Whatever the occasion — girls night in with pizza, rugby and braai, Sunday lunch at the in-laws, or a hot date — choosing the right wine will not only have a huge impact on your overall weekend experience, it’ll will also reflect, for better or worse, the kind of person you are.
This can be a problem because wine is confusing and there are so many ways to go wrong when selecting a bottle either in the store or from the wine list, the potential for disaster exists every time you ready yourself to buy that bottle of grape juice.
Luckily, there are a handful of rules you can apply to the selection process. Follow them and add a healthy dollop of common sense, and you’ll be impressing people every time you pop the cork. You will also be spending your money much more wisely, to boot.
Rule No. 1: Ask An Expert
If you don’t know a lot about wine, the most dangerous behavior you can engage in is to pretend that you do. No matter how deep your level of wine knowledge, don’t assume that you know more about the wine on the restaurant’s list than the sommelier or the salesperson at the wine shop.
Rule No. 2: Pay attention to what you taste
Pay close attention to whatever is in your glass. Where is it from? What grape or grapes went into the final product? How does this particular pinot noir, say, differ from the last one you had? Write down some tasting notes evry time you taste something new. This will ultimately lead you to make far better wine decisions. Don’t be afraid to refer to it either.
Rule No. 3: Trust Your Own Palate
Sharing wine with someone gives you a chance to express something about yourself through the bottles you open. It’s exactly the same as your choice of music. So be true to your tastes, and don’t be overly influenced by critics and reviews. In the end, drinking wine is all about the pleasure of experiencing the magic of the juice in each and every bottle you open. So taste as broadly as you can, and don’t be afraid to say that you don’t love an expensive bottle or that you’re impressed with a cheaper one.
Rule No. 4: Don’t Be Too Loyal
Even the most passionate and accomplished wine professionals have personal favorites, but they would never consider allowing them to limit their drinking in any way. Rather, smart wine consumers, like their professional counterparts, allow their favorites to guide their selections. Instead of buying the same brand over and over again, ask the salesperson to recommend other bottlings that share similar characteristics.
Rule No.5 – Live the ULTRA life
Start living the ULTRA life by signing up for an Ultra Liquors Value Card. Also, buy all your wines at Ultra Liquors, we are the cheapest in South Africa after-all…
