17 Habits of Highly Effective Wine Drinkers.

By W. R. Tish

There is only one definition of Effective Wine Drinkers: people who know what they like.

1. Tasting is no more or less than concentration. Paying attention to your own senses is the only way to discover your true taste in wine, and your taste is the only thing that matters
   
   
   
2. Remember the building blocks of wine: aroma, flavor, body, acidity, tannin and finish. The beginning of a wine (aroma) and end (finish) are especially important because smell is a huge part of taste; and finish is a critical factor in how wine goes with food.
   
   
   
3. If you can grasp the building blocks in a wine, then you are fully prepared to "talk the talk" with the snootiest sommelier or the most humble grape-grower. More important, you are fully empowered to define what you like. You may like light-bodied, citrusy white wines; you may like very dry, earthy reds. The key is to get a handle on what you like.
   
   
   
4. Set aside the purple prose that is commonly associated with wine "tasting notes." Find your own voice, whether that means picking out one dominant characteristic of a wine, comparing wine to celebrities, or using the ol' thumb-o-meter.
   
   
   
5. When you do discover a type of wine you like, go with it. Try different producers, vintages, regions, etc., just as you would seek out new variations on a theme in art, music or film. That's the best way to hone your palate and gain a sense of stylistic differences.
   
   
   
6. Give wine a chance to evolve. Many red wines change significantly after aeration, and usually for the better. Simply uncorking a bottle does nothing because it only exposes the nickel-size surface area of wine in the neck of the bottle. Pouring a glass or two gets the aeration process started; decanting really gets it rolling. In fact, you may find that the last glass in a bottle is the best.
   
   
   
7. Don't serve red wine too warm and white wine too cold. Warmth tends to highlight the alcohol and tannin in a wine; cold suppresses aromas and flavors.
   
   
   
8. Read back labels. Ask questions. Squirrel away wine terms as you come across them. Malolactic fermentation...extended maceration...botrytis...new French oak.... Snippets like these provide clues as to a wine's style, and may help you decide if you'd like to try a bottle down the road.
   
   
   
9. Remember what you've tried, whether you like the wine or not; ideally you can remember (or record) the producer, the vintage, the grape(s) and the region; these become reference points for future encounters of the vinous kind.
   
   
   
10. If you want to store wine for more than a couple years, a wine cellar is not necessary. However, always keep bottles on their sides, and avoid keeping wine in areas with temperature fluctuation and excessive heat.
    
    Food and Wine Pairing Tips.
    
    
11. When pairing wine and food, it's always best to try to match the weight/intensity first. Hearty preparations and heavily spiced foods, for instance, call for full-flavored, full-bodied wines; subtle dishes call for delicate wines. Imagine trout in beurre blanc sauces and BarbarescoÖ NOT!
    
    
    
12. After matching the weight, you might try to find a "bridge" between the food and wine (creamy risotto with creamy Chardonnay; smoky BBQ with smoky Syrah); OR go for contrast (slice through the creamy risotto with a crisp, acidic wine; contrast earthy mushrooms with a simple, fruity wine).
    
    
    
13. Acidic foods need high-acid wines (think red sauce and Chianti; or, more generally, Italian food that draws heavily on tomatoes, lemon and vinegar goes well with tart, native wines).
    
    
    
14. Tannic wines work best with high-protein food (big red + steak = yum; wine and cheese.. so classic they deserve a cable TV channel together).
    
    
    
15. If you have a really, really, really, really, really, really great wine, have it with simple food (aged Bordeaux and rack of lamb).
    
    
    
16. Finally, never forget that a sauce or preparation (like grilling) is often the dominant element in a dish; have your wine take aim at that, rather than the base food of the dish.
    
    
    
17. Remember, if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach him how to fish, he eats for a lifetime. If you teach him what to drink with fish, he'll enjoy the fish even more!.
    

© 2004 Wine For All