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Tips for a Wino
Posted on 12/29/15 at 1:22 pm
Posted on 12/29/15 at 1:22 pm
Any tips for a beginner wine taster? I've been drinking wine for years and have recently become interested on finding the flavors that are described on the bottles. Has any one read a book or have any other sources of info for a new aspiring sommelier? 
9
Posted on 12/29/15 at 1:27 pm to Scooba
Give up Thunderbird, shite's nasty
Posted on 12/29/15 at 1:29 pm to Scooba
Check out some of the Vlogs from Gary Vanerchuk where he does live tastings. Sometimes you can find some of the wines and taste and see if your palate senses the same flavors his does.
Pull a lot of corks.
Find out what you like.
Drink a bunch of that.
Pull a lot of corks.
Pull a lot of corks.
You'll get it eventually.
Pull a lot of corks.
Find out what you like.
Drink a bunch of that.
Pull a lot of corks.
Pull a lot of corks.
You'll get it eventually.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 4:13 pm to ruzil
I have quite the cork collection. Most of the wine though was cheap and consumed to have the end result of intoxication. Now that I'm closer to 30, I've started to appreciate the differences in liquors and not just a 10$ bottle vs a 30$ bottle.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 4:13 pm to Scooba
Forget the label descriptions and in store promo cards....not everyone tastes the same things in the same way. Drink a wide variety, keep some basic notes on what you like, find a decent wine store and tell them what you like and they'll make good suggestions. But so much of wine tasting is pure hokum.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 4:22 pm to Scooba
Try out different stemware. The same wine can taste differently depending on the type and quality of the glass.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 4:29 pm to Scooba
Personally, I enjoy finding nice values in wine. When I find a well priced bottle that looks interesting I scan it to Corkz wine app on my phone and read what others thought about this wine. If it sounds interesting I buy it.
Not always do I enjoy the wine as much as others, but I keeps me out of a rut of drinking the same wines all the time.
You should check out WTSO and app that sells wines at a discount and push notifications via email to alert you to a sale. Usually, they will have some tasting notes on the wines and also ratings from various sources.
Make friends with the local wine merchant and have them guide you in your journey.
Not always do I enjoy the wine as much as others, but I keeps me out of a rut of drinking the same wines all the time.
You should check out WTSO and app that sells wines at a discount and push notifications via email to alert you to a sale. Usually, they will have some tasting notes on the wines and also ratings from various sources.
Make friends with the local wine merchant and have them guide you in your journey.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 4:46 pm to ruzil
quote:
Make friends with the local wine merchant and have them guide you in your journey.
This. I was in OP's shoes around 3 years ago, and got a lot of good advice following this step. One of the first tips he gave me was to open your bottle ahead of time and let it breathe (amount of time varies; ask merchant), either in bottle or in a decanter. There are also aerators you can try out (Vinturi) if you can't wait. Before I let my wine breathe, I thought the tasting terms on the back of wine bottles were full of shite.
Posted on 12/29/15 at 5:58 pm to Scooba
Contact California Wine Club. Speak with a consultant. Tell them what you enjoy and join the 2 bottle per month club. You will get some interesting and really nice wines from different vineyards......many unaavailable in your area
Posted on 12/29/15 at 11:25 pm to Scooba
Read the Wine Bible. Best book out there IMO.
Posted on 12/30/15 at 2:33 pm to LSUTigersVCURams
I was actually looking at this book the other day. Thanks to all for the advice.
Posted on 12/30/15 at 3:25 pm to Scooba
Couple ways to do this:
Drink a lot of wine and compare. Pour 3 glasses of different Cabs, Pinots, etc and compare. Think about what tastes and feels different between each. Look at the difference in color and appearance. Check your feelings with the bottle description. Use the sommelier wine evaluation guide for reference (google it, not sure the exact name, but you'll find something close). Wine evaluation guides will help you evaluate wines and determine what is different about each
Remember that the best way of learning about wine is comparing wines. A lot of the major differences are very subtle honestly, so you have to have comparisons to really judge differences
Another (more expensive) way to do this is to drink wine at nice restaurants and talk to the sommelier or servers about the wine. Buy a $100 bottle at most any nice restaurant on a slow day and you should be able to get a conversation going with the sommelier if you ask for him/her. Just tell him you want to learn more and they can talk to you all day
Drink a lot of wine and compare. Pour 3 glasses of different Cabs, Pinots, etc and compare. Think about what tastes and feels different between each. Look at the difference in color and appearance. Check your feelings with the bottle description. Use the sommelier wine evaluation guide for reference (google it, not sure the exact name, but you'll find something close). Wine evaluation guides will help you evaluate wines and determine what is different about each
Remember that the best way of learning about wine is comparing wines. A lot of the major differences are very subtle honestly, so you have to have comparisons to really judge differences
Another (more expensive) way to do this is to drink wine at nice restaurants and talk to the sommelier or servers about the wine. Buy a $100 bottle at most any nice restaurant on a slow day and you should be able to get a conversation going with the sommelier if you ask for him/her. Just tell him you want to learn more and they can talk to you all day
Posted on 12/30/15 at 3:27 pm to Upperdecker
Note to my previous post: clean your pallet between each sip of different wines if you're actively comparing (taking a sip of each different glass to compare). A sip of water will do the trick
Posted on 12/30/15 at 5:13 pm to Scooba
I love learning by attending wine tastings at wine shops. Usually pretty informative and it is fun to talk to others and see what their thoughts are when yall are tasting the same wines
Posted on 12/30/15 at 5:24 pm to Scooba
Looking for a good book for a beginner? A classic is the Windows on the World Wine Course book published by the Windows on the World Restaurant that was at the top of the World Trade Center in New York on 9-11-01.
Posted on 12/30/15 at 10:53 pm to Upperdecker
quote:
clean your pallet between each sip of different wines
If you are using a pallet, you are going through a hell of a lot of wine.
Posted on 12/31/15 at 9:29 am to hungryone
quote:Great advice.
Drink a wide variety, keep some basic notes on what you like
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