The world of wine is bigger than you can imagine. You may be the type to buy the cheapest bottle because it does the trick, because you're going to finish the whole bottle in one night anyway. Maybe you are a wine snob who only likes to drink the highest priced bottles on special occasions. We are going to dive into the wine industry, women in wine, the world of wine, and important surface facts you need to know. After this blog post you may think differently about how you enjoy your next wine glass.
I have seen the ins and outs of the wine industry and frankly, there is more to it than most people know. Before working for alcohol and wine companies I would stick to the cheapest bottles of wine and liquor, for example 'three buck chuck'. Why not, it all taste the same right? Then as I started liking wine that didn't taste like grape juice, I was buying bottles in the $8-$12 range, for a college student that was high. After graduating I knew I wanted to be in the wine business, so I got jobs with distribution companies. I met a lot of people that knew about wine and have been selling it for years, also learning about the consumers who buy the wine...
Restaurants and grocery stores sell the wine based on what people buy. That may be stating the obvious, but the biggest factor is places sell wine based on how much money they are getting paid from the wine companies. Grocery stores and restaurants promote specific wines because they are regulated to by corporate. For example, Daou, does a fantastic marketing job, using tons of money to promote their products to guarantee it is sold in all restaurants and grocery stores. It works because many people love it and everyone wants to have it in their business because they know it will sell. But, have you ever thought about where that money is coming from? Wineries are not just made of money, they are using the money they could have used to produce natural, great quality wines, and using it for cheaper wine production, that makes the wines look and taste the same. Now, I am not saying Daou is a horrible wine that has chemicals and you shouldn't buy it, but simply something to keep in mind when you see a wine ad or love big popular corporation wines.
Buy the whole bottle when you go to restaurants. You may be thinking, 'woah she wants us to get drunk', but that is not the case. Restaurants rack up the price of the whole bottle as one glass price. That is how they make their money and insure they get their money back, if no one else buys a glass of that same bottle, it will not be a loss of money. Versus the whole bottle is typically priced as 3x the original price of the bottle, which you can get 5 glasses of wine out of it. For example, an Oyster Bay bottle is typically $8 at the grocery store, the restaurant is going to charge you $8 for one glass, and $24 for the whole bottle. If you plan on having a few with friends, always go with the whole bottle. It is different for every restaurant, it could be 5x, that is just the basic rule. If you have nice wine at home, I would bring the bottle and pay the $15 corkage fee, it will be way cheaper than buying one there. People are intimidated bringing their own wine to dinner, in the end, who is paying? You are! Who cares what the restaurant thinks of your wine, they're not the one drinking and buying it. Would you rather bring your $25 bottle of wine and pay $15 corkage fee or buy that same bottle there for $125?
Pairing your food with wine, is not rocket science. I guarantee most of you know that red wines go with dark meats and white wines go with lighter meats. Everyone has different taste buds, not everyone is going to like riesling with spicy Thai food, like some do. Wine connoisseurs and chefs can give suggestions, but the only person who is going to know what wine goes good with Thai food is yourself. How we do that is trial and error, all you need to know is the basics. One of my favorite people to follow is Madeline Puckette on Wine Folly, she explains great pairing options with wines from different regions. Give her a stalk and you will learn more than you already knew about wine.
Tips for pairing:
- Flavor profiles to consider: acid, fatty, bitter, salty, sweet, alcohol
- Two ways of wine pairing...
- Congruent: pairing similar flavors
- Contrasting: one flavor cuts through and balances out the other
- The wine should be more acidic than food.
- Wine should be sweeter than food.
- Wine and food should have same flavor intensity.
- Red wines go with bold meats (like red meat).
- White wines go with light meats (fish or chicken).
- Bitter wines pairs with balanced fat.
- Better to match wine with sauces rather than the meat.
Examples:
- Chardonnay and Salmon
- Cabernet and Steak
- Reisling and Spicy Foods
- Pinot Noir and Hearty Pizzas
- Pinot Grigio and Seafood
- Sauvignon Blanc and Citrus Sauces
Confused at some of the things I have already said? Not to worry, I will be explain more about wine at the end of this post. These are just some things I wish I knew earlier and helpful information. Now, you do not have to be a sommelier to know wine, get that construction of reality out of your head. There are only 269 master somms in the world and the United States has 172, with 51 in California. You may be thinking, how is that possible? If you are curious, here is the court of master Sommeliers members... https://www.mastersommeliers.org/masters/list/all Think about how many people in California know their wine, not all of them are sommeliers. Do not feel discouraged to get to know wine, everyone drinks it, so why not build your knowledge more about what you are tasting.
Many people are discouraged about wine, if you are one of those people, don't be. There is a whole world of wine, too much to learn in one day, but like anything in life it takes practice. People who do know a lot about wine, tend to be 'know it alls' and judge others who do not know as much. Women in wine is an important topic I would like to touch on. Yes, it is 2022 and there are many women in the wine industry. Yet, there is still some backlash towards women, why is that? Women have the winery trips, wine nights, and the preponderance of wine drinkers are women... Let's dive into why the wine industry is male dominated.
Wine has been around for many years as we know, back to 6,000BC in the country of Georgia, where wine was born. Along with wine being around for so long, jobs have been established for many years. Due to these jobs being around, the same people have been working them for quit awhile. As we know, women where not working full time until the 20th century, since then it has been a slow increase in what women can do in the economy. To tie it all in, men have been working in the wine industry for decades, and women are making their way in. Not saying all men are like this, but men tend to bring down women in the industry, without knowing it. Since this industry has been powered by men for so long, people do not like change. We have to quickly learn the new era we are in, just because someone has been in the industry for while, does not mean you get to control what the new people do. Wineries are labeling all women made wines, many women are talkshow hosts, podcasters, new faces for wine companies, and gradually there are more women managers making their way in.
It is not always on purpose, it is just the way society is. Presidents, CEO's, and doctors in general tend to be men and now the occasional woman. There is a curse to having those titles, you have to present yourself as a leader and someone people will listen to. When a woman is in charge, they are often worded as a 'bitch' or 'insensitive' when they are strict. When a man is at a higher power, they are worded as 'strict' or 'knows what he is doing'. With how far we have come as a human unity, you would think everyone is treated fairly... Companies are hiring more women to even out their ratio, no one wants to be hired by their gender, but how hard they have worked to get there. Without a thought, men are given more chances, opportunities, and promotions. Where women have to work twice as hard to earn the respect and show their abilities on what they can acheive. Yes, this happens in every industry out there, I want to spread awareness because I have seen this too often in the alcohol industry being a young woman.
A woman builds a home for a family, they can build a company or be just as qualified for the job. Just because someone is a woman or young, does not mean they are not qualified. Everyone starts somewhere, life is about lessons and no one stops learning at a certian age. People talk without thinking what they are about to say, be mindful. For a young woman in the work force, it is not only about learning the job, but also how to handle back handed compliments and frustrated men around you. It can be difficult, but that is what makes a woman stronger. Instead of dreading on what a man says or does, do what he could never imagine you can do. Do not stoop to their level, make yourself more powerful and rise above. Some of the best advice I received was from my mentor, to kill them with kindness, do not go confront them, do not talk behind their backs, simply be kind and keep growing in the job for yourself. In the end, that is what will make you stand out and be the bigger person.
Next I would like to note, the world of wine is more simple than you think. It is suppose to be fun to learn and enlightening the more you know. No matter how much you think you know about wine, there is always more to learn through how the wine is made, the people, and history behind it. That is one of my biggest attractions to wine, it is intriguing and always has a story behind it. Not to mention is enjoyable with your friends, tasty with a nice homemade meal, and can not forget delicious. Wine has an elegance to it that gets me wanting to learn more, drink more, teach friends, meet and talk to people that have more knowledge than I do. Now let's figure out what fathoms you to wine.
Do you remember the first time you tried wine? Let me guess... you hated it! As we grow older, our pallets change, just like how everyones pallet is different. You may think this Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina is the best thing you have ever tasted, but your friend thinks the Syrah from Australia is the best wine in the world. Remember the next time you are tasting wine, choose your words correctly. There is nothing wrong with your opinion on wine, be honest on how you feel about it. There are no wrong answers when it comes to taste or aromoas of wine, as long as you don't say it smells like canned peaches! #iykyk
The stories behind wine are fascinating, have you ever thought about how and where that wine came from? Yes, wine is made with grapes, but have you ever asked... How long did it take to make this wine? Did these grapes originate from that exact winery? How many cases did they produce of this wine? Who are the people that mastered this wine? The list goes on with the questions you can ask, some may not be able to answer, always worth the ask. Hint, some of my favorites wines produce only a few hundred cases (12 bottles in a case) a year, seems like a lot? Let's take Daou for example, they produce up to 35,000 cases a year, doesn't seem like a lot anymore right. Research is your best friend when it comes to these questions and going to the wineries, asking them about every little detail that pops up in your head. If you go to the winery and ask the owner or workers these questions, I guarantee they will be static to answer them. Making each sip memorable and an unforgettable experience.
I believe there are two ways to enjoy wine, drinking it to get drunk and drinking for the pleasure. Drunk meaning you have friends over, top off 5 bottles, and probably wake up in the morning with a headache. The pleasure way is sitting down, enjoying its flavors, and talking about the wine. I am personally fond of both ways, but you can really learn and enjoy it more the pleasure way. As, you get older you start to understand the understatement of a hangover. The best way is water, which I will talk about later on in the organic wine section. Learning ways to enjoy alcohol without the headache, sitting with friends and remembering the good times until the the good times are gone.
Now, to the important facts, what we all have been waiting for. Simple facts to educate you, make you wiser, and giving you a bigger perspective for the next time you taste wine. You may not know what any of the vocabulary or what I am talking about at all, that is okay, I will have more blog posts that will entirely talk about each specific subject more in depth. If you can not wait, open a new window and use the power of google to get an immediate answer.
First, I would like to point out some great books, movies, podcasts, and social media to follow. The three books I have is Wine Folly, Exploring Wine, and Windows of the World. These are pretty intense textbook like novels, do not expect you to read all of them especially if you are not passionate about wine. Everyone loves movies though, my top three movies are Bottle Shock, Uncorked, and Wine Country. You can easily google where to watch these movies for free. My favorite podcast to listen too is Wine Face with Helen Johannesen, she describes wine as relaxed and funny, the way wine should be talked about, making you interested in what she has to say. Some of the social media accounts I follow is @rare_wine and @winefolly, that post great facts, funny videos, and are informational. Also following some of your favorite wineries and local shops, seeing what they have in store for you.
The rest of this post will be based on facts I got from the Wine Folly book by Madeline Puckette.
All you need to know when buying and drinking wine is the traits, grapes, and regions. Educating yourself on these tips will change your next wine tasting event for the better. Before any of that, let me tell you some basics, you may not have known about your wine. Maybe you already know all this, it is always good to review and reread what you already know so it is stuck in your brain.
When you are shopping for wine, what do you look for? Just like the saying, 'don't judge a book by it's cover', don't judge a wine by its label. There are three ways wines are labeled, by variety, region, or name. Majority of wines from the United States are labeled by variety, that is why when you are looking at Italian wine, you may not be able to tell what kind of wine it is because it is likely labeled by the region. The third way to label a wine is name, can be the name of winery or a made-up name for that specific wine.
Looking at the vintage, referring to the year the grapes were harvested, non-vintage "NV", means the wines are a blend of several vintages. Many people think, when the wine is older it is better. Not all wines are meant to be aged, majority are actually meant to be drank young. When looking at a single-varietal wine, remember only 75% of that wine has to be the grape variety that is labeled in California. This means the rest of the 25% can be a small blend of different grape varietals. For example, you see a Cabernet Sauvignon from California, this wine could be 75% Cabernet, 11% Merlot, 8% Petite Verdot, and 6% Syrah. That is a huge difference for people who can taste the difference. For most, there is no way of telling, unless it is on the back of the label. This is helpful information to keep in mind, that is how California creates the perfect taste and why there are so many Cabernets out there to try. The 75-85-95% rule for wine labels in America is complex, yet very useful for knowing questions to ask, understanding wine by the label, and how winemakers created that wine.
In the US, an organic wine is organically grown and has no added sulfites. You will find "USDA ORGANIC" circle symbol or a green leaf that represents the EU symbol, if you find these on the labels, you know these are approved organic wines of the US. Now all wines have sulfites in them, wine makers will add more for a certain taste, look, and texture that they are going for. Sulfites is what causes headaches... false, headaches come from dehydration and tyramine. To help avoid headaches, drink an 8-oz glass of water with every 5 -oz glass of wine you have. You will thank me and yourself in the morning.
Lastly, did you know, that there are over 10,000 grape varietals in the world? Makes you think right, "wow I only buy one type of wine at the store"... In the United States there are 90 common varieties, imagine all the wine in your backyard you have not tried yet. Can you count how many varieties of grapes you have tried? I will say, definitely not 90 of them. Goes to show, always be open-minded and try new wines when out wine tasting! All you have to decide is which style to enjoy, it's a choice between sparkling, still, fortified, and aromatized (also known as vermouth). The options are endless!
Now we are going to jump into wine traits, determine how to smell and taste wine. This is one of the most important knowledge to know and conveniently the hardest to learn. Why, is this the most important? I like what I like and I do not need to know the statistics to choose what I drink. For that may be true, but have you ever gone to a restaurant and loved the food and asked, what's in this, who came up with this, what is their story, and how did they cook this? Just like food, wine has a lot of similar traits and questions raised.
The first thing you do when you pick up your glass is smell the wine. You are probably thinking, yup, it smells like grapes and alcohol. Keep telling yourself that and you will get no where sensing wine. When you sniff the wine, you are looking for deeper aromas. To practice this, I smell before every sip I take, consistency is key. Start by positioning your nose above glass and slowly tilt the glass at a 45 degree angle until you can pick up individual aromas, then you want to swirl your wine to concentrate the aromas and smell again. The reason we smell before swirling, is to find the differences between the two. I know swirling is fun, but it can help pull the aromas you thought you might have smelled before more distinct after swirling.
What happens after you smell the wine, you taste it. The best way to taste is to swish it all around your mouth and tongue to get every bit of it, then swallow or spit out. There are structures to look for, sweetness, acidity, tannin, alcohol, body, finish, length, complexity, and finally the layers. Woah, that is a lot of taste in one glass of wine. Humans have 2,000 to 4,000 tastebuds, now that you know that, it may seem easier. Expanding your knowledge of what your brain and body can do is astonishing.
Knowing little details will take you a long way in the wine world. It takes practice and repetition to be the best at it, you have to start somewhere! Whether it's for a job, hobby, or you just want to become an overall wiser person, doing a little research will get you there. Not only do these steps help you know wine better but it also helps in your everyday life too. Wine helps us become mindful, have more perspective, and share memories with loved ones. This is exactly by I am an independent wine ambassador for Boisset Collection, they follow my belief on how wine should be made and enjoyed. https://my.boissetcollection.com/werbow
To wrap up it all up, wine is beautiful, it has a unique story to tell, and of course everyone loves it. I know that was a lot of information and thank you for bearing with me, I have so much more to share. This was the introduction to many more informational wine posts, to educate you more in detail. Who doesn't love to learn a little history and facts to make you that much more wiser. I hope you figured out by now how to enjoy your next glass and why wine is significant to you.
Would love to hear your favorite wine varietal and why wine attracts you! Comment on this post ◡̈
Cheers!
Photos by Kailynn, featuring Tristan and Dom.
Facts by Kailynn and Wine Folly,
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