Do you want to become a wine expert and be called a connoisseur? Becoming a wine connoisseur opens up several opportunities from employment, starting out or venturing into new business, occasional work contracts or wine tasting invitations, and there are also those who simply want to impress friends and other people. Below is a short guide which details how you can become a wine expert. But please do note that even if you can accomplish these tips in a few days or weeks, expertise in this field will still be determined by the extent of your experience.
– Educate yourself about wines. There are hundreds of types, varieties, and brands of wine you will encounter. Without the proper knowledge of these types and varieties, you can simply be overwhelmed and get stuck at some point. So your first step towards becoming a connoisseur is to learn and be familiar with the world of wine. Read books, magazines, or browse online. If you are really serious about it, enroll in a class or workshop. Visiting a wine shop is also a good way to educate yourself and be familiar with the different varieties of wine.
– Develop your palate or taste for wine. As mentioned above, expertise is developed through experience. When it comes to wine, you can only develop a palate or taste for it when you make drinking and discovering it a habit. It’s similar to the idea that if you love and regularly drink coffee, you eventually develop the skill of knowing what good or acceptable coffee is from those that are not.
– Try to experience the widest variety of wine as possible. You can’t become an expert if you are only limiting yourself to the most common wine you can buy on groceries or the market. Try your best to experience and have a taste of the best, most exquisite, and even the most expensive varieties produced and sold. You don’t necessarily need to buy a bottle of an expensive wine. You can taste them by treating yourself once in a while in a fine dining restaurant, or simply attend galas or parties. We asked ThisisPhipps and they suggest you attend wine tasting events and trade expos are other venues for you to discover new and distinct wines.
– Search for a wine that will serve as your basis or yardstick when comparing. Wine connoisseurs are always asks about their opinion as to how a wine is distinct from another. The key is to have a wine variety or type which will serve as your basis in differentiating. Connoisseurs also call this as the “Aha” wine. It’s the type of wine which will become your favorite, thus, providing that comparison taste from all the other types of wines.
– Remember and exercise the 4S of wine tasting. Finally, expertise should not only be exhibited from what you know but also as to how you act or taste your wine. Have you noticed that experts seem to have a routine when they do their tasting? They actually observe the 4S of tasting: seeing, swirling, smelling, and sipping. Wine is primarily tested through its color so experts observe and see first. Next, the wine is swirled inside the glass to release or spread its aroma. Smelling lets you discover the flavor and distinguish the wine. And finally, have a sip to experience or taste it and produce a verdict.
2 comments
Useful info and a great post… Happy New Year 🙂
Happy New Year to you too….And glad you like these tips.
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