Are you a wine explorer? Or, are you a creature of habit and go for the same bottles each time? Whichever you are, I’m just happy to have you along the ride as a fellow wine lover! But if you find yourself in the habit of purchase, pop, pour, repeat, I’d love for you to jump on the wine explorer band wagon!
What, you ask, am I talking about? Authentic wine explorers have never met a stranger when it comes to new varietals, styles, winemakers, regions or even wine packages. True wine explorers will branch out and try something new on any and all occasion. Sound scary? Relax! I have a few helpful tips to help you on your wine exploration journey!
Before I get into tips, let’s chat about why some wine drinkers are hesitant, even afraid, to break out of their comfort zone. First of all, wine can be expensive, and who likes spending their hard earned money on things they don’t like? I don’t that’s for sure! Another reason may fear of appearing to lack wine knowledge. This can actually be paralyzing especially when dining out at a nice restaurant! A little secret, even the absolute experts in all things wine will never know everything. Wine is a constantly moving target and every year’s harvest brings a whole slew of new information to the bottomless wealth of knowledge! Plus, sommeliers or wine stewards are paid to help you have fabulous wine experiences not to judge! They LOVE helping you pick the perfect bottle or glass!
There are many other reasons, sometimes just a factor of limited time driving consumers back to their staples. I get it! So let’s talk about a few reasons you should become a wine explorer! Perhaps the most fun is simply the vast and infinite variety of new wines to try! There are so many ways to branch out, I’ll just touch on a few.
Let’s start with restaurant wine lists. If you tend to buy the same bottle or varietal every time you dine out, try these tips. 1) Tell your server what you typically order and ask them to help you find a bottle with similar style – for example, you like crisp dry white wine, let them suggest a few new ones. 2) Don’t be afraid to ask for a small taste before purchasing a glass or bottle. If only served by the bottle, this may be a bit more difficult, but if the wine is on the “by the glass” selection, you have every right to sip a little before selecting. And, if you really don’t like it, don’t be afraid to say so and move to the next option.
Wine tastings are a fantastic way to explore new wines. Wherever you live, you’re likely to have access to tastings hosted by restaurants, wine shops or other entities. Go. Explore. Take chances. Surprise yourself! Where I live, our local wine shops have weekly tastings either on themes, regions, varietals etc… I’ve found some absolute new favorites by simply popping in and taking advantage of the selection to taste. For example, Put A Cork In It in Fort Worth has tastings Thursday through Saturday! Check your local wine venues, food festivals and restaurants with great wine lists and make sure to get on their newsletters to be in the know.
Joining a wine group, tasting group or wine-related organization is also a great way to gain more exposure. I’ve had the benefit of tasting tons of new wines simply by hanging out with other fellow wine lovers around town. Check out my previous blog on one of my favorite local wine tasting groups I enjoy!
At the end of the day, there’s something very comfortable about knowing exactly what you’re getting when you pop the cork on a bottle of wine. But there’s also something very exciting and fun about becoming a wine explorer. It’s like taking a mini vacation and experiencing a new culture simply by the wine in your glass.
I hope you’ll join me on many wine explorations and cheers to whatever is in your glass!
#wineexplorer #wine #winelover #wineeducation #explorewine
