When we have commercial wines, or homemade wines, these 10 little-know wine tips for beginners can take our experience to the next level.
Especially if you make your own homemade wines, you want to have the best experience possible.
During my time in wineries, I saw just how important place, setting, equipment, glasses, etc are in taking your wine experience to hidden depths.
These are not tips on how to taste wine, choose wine or tips on the different varietals of wine. Instead, you will learn how to take the wine you already have (or the wine you have made) and turn it into a unique and elegant experience.
This post is all about wine tips for beginners.
The Little-Known Wine Beginner Tips
Let's dive into the wine beginner tips to get the most out of your wines. These are my favorite ways to ensure my wine is being held to the top tier level.
1. Invest in decent glassware.
This is number one for a reason. The glassware you choose is vital to the overall experience of your wines. If you do anything in this list, do this!
If you drink your wine out of a red plastic solo cup you will annihilate any positive attributes of your wine.
- It is not taken seriously.
- It does not help the wine to taste better.
- It does not hold the wine up to its potential.
Invest in decent glassware!
Ideally, you want a thin glassed wine glass that opens up at the base right where it meets the stem.
The idea with thin glass wine glasses is, "you want to taste the wine, not the glass". If it is a plastic solo cup, then you are tasting... plastic.
Additionally, the thin glassed wine glasses make for a smoother transition from glass to your mouth which creates a gentler sip.
It's like trying not to have a wine glass at all, and the best way to do this is with thin glass.
(This makes good wines taste great)
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2. Know how to store your wines.
Another really important wine tip for beginners!
Store your wines in a temperature consistent environment. Best case scenario, store in a cool dark place.
If you do not have a cool or dark place, store in your closet on the floor. Since heat rises it will be cooler on the floor. Storing wine is an important part of wine tips for beginners!!
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Storing wine correctly will give the wine the opportunity to be top tier once you are ready to drink it. Additionally, how long to age wine depends on the type of wine you have.
3. Get these elegant wine tools.
A really fun addition to any wine dinner, date, or single night in are the endless array of wine tools.
Wine tools are sometimes *not necessary* but add SO much elegance and joy to your wines.
It's like garnishing your margarita with a lime wedge and a cocktail umbrella: it just feels right!
First up, a unique and classy decanter.
A decanter is perfect for red wines, or wines with higher tannin levels, to allow them to "open up" and the flavors to round out, plus it looks very classy!
Perfect for when you are sharing your bottle with others, or are on the end of the bottle and you are ready to finish it off yourself.
Next wine tool that is a great wine tips for beginners, wine aerator!
Much like a decanter, it helps the wine open up to be enjoyed a bit sooner than just leaving it in the wine glass.
It can be a joyful addition to your wine bar at home.
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4. Engage in the 'swirl'.
This might just be me, but when I am drinking a glass of wine the first thing I do is swirl.
Swirling increases the surface area of the wine to increase aeration (much like the tools above) which helps to open up the wine. It oxidizes the wine which leads to flavor development.
So, the more you swirl the more the flavor develops? That's the idea!
How to engage in the 'swirl':
- Hold your wine glass by the stem.
- Placing it between your index and thumb, as if you are holding a wand in Harry Potter.
- Use your wrist to gently move the glass.
- The wine will swirl in 360 degrees, and now you've done the 'swirl'!
The swirl will add elegance to your wine drinking and assist in expanding the flavor development! The ultimate wine tips for beginners begins with the swirl!
5. Host a dinner party.
If you are enjoying your homemade wine, this one is for you!! There is no better way than hosting a dinner party to celebrate a new batch of wine.
- Invite friends
- Pair with some elegant meats and cheeses
Simple as that!
6. Create a beautiful environment.
What I mean is create a space that will be fruitful for enjoying your beautiful glass of wine.
For example, here are some ways to create an ample environment:
- Run yourself a bubble bath
- Get yourself flowers and place in a vase
- Light candles
- Put on silky pajamas
- Do a face mask
- Listen to Adele, Erikah Badu, or your fav artist!
- Read a book
Do some of these, or all, and enjoy the environment you create. Basically, it is like taking yourself on a date!
Have a glass of wine at sunset after you:
- Get a massage
- Get your nails done
- Get a facial
The idea here is to create the ambiance for you to fully enjoy your wine. Even if it is just one glass, the environment we create will make or break a wine (especially a really nice wine!).
7. Put on something nice.
We all can understand that putting on something nice goes a long way. For date night, putting on a nice dress and going out makes us just feel good.
Putting on something nice can be:
- Your favorite earrings
- A dress you haven't worn in a while
- Doing your hair, washing it, styling it, etc
- Putting on a little makeup that makes you feel good
The list is endless, whatever makes you feel good, DO IT! Then, enjoy your glass of wine with it.
8. Drink your wine at the right temperature.
Different wines are best at different temperatures! Room temperature often ranges from 68-75 degrees F.
The General Rule of Thumb:
- Serve lighter reds a bit cooler at 55 degrees F.
- Serve fuller bodied reds closer to room temperature at 65 degrees F.
- Serve younger reds at room temperature.
- Lighter whites serve at 50 degrees F.
- Fuller whites (like Chardonnay) serve at 55 degrees F.
Now, if you have made your own wine. Maybe fruit wines or grape wines...
Understand the tannin levels you have. Did you add tannins? What is the ABV?
If you have a higher tannin level, then you want to serve more like a red wine. Alternatively, the higher the alcohol content (ABV) the more chilled you want to serve the wine.
9. Save your leftover wine correctly.
Now, you may be questioning, there is a correct way to save leftover wines? And in some ways, yes!
When you have leftover wine that is top tier wine you almost NEED to keep safe, there are a couple options.
- Use argon gas to prevent any further oxidation of the wine. So, when you go back to polish off the bottle, the flavor would have stayed decently the same.
- Keep cool and store in the fridge! The cold temperatures will prevent chemical processes that change the flavors.
10. Explore the world of natural wines!
Natural wines have increased in popularity very recently. Most likely, from the kick of "health based mindsets".
Natural wines, commercially, mean wines that have minimal additives and preservatives.
In Napa wineries, natural wines referred to the winemaker using the natural yeast on the grapes to ferment the wine, instead of using commercial dried yeasts...
I never knew about natural wines, the Napa version, until I worked in Napa. That is a top conversation piece when I am discussing wine tips for beginners.
Natural wines, when done correctly, can change the way you experience wine!
Overall, the most important wine tip for beginners to start with is... Number one: Invest in decent glassware. Once you experience the difference in glassware you won't be able to stop yourself from experiencing the other wine tips for beginners!
This post was all about wine tips for beginners.
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