It’s interesting to think of the wine world and talk about how people who are uninitiated, or who simply have no interest in wine, can view it. While they may enjoy a tipple here and there, perhaps when traveling, in a nice restaurant or at a special event, it’s true to say that wine is often considered quite “lofty” and even pretentious in some ways.
In this respect, it’s quite similar to books and literature. You can enjoy a pulpy airport novel thriller, or you can try to engage with the most impactful and resonant literature that may have been considered the height of culture for several hundred years. There’s a great spectrum between those two things, just as there can be in wine, with bottles that go back centuries and fetch thousands a bottle, to supermarket blends you can pick up for a quick and easy accompaniment.
Wine also goes back thousands of years and so there’s quite a history about it to learn and understand. In this post, we’ll help those just getting into wine, or who may wish to take the next step up the ladder, take this beautiful art form more seriously, but without feeling pretentious or too lofty about the whole thing:
Head On A Wine Tour
A great way to get hands-on experience and confidence in your wine knowledge is to head out on a tour. These experiences are often set up to be approachable and welcoming, especially to those who aren’t quite experts yet or may feel nervous about asking a silly question here or there (don’t worry, you’re not silly for asking anything).
If you head on a local one, you’ll get to learn how wine is made, see the terrain it comes from, and speak to the people who’ve built their lives around it. It’s also a nice chance to see how wine interacts with food, the climate, and even time itself, as all of these things matter to wine. Moreover, tours give you a stronger understanding of why some bottles cost what they do and why others can be enjoyed more casually. Often, you’ll find yourself falling in love with at least one bottle you never would have tried otherwise and you may get the chance to pick a bottle up for a special occasion, such as saving one for your wedding anniversary. If you go in curious and respectful, no one’s going to care if you can’t pronounce the grape varieties perfectly just yet.
Learn The Tasting Protocol
Tasting wine has never really been about celebrating someone with the most dramatic slurp or throwing out obscure adjectives. It’s muchheallthier learning how to approach a glass in a thoughtful way, and figuring out what you actually enjoy. The basic protocol is quite simple, just look at the wine’s color, give it a swirl to release the aroma, take a sniff, then a small sip, letting it coat your palate.
From there, see what you taste. Maybe you notice fruit, oak, something earthy or floral. Don’t worry about being wrong, its your palate and you’re learning about it more, and it’s okay to focus on your own experience matters more than matching textbook notes. Over time, this approach sharpens your sense of smell and taste and makes it easier to talk about wine with confidence. It’s also fun to compare with a friend and see how different people experience the same glass.
Learn To Pop The Perfect Cork Each Time
Opening a bottle of wine might seem basic, but it’s easy to make a mess of it if you’re not used to it. Doing it cleanly and without pushing the cork in or spraying yourself with bubbles gives off a sense of calm control, and it’s nice to be trusted with this at a dinner party.
Still wines are simple, as a traditional corkscrew with a two-step lever is going to work fine. You just start by cutting the foil under the lip of the bottle, center the screw in the cork, and twist in until you have just one spiral left showing. Use the first step of the lever, then the second, and ease the cork out gently from side to side.
Sparkling wines are a touch different due to the pressure. If you can, keep your thumb on the cork, untwist the cage, and slowly turn the bottle (not the cork) while holding the cork steady. A soft “hiss” is ideal. That’s how you know you’ve done it right, and it’s okay if it pops, but just be mindful of the direction you hold it in.
Think About Your Wine Storage & Fridge
If you’re planning to start a small collection, even if it’s just a few bottles you like to keep on hand, it’s worth thinking about where and how you store them. Wine doesn’t do great in heavy heat, direct light, or intensive temperature changes.
That means keeping it next to your stove or on a sunlit shelf isn’t the best idea. Ideally, wine should be stored on its side (to keep corks from drying out), in a cool, stable environment. If you’re planning to explore a wider range of whites and reds, investing in a Dual Zone wine fridge could be a real testament to that and a fantastic way to start building your collection. Restaurants use these pieces of kit, and they’re actually quite affordable given the heights of the hobby.
Also, these are built to hold different types of wine at their ideal temperatures without you needing to fuss about it. Don’t worry, you don’t need a perfect cellar in an old mansion like you may have seen.
Attend A Wine Auction
Wine auctions can be intimidating at first, especially with the prestige they often carry because this is where the most impressive and often historically relevant bottles are sold, but they’re also a wonderful education if you’re really starting to care about that.
That said, not all auctions are about million-dollar bottles or rare European cellars. Many smaller or online auctions offer lots at a range of price points, and browsing them can give you a much better sense of what makes a wine collectible, valuable, or historically interesting. It’s also a way to find something special, like a vintage from a year you were born in, a bottle from a region you love, or a style you’ve been wanting to try. Just be careful not to get caught up in the hype and bid way over your budget, because learning the value of wine and what affects it is part of understanding the craft itself. Treat it like a learning experience first and foremost, and if you do happen to win something, enjoy the chance to own a bottle with a story behind it.
Read Amazing Books On Wine
If you’re someone who loves to learn the history of their new interest, well, there are countless books out there that make wine fascinating, fun, and totally approachable. Some are beautifully illustrated guides that help you learn regions, grapes, and labels with visual cudes, and there are also those that explore wine history or tell the stories of vineyards and families behind the bottles.
If you’re starting out, look for books written in a clear, honest tone rather than something overly academic. Books like these can be great coffee table additions too, or something to flip through while sipping a glass and winding down in the evening, or just helping your bookshelf look a touch more refined.
Consider Your Local Vineyards
You don’t have to fly to Napa or Bordeaux to experience good wine culture like some people think, especially because there are many winemakers and vintners out there making things happen locally. Even those in lesser-known regions can easily surprise you with the quality and diversity of what they produce. S
That’s because the smaller operations are often run by passionate winemakers who are happy to chat and show you what they do, which means you’ll learn what makes their region unique, how local soil or climate plays a role, and maybe even get to taste something straight from the barrel. Don’t forget that supporting your local vineyards also means you’re backing the businesses that keep the wider wine community thriving and it also contributes to your local economy. Now, “local” might mean something different to you compared to another, but remember that even countries like Britain have burgeoning wine scenes, so don’t think yourself ignored.
Learn To Take Notes
If you learn to keep track of what you’ve tried and what you liked, it’s one of the easiest ways to grow as a wine enthusiast. Even using the notes app on your phone or one of the very many dedicated developed apps for it can help.
You don’t need to write an official review of course, just note what you tasted, what the aftertaste was like, how viscous it felt, and if you enjoyed it. Then you can compare notes with others and see what they might like. Learning to take notes doesn’t have to fit a specific formula, you just do it because it interests you and you want to learn more! There’s nothing better to teach you than your own experience after all, it even supercedes the advice given in this post.
That begin said, we hope the above advice does help you get started and you get to enjoy the wonderful world of wine.
Image: Pexels – CC0 License
