (and still do) and have purchased simply based on how the label looks. We all have to start somewhere! Drink up and get to know your dear friend “wine” a little better. It’s good for business!
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