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By Amy Gross –
In my experience as the Vine Sleuth, I have learned a few things about enjoying and exploring wines. And, since January is so often about resolutions, I would like to encourage you to adopt these as your New Year’s Wine Resolutions. They are much more fun than your typical New Year’s resolutions and will serve you well through the new year.
Resolution Number One: Don’t drink wine you don’t like.
If you don’t like a wine, dump it out or send it back, even if it’s an award-winning, 100-point wine that everyone else says is amazing. It might be amazing to someone else, but it has to be good to you for you to like it. And, there are too many fantastic options that will suit you well to settle for something you don’t like. You just might need help finding them.
Resolution Number Two: Don’t be shy about asking for a taste.
If you don’t know what to order, ask for a taste of your top two choices to help you decide. Many restaurants and bars will be happy to let you try a wine or two, provided you have every intention of purchasing a glass or bottle. By tasting, you are sure to end up with a wine you’ll enjoy rather than just guessing, and getting it wrong.
Resolution Number Three: Remember grape types or blends you like, together with the areas where the wines are from, to help find more similar wines you might like.
Wines should be an expression of the area where the grapes are grown. Different areas impart different flavors on the grapes. If you can remember, for example, that you like Pinot Noir (that’s the grape type) from Oregon or Sauvignon Blanc (another grape type) from New Zealand, that’s a huge help in guiding you to other wines you might enjoy with similar characteristics. Start by trying other brands of wine from that same area using the same grapes.
What do you think about these resolutions for the coming year? Do you drink wine you don’t like? Are you nervous about asking for a taste? Do you have any wine rules that I’ve left out that have helped you explore and enjoy wine? Click over to my blog, VineSleuthUncorked.com, and tell me what you think.
Cheers to a new year of drinking better wine!