Wine Basics:

Wine terms you should know:

acidity: acid that is naturally found in grapes. Low acid wines will be smooth. But if there’s no acid at all, wine can oftentimes taste flat or dull. Like water.

alcohol: the alcohol levels for most red wines falls between 11 and 14 percent. For white wines, between 9 and 14 percent.

aroma: the smells or flavors of the wine that include fruits, spices, flowers and earth.

balance: combination of acidity, sweetness, tannins and alcohol in a wine.

body: the weight and size of the wine usually described as light, medium, or full. Full-bodied wines feel heavier in the mouth (think of full fat milk vs low fat milk).

bouquet: refers to the layers of the smells or flavors of the wine.

complexity: When there’s a lot going on.

decant: to transfer wine from a bottle to a container or glass to allow it to breathe. Super fancy and not always needed. You see this at upscale restaurants. Decanting can also be used at home if you have a heavy bodied wine that needs to breathe before serving.

finish: the aftertaste or how long the flavors lasts in your mouth once the wine is gone.

legs: the dripping lines on your glass. The more visible the legs, the higher the alcohol content.

tannin: natural preservative in wine. They dry the mouth. Cabernet and full bodied wines tend to have high amounts of tannins.

What to buy in the liquor store:

There is always a staff favorites section in the liquor store. There is also a section that’s under $10 and a section that’s under $20. Go there first. Once you master this, you can start to navigate the liquor store a little bit better. Most liquor stores are divided by regions and by the grape. If you know you like cabernet, go to the cabernet section. If you like Italian style wines, go to the Italy section. Your more expensive wines will be found on the top shelf. Your less expensive wines will be found on the bottom shelf. The sweet spot is right in the middle. The most important tip of them all…..read the description. The description will tell you what flavors, aromas and how many tannins are in the wine. Personally, I love fruit forward medium to heavy bodied wines. I don’t like the chocolate, vanillas, cinnamon flavors in my wine. When I read the label, I know these won’t be for me. Know what you like, but don’t be afraid to try new things. Reading helps.

What to take to a party:

If you’re asked to bring a bottle of wine to someone’s house, always take an approachable wine. Unless you know exactly what the host likes then I suggest keeping it simple. Pinot Noir (red light to medium body) is my go to. It’s soft, it’s approachable, and it pairs really well with food. It’s also sophisticated and can be enjoyed alone without any food. If you’re taking a white wine, take a white blend, or a riesling. Riesling can be dry or sweet but it’s also super soft and delicate. Can be enjoyed with food or by itself. It also is a great wine to make a wine spritzer!

Which glasses should I drink out of?

Some will say it doesn’t matter, I say it does. Wine is complex. Some wines need to breathe, while others don’t. I can’t tell you how many times I have changed someone’s mind about wine when they’ve had a sip out of the right kind of glass. Here’s what you need to know: The bigger the body, the bigger the glass. For example, cabernets, big italian reds and big red blends should be enjoyed in a deep wide glass to allow the wine to breathe. I’m linking my favorite wine glasses for you here.

If you’re looking for white wine glasses that have lighter body, or even champagne/prosecco flutes, you can find those here.