Considering you’re reading about wine tips, you’ve probably noticed that wine is a culture of its own. Some people even go through formal training to become certified wine connoisseurs. Others join wine clubs to make friends and enjoy fine wines. It can be easy to feel like a fool when it comes to wine etiquette, but we are here to keep you from embarrassing yourself!
Wine Tips #1: purchase some fine wine for yourself and your friends, or make a reservation at a nice restaurant.
Second, get some training.
Here is your 5-minute informal wine training on us!
How To Talk About Wine
In the world of wine, language is key. Whether you’re ordering a glass of wine or explaining what your wine tastes like to friends, you can easily make a fool of yourself with the words you choose. So be careful! These 7 terms will make you sound like a wine connoisseur.
Wine Tips #2: Use the right language
- “Tannin”
Tannin refers to the bitterness of the wine. Typically red wines are more tannic than white wines. If you’re looking for a sweeter wine, you could ask the waiter, “what is your least tannic wine?”
- “Dry”
“Dry” also works to replace the adjective “bitter.” Whatever you do, don’t say “spicy!”
- “Terroir”
Terroir refers to the soil and climate where wine is produced. To sound intelligent, you could ask, “what is the terroir of this wine?” instead of, “where is this wine from?”
- “Sommelier”
A sommelier is a wine expert who serves, suggests, and selects wines at restaurants.
- “Nose”
Nose refers to the smell of wine. When tasting wine with friends, you can use adjectives like “expressive,” “lively,” “sharp,” or “leathery.” Your middle school English teacher would be so proud.
- “Hot”
Hot is used to describe a wine that has a high level of alcohol. The range of alcohol levels in wine range from 5% to 24%!
- “Closed”
A “closed” wine is a wine that isn’t releasing any aroma. If you can’t smell the wine, you either suffer from anosmia or the wine has sat for years without any oxygen.
How To Drink Wine The Right Way
If you aren’t too overwhelmed by your new set of vocabulary words, here are a few more wine tips. Now that you don’t sound like a fool let’s make sure you don’t look like a fool.
Wine Tips #3: Hold Your Glass By The Stem
In the wine world, the temperature is very important. When you hold your glass by the body of the glass, the heat from your fingers can warm the wine.
To avoid changing the temperature of the wine and looking like a fool, pinch the stem between your thumb and index/middle fingers. Just don’t drop it!
Wine Tips #4: Smell And Taste The Wine
Wine isn’t just a way to get tipsy, it’s a lifestyle and a hobby. If you want to appreciate wine to its fullest, just remember this acronym: LIST
- Look at it
- Inhale it (or smell it, but that doesn’t work for the acronym)
- Swirl it
- Taste it
How To Open Wine
Wine Tips #5: Open the Wine Bottle Correctly
If you’re at a restaurant, usually the sommelier will open the wine bottle for you, but if you’re at home, you will need a corkscrew. It would be embarrassing if you invited a bunch of people over and had to open your wine bottle with a key or a screwdriver. Although it can be done, our wine connoisseur forefathers would shake their heads in disappointment.
Press the corkscrew into the cork and twist the BOTTLE while holding the cork in place.
Keep the cork so you can preserve any leftover wine.
How To Serve Wine
Wine Tips #6: Fill the Wine Glass to the Right Amount
The key is to not overfill or underfill the glass.
Follow these amounts to serve wine properly:
- Champagne: 5 ounces, or 2/3rds of a glass
- White Wine: 3 ounces, or 1/3rd of a glass
- Red Wine: 4 ounces, or 1/2 of a glass
How To Store Wine
Wine Tips #7: Store your Wine Correctly!
After buying a nice bottle of wine, you need to store it properly.
Store your wine horizontally, ideally on a wine rack, although you can get creative.
Keep your wine in a cool, dark place between 50-59 degrees.