Many people like wine and have a casual interest in it but have a certain preconception about wine experts. When they imagine a wine expert the image that comes to mind is an old elitist swirling wine in his glass and claiming he taste hints of obscure flavors within a particular vintage. I must admit, that was my initial thought of people who were into wine. While some people do fit this image, most knowledgeable “wine people” I’ve encountered are nothing like this. They come from every walk of life and every societal group; the thing that binds them together is their desire to explore the complexities of fermented grapes.
The fact of the matter is whether you’re an expert or casual wine drinker, you can enjoy wine however you please. With this in mind, you should follow your unique palate. Reject the notion that price is necessarily linked to quality. It’s easy to enter the mindset of more expensive equals better but there are so many fantastic wines that cost as little as a laundry detergent. When I first started drinking wine consistently a few years ago I was in college and could rarely afford to buy a bottle over $10. This didn’t stop me from enjoying great, complex, full-bodied wine. Embrace whatever kind of wine you like, whether it’s cheap or expensive. Also, look at magazines like Wine Enthusiast to see how they rate wines in your price range. Sometimes you’ll see bottles for less than $10 that are given ratings of 90 or better (anything over 87 is considered fantastic). One thing to keep in mind though, when tasting wine, is that just because an “expert” likes a wine, it doesn’t mean you have to. Everyone’s palate is different (which makes things more exciting!).
- Harte
How true! Well stated.
ReplyDeleteWe hosted a wine tasting party once where everyone brought a mystery wine in a paper bag for blind tastings. The wines under $20 were the ones everyone preferred even though the wines we sampled cost between $10 and $50.