You see the connoisseurs drink a glass of red wine. But they do more than pour the wine into their mouths and let seep into their belly. They make it an art form.
From analysis to assessment to arguments, there’s a lot that can be disseminated from a bottle or glass of red wine.
Moreover, you don’t necessarily need to be snooty about it either. You can simply experience a lot of joy from a wine. You just need to know how to consume it properly.
Here are five tips to drink red wine like the connoisseurs:
1. Examine the Label – You’ll Learn A Lot
Before you pop the cork and pour a small amount into a glass, you should take a few moments to examine the label. This can tell you a lot about what you’re drinking.
So, what are you looking for exactly? One thing: the climate.
Warmer climates, like California and southern France, will produce full-bodied wines with an intense flavour. Colder climates, such as Germany or Chile, will yield lighter-bodied wines.
Right away, you’ll know quite a bit about the wine prior to your first sip.
2. Pouring and Swirling Like an Expert
It takes a lot of effort to pour wine from a bottle into a glass.
Here is what you do:
- Give your wines an opportunity to breathe by pouring it into a decanter.
- Pour small amounts of wine into a glass.
- Gently swirl the wine in every glass.
- Notice the colour and texture of the wine; opaque is shortly aged, and legs is aged.
And, that ladies and gentlemen, is how you serve every glass of wine.
3. Bury Your Nose in the Glass
You might not think it’s refined or polite to stick your nose into the wine glass. However, this is the only way you can enjoy your red wine. The next time you pour a glass of red wine, bury your nose in the glass, take a big whiff and assess the aromas to determine the type of wine.
Here is what happens when you sniff:
- You’ll understand the primary scent that goes beyond the grapes.
- You’ll find hints of other flavors used during the process.
- You’ll even discover the vessel it was stored in, like oak.
If you cannot discern the various tastes and smells right away, don’t get frustrated! You’ll have your eureka moment after the wine is long gone.
4. Assess the Aftertaste
Whenever you visit a winetasting event, you will inevitably witness connoisseurs do one of two things: rinse their mouth with the wine or spit it out.
The former allows the taste to linger on your palate, which gives you the opportunity to study the characteristics of red wine. The ladder is more practical: You won’t get drunk too quickly as you have some fun with the beverages.
5. Pair Your Wine with the Right Food
Finally, take the time to pair your wine with the right food. If you’re a novice in the world of wine, then you’ll discover that it can be hard to cook food to complement the red wine, especially the type of red wine – is it bold? Is it fortified? Is it light?
Trial and error can be fun, if you don’t have time for that, then here’s a cheat sheet:
- Lamb chops
- Filet mignon
- Pasta
- Salad
- Butternut squash soup
If these are served on your plate or bowl and you have a glass of red wine, you’re set!
Red wine is one of the most delicious beverages known to man. It’s more than just a tool to calm down and unleash all the street. It’s a drink to celebrate life, enjoy what the world has to offer, and bring together friends and family. That’s what red wine is all about.
When you want to take it a step further and be like the connoisseurs, then these tips should suffice!