This is how I feel when I first encounter wine!
It’s all the same, I feel so tired…
But the longer you drink, the more experience you have
You will find that the taste buds are really a magical structure
Wine is not what it used to be
But a variety of flavors!
Therefore, it is not that the wines you drink are all the same, but that you did not know enough about wines at first, and did not master some professional methods to taste them. Of course, drinking wine is an easy and comfortable thing, you don’t have to take the professional show rank all the time, but how can you feel the various tastes of wine?
Try different countries, regions and varietiesEveryone knows that Cabernet Sauvignon is the most well-known red grape variety, but it has so many styles. The Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux Medoc is strong and full, but it is usually blended with Merlot, which also retains a soft taste and is not too high in alcohol. Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is strong, darker in color and higher in alcohol. Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile’s Maipo Valley is fruity, clean and juicy. Therefore, the production areas of different terroirs will create different personalities of Cabernet Sauvignon, and you can distinguish these by trying and exercising your own taste buds.
Full-bodied and full-bodied wines with a sweet aftertaste that are not too sour or astringent are the most popular with new friends, so Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo, etc. are all good choices. But the variety can be more extensive, Australia’s Shiraz (Shiraz), New Zealand’s Pinot Noir (Pinot Noir), Argentina’s Malbec (Malbec), South Africa’s Pinotage (Pinotage) are all representative of their own Wine, if you have been exposed to Riesling dessert wine, you might as well try Muscat dessert wine, you can also find a big difference.
Try different grades of wine
In the eyes of many people, Bordeaux, France is the guarantee of quality. However, Bordeaux has grades. There are many ordinary Bordeaux regions, and they are very similar, but they are different from the wines of well-known sub-regions such as Margaux and Pauillac, let alone the columns. Class name. Because here, the smaller and more detailed the appellation indicated on the label, the better the wine is usually.
In addition, Italy, Spain, Germany and other countries also have strict classification of wines. Although the standards are different, all of them are of higher quality. For example, the editor attended a Spanish dinner a few days ago and drank Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva from the same winery. The legal minimum ageing time is 2 years, 3 years and 5 years respectively. All 3 wines were poured into the decanter and sobered for about 2 hours. The Grand Collection surprised me the most! There is still a very lively fruity aroma, with soft and fine tannins, with good intensity and balance in the mouth. The fine wines are much inferior, with some dissipated fruit aromas, and even a little vinegary taste. Look, different grades of wine are different, and it makes sense that you get what you pay for.
Ensure that the wine is in suitable storage conditions
The premise of the variety of wine flavors is that the wine itself must be in a normal state. High temperature is the “natural enemy” of wine. After a hot summer, a bottle of real Lafite (Chateau Lafite Rothschild) may taste the same as fake Lafite. The fruity aroma disappears, the flavor becomes weaker, and the taste of cooked vegetables and bitterness appear. sense. So don’t let unsuitable storage conditions ruin your wine! The ideal storage temperature for wine is 10-15°C, 12°C is the best, humidity is best at 70%, and avoid sunlight.
If you plan to drink it in the short term, you can put it in the refrigerator, but to prevent it from being placed with foods with strong flavors, such as garlic, onions, etc., you can wrap it in plastic wrap. If you want to store the wine for a long time, it is better to put it in a constant temperature wine cabinet or a private wine cellar. Although the cost is large, it is more secure.
Wine taDrink wine during the drinking period to taste its most authentic and classic flavors! Like people, wine will also go through various stages of youth, development, maturity, peak and decline. After aging, the wine enters the mature stage, and its quality gradually reaches its peak and will last for a period of time. This period of time is its best drink. Expect. 90% of the world’s wines are not suitable for ageing, they are good to drink within 1-2 years. Only 4% of premium wines have 5-10 years of ageing potential, leaving very few top-quality wines with more than 10 years of ageing potential.
Therefore, most wines are suitable for drinking within 1-2 years. If you leave it for too long, you will not appreciate the fresh taste and full flavor of the wine. Even Lafite may become vinegary wine. Where’s the classic almond and violet fragrance?sting during the drinking period
Develop proper wine tasting skills
Red wine with ice? Add Coke? Add Sprite? Perhaps it was once popular, but nowadays this phenomenon is actually less and less, which also reflects the gradual improvement of consumers’ wine tasting level. As for why you think that many wines are the same, it may be a lack of wine tasting skills.
Wine tasting, pay attention to “look, smell, ask, cut”. Before drinking, pay attention to the clarity of the color of the wine, smell the aroma a little, and ensure that the wine stays in the mouth for 5-8 seconds when drinking. There is a big difference between bad wine and good wine, which must be pleasing and delightful. Of course, it takes a long time to cultivate the taste buds and the ability to taste, in order to form its own set of standards.
Comparative tasting
There are thousands of wines in the world, many of which have their own unique personalities. The difference between a wine novice and a connoisseur mostly depends on the knowledge and accumulated experience of wine. Friends who hope to improve their tasting ability can choose the same variety for tasting in different production areas. In the advanced stage of wine tasting, they can conduct vertical tasting (the same wine from the same winery in different years) and Level tasting (wine from different wineries in the same year), feel the influence of aging on wines and the different styles of different wineries. Learning and memory in contrast, the effect may be better.