Wines are generally alcoholic drinks that are manufactured from fermented grapes, which are made for your enjoyment and relaxation. It could also have some beneficial effects on your health.
If you don’t know how to choose a bottle of wine, here are some things to consider when experiencing wine for the first time:
Pay Attention To Details
Drinking wine is very different from experiencing wine. For someone that just wants to drink wine, you can simply pour into your wine glasses, and gulp it down. However, like any great things, to truly have a great experience, you have to pay attention to the wine’s details.
Some of the details to look out for include:
- The Label: When tasting a wine for the first time, one of the first things you should check is the bottle label. On the label, you’ll be able to find how old the wine is and the location or region where it was made. You can use this information as a guide to picking the right wine for you.
Usually, wines made from cold regions like Germany, Chile, or Northern Italy are light-bodied wines. In contrast, wines made from warmer regions such as Argentina and California are usually full-bodied wines.
The difference between light-bodied wines and full-bodied wines is that the latter has a more intense aroma and is made from riper grapes.
- The Wine Glass: The choice of wine glasses you choose to drink your wine with has a great effect on your experience as a first-timer. Every wine has its ideal glass, and choosing the wrong glass could reduce your enjoyability and discourage you from subsequent drinking. This is why you should pay attention to your wine glass.
A full-bodied red wine, for instance, will be best enjoyed when poured in a tall wine glass as it gives enough room for the aroma to swirl around and also give your nose the advantage of tasting the wine even before your tongue does. Make sure you pour the wine half of the glass, then use your nose to inhale the aroma to give your nose the advantage of tasting it.
- The Aroma: As a first-timer, you should also pay attention to the aroma of your wine, especially if you intend to become an expert or go into the wine business. You should learn how to pick and note even the subtlest aroma in your wine.
The wine’s aroma is dependent on several factors, like how ripe the grapes were before plucking, how it’s stored, and the shelf life of the wine. An instance of good aromatic wine is the Grenache.
Taste, Spit, And Drink
As a first-timer, you might get tempted to rush your wine, but you don’t have to give in to that temptation. Take your time and enjoy every drop of that drink. Take a little sip and allow your tongue to taste and savor the flavor and the aroma before you swallow it.
Giving the wine a chance to move around in your tongue will help you know the particular basics of the wine such as the type of grapes used and the flavors added–currant, strawberries, and more. Doing so can also help you determine if you want to continue taking that particular wine or not.
Another great idea you may want to try is to spit out the wine after tongue-tasting it. Spitting out your wine instead of swallowing it gives you the luxury of tasting different wines without getting drunk. This affords you the privilege of carefully picking your choice wine even as a first-timer.
The Type Of Wine
Trying wine for the first time requires you to carefully consider the type of wine you’re taking. As a new wine enthusiast, you may be more drawn to simple, sweeter wines. This allows your tasting palates to discover, enjoy, and develop, allowing you to endure and enjoy more complicated wines.
Some examples of simple wines you may want to include Pinot Grigio, Beaujolais Nouveau, or Pinot Noir. Several factors can determine the types of wine you try as a first-timer, including the wine’s viscosity, the aroma of the wine, and the sweetness.
The wine’s viscosity refers to how light-bodied or heavy-bodied the wine is. As a first-timer, you might want to go with light-bodied wines to avoid getting tipsy. On the other hand, the aroma of the wine refers to the sweet smell a wine gives when perceived. The sweetness of the wine means how delicious the wine taste. The combination of these three factors can determine whether the wine is tolerable or not.
Enjoy Yourself
To get a wonderful experience when tasting a wine for the first time, you don’t need expert knowledge. But all you need is a good knowledge of what you like and what your body can tolerate.
You should also avoid the temptation to drink everything on sight. Taking wine as a first-timer could make you want to drink everything offered, but it’s a temptation you should avoid. Instead, drink responsibly, take water as a means of hydrating yourself, and you can even take your wine alongside some healthy meals. Just in case you feel you’ve taken a little too much, you shouldn’t drive by yourself. You can employ the help of a friend or a professional driver.
One mistake most people make when trying their first wine is refusing professional counsel. A professional winemaker or bartender will save you from wasting your money and time trying to discover wine. They can counsel you on the right wine that’ll be good for your body and taste. In fact, the bartender can also guide you on the best and most popular wine for the season.
Conclusion
Drinking and experiencing wine for the first time should be fun, and your sole aim should be to enjoy yourself. Don’t just drink your wine, but experience every drop of it. Check the type of wine that’s good for your body and be sure to drink responsibly.
Wine is great in taste and could also be beneficial to your health. Some of the health benefits you may derive from drinking wine include a higher thinking ability and retention, especially in older adults. It might also help prevent some diseases, such as heart-related diseases, diabetes, ulcers, or even stroke. While there may be no scientific evidence to support these claims, it has been observed that people who drink wine healthily and responsibly lives healthier than most people that don’t drink wine.
