We all have to admit that we like to seem like know-it-alls from time to time. Being the source of information in your friend group is a rewarding feeling that finally makes all those years of education seem worth it. For all of you wine lovers out there, here are a few tips for becoming the Wine Connoisseur of your friend group.
I am not, by any means, a wine connoisseur. However, I’d like to think that after all those bottles of rosé, I might know a thing or two about what I’m drinking. Studying abroad in France has lead me to believe that drinking wine can be more of an art than a hobby. It is an art that deserves time and contemplation.
Whether you’re studying abroad or drinking wine in your dorm room, this is how you should do it if you want people to think you’re a wine connoisseur.
Step 1: Visual Senses
Every wine connoisseur knows that the first step to tasting wine is simply to look at it. It might take all of your will power to not start sippin’ that vino already, but take some time to appreciate its appearance. An experienced connoisseur can determine the obvious like the type of wine (red, white, rosé) and even the type of olive it was made from just after a glance.
First, look at the color of the wine. Take a glance straight down from the top and then again from the side of the glass. Your friends will definitely assume you know what you’re doing as you look skeptically into your glass.
Step 2: Smell
Get your sniffers out because smell plays a HUGE part in being a wine connoisseur.
First, simply smell the wine and describe what you smell. This is called the “first nose.” For the “second nose,” take a sniff after you swirl the wine around in your glass. It should smell different this time because swirling allows air into the wine which brings out more aromas. There is also a “third nose” that takes place after you drink the wine. Take a sniff of the empty glass and describe what you smell.
Disclaimer: Smelling the cork determines absolutely nothing.
Step 3: Taste
Finally, the step you’ve all been waiting for. It is now acceptable to go ahead and taste the wine. To fully analyze the wine, you should take multiple sips and take note on the mouthfeel, warmth, acidity, sugar content, and viscosity.
It’s important to remember that a wine doesn’t always taste the way it smells. Additionally, smell and taste alone are never a way to determine a wine’s quality. However, by combining all these steps along with experience, a wine connoisseur can determine the quality of the wine from faulty all the way to ultra premium.
Some wines, like dry wines, are better off paired with foods. Looking for a (drunken) late night snack? Check out this article about pairing wine with your favorite junk food.
Helpful Tips
First, when drinking wine, ALWAYS hold the glass by its stem and NEVER drink from the bottle. When you hold the actual glass, you warm the wine and could drastically change the temperature and overall taste. Drinking from the bottle just isn’t classy.
Also, don’t become a wine snob. It’s great to know your facts, but no one likes a snob. It’s easy to appreciate the wine without being snobbish about it.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that price never equals quality. However, if your cheap wine just isn’t tasty, try this useful hack that will make your $3 wine taste like top shelf sh*t.