How to Choose an Good Wine Like a Pro
I wrote This sponsored post on behalf of Columbia Crest Winery for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
I don’t consider myself a wine connoisseur, but I love a good wine occasionally. When you buy enough wine, you learn a few tricks that make buying wine easier.
Besides, there must be a better way of choosing a better wine than just picking the prettiest bottle…although I have used this method before. Some are so pretty you can’t resist!
Here are some tips I use to choose a good wine.
Try a few
Before you can do better at picking a good wine in the store, you have to know what you like. For example, red or white? Sweet or dry? Or are you somewhere in between…a rose, perhaps? Go to wine tastings or try a few at home. I once went to a party/ wine tasting where everyone brought their bottle of Moscato, and we tasted them all and voted for the best one.
It was a blast, but also very revealing how different one is. When you try enough, you get a feel for how different wine can be and which flavors appeal to you. They can be crisp, sweet, tangy, spicy, dry, and so many other synonyms you probably would not expect to be a drink. But trying out a few helps you determine which ones are best for you.
Do a little research.
Once you figure out what flavors you like in wine, it is time to do some digging! Do you like sweeter wines? Some good ones to try are Moscato, Rose, and Sweet Red. Do you like your wine with a bolder taste? Try a Cabernet, a Syrah, or a Merlot.
Once you know what flavors you like, finding the wines you want by their name is a little easier. Next, you have to determine which brands of wine you will try.
Check the flavors on the bottle.
Something I have learned as a vegetarian is that reading the labels of the food you eat is pretty significant. The same goes for your wine. Even if you pick a Pinot Grigio, it does not mean it will taste like the same Pinot Grigio you had before if it is an entirely different brand.
I always make a point to read the wine description on the back of the bottle since they always describe the flavors of the wine. If you see phrases like “This bold and earthy wine is fantastic!” you are probably dealing with a Chianti or some other strongly flavored wine. If you see words like “This light and fruity wine will leave you feeling bubbly,” then you more than likely have a Riesling or Moscato on your hands. The key is knowing the descriptive vocab to know what flavors to expect.
Ask your friends
As with any significant purchase, you should ask your buddies what good wines they have tried lately. A word of caution, however: Know what their wine taste is first. If they like fruity, and you like bold, their suggestions may not take you too far in your own wine selection. But I have learned that your friends may be able to introduce you to something new you may not have tried on your own, so be open to their tastes, even if it is a little different than yours. I went from not being a wine drinker to only liking roses, and now I like whites, reds, sweets, drys, almost everything. I loath Chardonnay, however. ugh
Crowdsource it
If you are still unsure of what wine to purchase, have other people who know better choose for you. This is exactly the concept that sparked a special project for Columbia Crest Winery’s Crowdsourced Cabernet.
Columbia Crest is the 1st Washington Winery to receive the honor of Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine in the World in 2009 for their 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. They also have a rich heritage of Washington winemaking through an unwavering commitment to producing outstanding wine. The conditions of Washington State and the Columbia Valley offer perfect grape-growing conditions, from the weather to the soil to the vineyard sites.
They launched the Crowdsource Cabernet project in 2014 by inviting the public to vote online on the various aspects of the winemaking process. Their final product was the 2014 Crowdsourced Cabernet™ vintage, which just went on sale June 3rd!
In lieu of this phenomenal internet wine, as I like to refer to it, we decided to throw a little bash in their honor because it is not every day you find a wine that has a big thumbs up from thousands of voters. The process took 18 months and brought together people from all over to gain a deeper understanding and connection to winemaking. I had no idea that the barrel the wine is stored in made a difference, but it is a great way to learn more about wine and choose a good one.
This is truly the people’s wine – the first ever crowdsourced wine from vine to bottle. History in the making, people! They created 1,000 cases, available for $30/bottle, exclusively online or in Paterson, Washington’s Columbia Crest tasting room.
Trying this wine myself, I can say it has a bold flavor with a few peppery notes. It’s delicious, and I can honestly say I trust the internet to choose my wine every year! Want to participate in the virtual winemaking experience for 2015? Be sure to visit https://www.crowdsourcedcabernet.com/.
Celebrate!
It is time to celebrate once you choose the best wine for you. I have made MANY bad wine choices in my years of wine drinking, and when I find a good one, I want to keep buying it, as it is worth a celebration.
My boyfriend Chris and I enjoyed the wine so much that we had a little get-together to try the 2014 Crowdsourced Cabernet™ vintage wine with our friends. It was a hit! This is even more reason to try the wine the internet says is best :D.
My big takeaway from this post is that you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy a good wine. Despite all the knowledge about and knowing what to do to be a pro, my advice is to drink what you want! There is no need to know the lingo or best practices for enjoying it. If you learn to pick the wines you know you’ll enjoy, you will enjoy it even more!
Sources
Crowdsource cabernet
2014 Crowdsourced Cabernet
