I’ll be very honest with you- when it comes to wine, I honestly have very little knowledge about wine brands. I like red (woo antioxidants= great excuse for drinking it), Pinot Grigio, and I like it cheap. I wish there was a mathematic proof to show me how to pick wine, but alas it does not exist. However, here is my foolproof guide to the cheater’s way I pick out wine… I have yet to pick a bad bottle!
1. Determine your price range. Do you feel like splurging today? Is it a party? Is this a gift for someone? Asking yourself some simple questions before you walk in and get overwhelmed is always a good choice. Set some boundaries for yourself. Like really, you don’t need a $40.00 on a random Tuesday. Trust me, you don’t.
2. Determine what color and type you want- white or red? Dry or sweet? What are you pairing it with? Reds go with red meat, whites go with fish and chicken, and if you’re like me you often ignore this factor because reds are just better.
3. Find Your Red Wine Type: a light red wine is Beaujolais Nouveau, a popular French wine, that will go with any kind of meal. A medium body red wine has more tannins- Merlot, Shiraz, and Chianti all fall into this category. A full-bodied red wine is a Bordeaux or a Cabernet Sauvignon. The more tannins, the fuller the body, and the stronger in alcohol content.
4. Or Your White Wine Type: Rieslings tend to be sweet and refreshing, Moscato is a dessert wine, Chardonnay is dry, and Sauvignon Blanc goes with all vegetables, Thai and Italian food, and is light to medium. My personal favorite, Pinot Grigio, is light, crisp, and has smooth overtones. Delicious.
After these questions, research wine sales online. This tactic is a fabulous way to find wine without crashing your budget. Often liquor stores do 2-4-1 specials and even my local grocery store too. Once you find a deal that sounds good, head out and test it out! I often find myself browsing staff picks and points at grocery stores to help as well. If you download the Cor.kz application for your iPhone, you can SCAN barcodes to determine more information about the wine bottle! This is really fun to play with, and I highly recommend it for someone like me who does not know much about brands.