11 Must-Know Wine Tips That’ll Make You A Pro

Whether you’re a newbie or a wine expert, there’s always something new to explore in the wine world.

We’ll give you the best wine advice so that it becomes easier to demystify wine etiquette and complex wine terms. 

We’ll take you through the 11 essential wine tips that’ll also help elevate your wine drinking experience.

11 Essential Wine Tips For Wine Enthusiasts

Here are 11 must-know tips every wine lover should know of: 

1. Invest In The Right Wine Accessories

For an exciting wine drinking experience, you need to have the right wine accessories.

Start by investing in the right wine glass for each different wine. If you can’t get a proper wine glass, opt for any medium-bowl-size option with a thin rim.

You could also get a good wine opener, like a waiter’s corkscrew or a winged corkscrew. 

Also, consider getting a gel-filled wine sleeve to keep your bottle cool, and some non-drip pourers to prevent spillage. 

2. Start Experimenting With Various Regions, Styles, And Price Points 

To make things easier, start experimenting with affordable wines from lesser-known wine regions. 

From there, you can begin exploring a renowned wine country like France and others. 

Also, explore different wine styles and try out lesser-known grape varieties too. For example, try an affordable red wine made from the Gamaygrape variety, instead of one made from a common grape variety like Pinot Noir.

Once you’ve explored various regions and styles, start experimenting with different price points for new and old-world wines. 

3. Study The Wine Label

Studying the wine label can help you understand your wine’s taste, acidity levels, the grape varieties used, and other characteristics. 

The label will also often give details about the winery, winemaking techniques, alcohol content, and more and will help you pick the best wine for your taste.

4. Store Your Wine The Right Way

Once you’ve bought that great wine bottle, you’ll need to store it properly. 

Ideally, you should store the bottle horizontally in a cool and dark place, away from direct sunlight and vibration, and at the right humidity.

The optimal storage temperature for various wines is between 50-59°F.

You could store your bottles in a wine cooler or a wine cabinet, and if it’s a bigger collection go for a professional storage facility or a wine investing company like Vinovest.

5. Open Your Wine Bottle Properly

To safely open your wine bottle, insert the corkscrew into the cork and rotate your bottle while keeping the cork steady. 

Also, always reuse the wine corks for your opened bottles to preserve any leftover wine. 

Refrigerate your opened wine and consume it within a couple of days. An opened bottle of white wine lasts for about 5 days, red wine will last you 3-6 days, and sparkling wine will stay drinkable for 1-3 days.

6. Serve Your Wine The Right Way

If you want to enjoy your glass of wine, you’ll have to serve it properly. Ideally, serve your white wines at around 45°F, red wines between 58°-65°F, and sparkling wines or dry wines at 40°-50°F.

When pouring wine, never overfill the glass as this will lead to poor wine tasting. Meanwhile, pouring too little wine will over-oxygenate the drink and alter its aroma and taste. 

Here’s how you should serve your wines like a wine expert: 

• Red wine: Pour 4 ounces or about half a glass.

• White wine: Pour 3 ounces or about one-third of the glass.

• Champagne: Pour 5 ounces or around two-thirds of the glass.

7. Hold Your Wine Glass Correctly

To hold your glass correctly, grab it by the stem and rest your other fingers on the base. 

Holding the glass by the bowl will heat up the wine and alter its flavor - leading to a bad wine tasting experience. 

8. Smell And Taste The Wine

To properly examine your wine’s aromas, swirl the wine glass and place your nose on the rim. This will reveal all the scents that make the wine complex and intense.

Next, take a sip of the wine and swirl it around in your mouth to absorb its flavor. You can then swallow or spit out the drink and discard any leftover wine into a spittoon bucket.

9. Keep A Wine Journal

Having a wine journal is a great way to keep track of all the wines you’ve tasted. This could help you discover your favorite wine and make your next purchase easier.

In your journal, you can note down every little detail, such as the wine’s name, price, flavor profile, aroma, food and wine pairings, and more. 

10. Use The Right Wine Terms

Here are a few terms you could use to describe a wine’s personality:  

• When you sense spice, describe the wine’s tasting notes as “peppery” or “leathery.”

• Describe wines with high acidity as “sharp tasting.” 

• A wine is “fruit-forward” if it's dominated by rich, fruity flavors. Meanwhile, wines with terroir-driven tasting notes are described as “earthy.”

Not sure what to say in the tasting room or at a wine tasting event?

No problem! Simply stick to words like “interesting” or “vibrant!”  

11. Start A Wine Club

The best way to elevate your wine drinking experience is to keep tasting various wines. For that, you can start a mini wine club. 

Invite your friends to bring different wine bottles, and take turns to host such events. You could also introduce fun cooking sessions to try out various food and wine pairing ideas.

Once you’ve acquired good wine knowledge, you could start organizing blind tasting events to enhance your skills. 

Now, here’s what you should do while you master wine terms and serving etiquette:

Build A Collection Of Fine Wines Through Vinovest!

Drinking wine is a fascinating experience. And by following the best wine tips we’ve covered, you’ll surely enjoy every step of the wine drinking process. 

If you’re a wine lover planning to build a collection of fine wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, check out the Vinovest website.

Vinovest offers an easy wayto buy, store, and sell authentic red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, and sweet wine from the Napa Valley and everywhere across the globe.