Tired of your friends knowing more about wine than you? Are you one of those who in a wine tasting the most you can say is whether the wine is red or white? Do you want to shut your brother-in-law’s mouth in family gatherings?Do you want everyone to be speechless with your wine suggestions?
Then this post is for you.
Let’s be honest from the outside, the “world of wine” seems somewhat elitist, posh…a world in which you would not dare to give your opinion on a wine, or talk about your favorite wine for fear of being stoned in public, or what is worse, becoming the laughingstock of your circle, that’s why we always wait to be the last to ask and most likely we will join one of the elections of one of the “gurus “ of the group.
Well, this is going to end because we are going to give you some “tips” with which you will rise to the occasion despite not having a clue, in addition to serving as a kind of “initiation path” in the wonderful world of wine …
The main enemy we must face is “shame”, forget about it (no one was born learned) or better yet, make it your ally … what for you is shame let others see it as “humility”, you will win their sympathy of the others and they will be more lenient in the event that you screw up, in reality nobody likes a “know-it-all”. Besides, since you have not created great expectations, it will always seem that you are silent more than you show … The best ally of your “humility” will be the “memory” memorizing a couple of things can make you look like real “sommeliers”.
First of all “be natural”, artificiality is out of date and is quite tiring . There are things that even the most expert sommelier does not know and it is good to recognize it, so you will give another opportunity to teach us. Another ally that plays in our favor is “security” ordering a summer red or a wine with soda as if it were a great reserve will make you look like a person without complexes, it is well known that those who really understand a subject do not they strive to prove it. Don’t be afraid to “delegate.” When you are a little lost with the wine list … ask the waiter to recommend something
What should NEVER be done:
1.Take the glass by the chalice (the upper part) or take it as if it were going to be stolen.
2.Fill the glass like there is no tomorrow (if you are thirsty, drink water).
3.Pour white wine into a glass in which you have previously drunk red wine, you should always change the glass, if this is not possible, try to rinse it a little.
4.Never order the most expensive wine on the menu (unless you pay and it is still very ostentatious and reveals that you have no criteria).
5.That a wine has lees does not mean that it is bad, complaining about it is “newbies”.
What you DO need to do:
1. Go out of the classic, you will be better if you order a rosé than if you go to the classic Rioja.
2.Dare to innovate: not all whites pair with fish (a cod or octopus go better with red), nor all reds with meat (in fact, soft meats such as chicken or turkey go better with white), sparkling wines are phenomenal with rice or seafood … all that will make you look like a person with discretion and innovation.
3.If you have to buy wine, go to a specialized store where they will make a good recommendation and give you some extra information about the wine that will make you look like a duke.
4.Knowing a few wines from the market, good, beautiful and cheap, to be able to recommend when someone asks you, will make you look like an expert and your relatives will thank you.
5.Memorizing a couple of general characteristics will help too. The reds tend to have aromas of red fruits and spices while in the whites we find floral and white fruit aromas.
Remember that you do not like a wine does not mean that it is bad, in reality there are no bad or good wines if there are wines that adapt to our taste or not. And to finish I advise you to have fun. The world of wines is a wonderful place where you can learn a lot about grapes, fascinating places, heritage, technology …
As Lao Tzu wrote “a thousand mile road begins with one step”, becoming an expert can begin with one sip …
