Become Your Very Own Sommelier With These Tips For Building Up Your Vino Collection And Advancing Your Palette
Are you a wine lover but feel as though you don’t know much about it and aren’t sure where to start learning more?
I’ve felt this way for a long time, and I sometimes wish I was close to someone who worked as a sommelier or a wine professional that I could text with any and all of my wine questions, especially when it comes to pairing wines.
However, there are ways to gain more experience with wine, build your collection, advance your palette, and become your own amateur sommelier. Here are some tips for how to do it.
Step up your wine collection
Do you find yourself buying the same two to three bottles of your ‘safety wine’ each month and storing them in your fridge for whenever you want a glass? If so, you’re not alone. But if you’re ready to take your wine journey to the next level, it’s time to start building a collection of wines for yourself.
Start by trying to have at least one to two wines in your collection’s basic categories: red, white, and sparkling. Think about your personal preferences and the wines you’ve tasted and preferred over the years, but don’t be afraid to get a little adventurous.
For reds, you can keep a Pinot Noir and Cabernet on hand. White wines like Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay are great to keep around. Then, having a bottle or two of champagne and prosecco is always a good idea for the moments you want something bubbly or have something to celebrate!
Having these basics stocked whenever possible, especially before a gathering or dinner party, is always a good idea for a wine enthusiast. Then, when you can, try a bottle or two outside your comfort zone and see if you want to keep them in your go-to collection.
Go to wine tastings
Drobot Dean – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
One of the best ways to get more accommodated with wine and see how professional sommeliers work is to attend a wine-tasting event. While taking a trip out to a beautiful vineyard and getting a full tour and fancy wine tasting is ideal, you don’t have to go that hard to taste some new wines.
Look up local venues and bars near you that offer wine-tasting events, and try them out! Sometimes, places go all out for these events, bringing in top-grade sommeliers, serving food, booking live music, etc. It’s a great way to expand your wine knowledge, see what you like, and have a good time overall.
Have all the wine essentials
One of the most annoying instances is when you take a nice bottle of wine somewhere or to someone’s home and realize there’s no way to open it.
If you want to be prepared to expand your wine, you need to have all the bottle-opening and wine-tasting essentials.
Other than a good quality and multi-functional wine opener, there are a few other great tools to have on hand.
A variety of wine glasses is important for entertaining, as while you may be fine with drinking it out of a mug from your kitchen cabinet, guests may want to drink red wine out of nice red wine glasses, champagne in champagne flutes, etc.
You can also get a nice aerator for your wine bottles, elegant wine stoppers to replace your corks, a wine fridge for your kitchen, etc. The possibilities are endless, and there are a ton of little wine tools you can add to your holiday wishlists for the next few years.
There you have it: a few simple tips for becoming more acquainted with wine and enjoying it in the best ways possible. Remember to drink responsibly and enjoy the ride!
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