Overcoming “Wine Anxiety” By Building Your Wine Tasting Terms
Do you ever feel lost for words when tasting wine—like all those “notes” of lemon, oak, or “wet rocks” might as well be a secret code? If you’ve ever sat across from a sommelier or listened to fellow sippers whip out poetic descriptors while you felt embarrassed, you’re not alone. In fact, many wine lovers—both […]
Why Sweet Wine Gets a Bad Rap—And How to Change Your Dessert Game Forever
Picture this: It’s Friday night. You’ve just wrapped up a fabulous meal with friends. The server brings your much-anticipated dessert—rich, buttery, utterly decadent. You’re on cloud nine as you pick up your glass of big, bold red wine, expecting the magic to continue. You sip. Bam. What happened? That wine you loved with dinner now […]
What’s in Your Wine Barrels? Why Oak Is Great Wine’s Quiet Powerhouse
You know that moment when you swirl a glass of red, catch a whiff of something toasty or spicy, and wonder what makes it taste that way (shhh, you know it’s wine barrels)? Many wine lovers chalk it up to grapes or yeast, sometimes even the fancy chateau on the label. But there’s a centuries-old […]
From Out of Place to Confident: Navigating Wine for Beginners
Have you ever walked into a business mixer or a networking dinner, grabbed a glass of wine —only to instantly regret it? Maybe it was too dry, too bitter, or just not your style. Suddenly, you’re holding a glass you don’t want to sip, hoping no one noticed your grimace. This is not a wine […]
How to Actually Taste Wine: Confidence Tricks for Beginners and Enthusiasts
Think wine tasting skills are beyond your level of expertise? Think again! We’ve all been there – you take a sip of wine at a tasting, listen to someone wax poetic about “forest floor” and “a hint of violet,” and think, “Umm… I just taste, well, wine”? Or maybe the friends around you are raving […]
From Panic to Confidence: Mastering Wine Lists
Facing even the best wine lists at a restaurant often feels like a daunting challenge. If you’re like Catherine, a long-time listener of the Everyday Sommelier podcast, you might find yourself freezing up when it’s time to choose a bottle. The dread of selecting the wrong wine, squandering money, or appearing uninformed can overwhelm the […]
Learn to Love Your Favorite Wine Your Way with Everyday Sommelier
As wine enthusiasts, we’ve all found ourselves in the hot seat, faced with the ubiquitous question, “What’s your favorite wine?” It’s one of those inquiries that can feel like a litmus test of your wine savviness, but here’s the catch: you don’t need a definitive answer. Why Knowing Your Favorite Wine Matters Understanding your favorite […]