Wine Tricks That Make You Seem Like an Expert

In celebration of Wine'd Down (Up?) Wednesday, I will share with you my favorite wines and wine tricks that make me seem like I know what the hell I'm doing, even though sometimes I don't! If I had the time and the money, trust me, I would definitely become a sommelier, but that's just not happening right now. So here are some wine ninja tricks I've picked up along the way.

If you have a red wine, let it breathe after opening! 

When you let the red wine breathe, it helps get oxygen into the bottle for flavor and taste. Or if you really want to feel fancy buy a decanter to help with aerating your wine! And please do not refrigerate or chill. The temperature that you serve your wine at affects it's taste and makes the sediment settle. 

Figure out your favorite type of wine. 

You can get wine at Trader Joes for $3, so go buy a bunch, find out your favorite and then at restaurants you can have a go-to wine. There are hundreds of brands, so it'll make it easier for you to decide between brands, vintage, locale after you already know what your favorite type of wine is!

If you're out at a restaurant, don't be afraid to ask your server!

If you don't know the difference between fruity and sweet, ask your server for a suggestion. They will usually helpfully describe a wine so once you are able to taste it, viola! Know you know what a buttery-wine tastes like. Or you can read this helpful post here.

If you order wine at a restaurant...

The server will show you the bottle and let you take a sip. What you are looking for is: the vintage and the producer. So confirm that it's the wine that you ordered then take a sniff, make sure it doesn't smell vinegary, that's a sign that the wine is corked, and sip away!

If you're at home...

Have a wine glass that will suit all types of wine. That is unless you want to have 20 different pairs of wine glasses like me. I just bought a set of "cabernet sauvignon" looking glasses and they work pretty well in most occasions. You can also use this handy infographic! You don't want to be drinking your merlot out of champagne flutes!

Lastly, there are no rules! Feel free to look like a fool and drink boxed wine straight from the bag for all anyone cares! Ahem, I may or may not have done that the other night. 

What are your favorite wine tricks or your favorite type of wines?