Wine
tasting sounds like something for wine snobs. Consumers who buy wine at
groceries and liquor stores should do a little more wine tasting to expand
their palate and knowledge.
Often
novice wine drinkers shy away from tastings and wine events because of lack of
knowledge. Still, human nature suggests learning more on a topic increases the
enjoyment.
There's
nothing wrong with buying your wine in the aforementioned retail outlets. But
to increase knowledge and expand the palate a wine shop is the best 'next step'
for wine beginners or those who want to learn more.
"Go to
a wine store where they have a person to help you," said Dean Wilson, an
Indiana distributor and former retailer. "A real wine person will educate
you. Somebody in the retail market, who learns your palate, will guide you into
other things to try.
"It is
like Education 101, don't be afraid to taste new things. Trust your wine
professional and go to as many tastings as you can."
Wilson
suggested American consumers are actually hungry for wine knowledge. Sales
figures over the past 15 years show significant increases in American wine
consumption. And, there has never been a better time to try more and different
wines.
"Consumers
want a good deal," Wilson said. "Consumers realize they don't have to
spend a lot of money on a bottle of wine. If they try something new and like
it, then they can start trying different (price) levels of that wine."
As a
distributor, Wilson knows the wine market. He said the bulk of wine sales rests
in the $9-$15 price range. The market "sweet spot" was just under $10
in the 1990s and then increased. The 2008 economic collapse dropped the sales
point back below $10. Today, consumers are willing to pay $14-$15 a bottle.
You can
expland your palate and education with a wine professional or a group of
friends who enjoy wine. How many people do you wish to invite? Do you want wine
education or enjoyment? Do you want to do specific wines or just have everyone
bring a bottle?
You can
make any wine event more fun by trying to pair wines with just the right food.
Or have everyone bring 100 percent varietal wines in a brown bag and then try
to guess the varietal. You could come up with geographical clues from the wine
region to make the game even more fun.
If you have
a friend who really knows wine or maybe you know a wine professional, give them
a call. Most wine retailers, wholesalers, and wine journalists really enjoy
sharing what they've learned from their experiences.
Drink wines
at your normal price point. But maybe throw in one bottle of something special,
and a little higher priced, near the end of your gathering.
"It's
like we tell our kids, 'How do you know you won't like it, if you don't try it?"
Wilson suggested. "That's also true on wine."
Howard W. Hewitt,
Crawfordsville, IN., writes about wine every other week for 21 Midwestern
newspapers. You can ask him questions at: hewitthoward@gmail.com
