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5 tips to becoming a wine connoisseur

Published on February 25, 2016 by AHIF Administrator

Burgundy is the wine capital of France.  If you are preparing a trip and want to enjoy the best wine testing’s like a true expert, follow our short steps that will ensure you to become a wine connoisseur in no time! With a vast amount of vineyards, be sure to stay in the center of it all when visiting Burgundy.

1. Acquiring the taste

Developing your palate to get used to the taste of wine is probably the most important step. Wine is not a taste that you will instantly like, you need to experiment by trying and smelling different types of wine to become accustomed to the taste. After savoring at least 5 different wines (we recommend starting with a pinot grigio, chardonnay, shiraz, merlot, or malbec), your mouth will begin to recognize the different feelings from each. Keep in mind, no wine expert has become as proficient without first trying lots of wine and understand their taste.

2. Comparing flavors and smell

Once you have tried a few wines over a couple of hours or even days, we recommend to choose the ones you enjoyed the most and drink them side by side closing your eyes. Adding a distinct smell and taste to each will help you recognize which wine is the one you are trying. If you can master this skill, you are almost half way there.

3. Reading

No wine connoisseur became as knowledgeable without reading about wines. Becoming as well informed as possible is a key factor in making you a true professional. Reading books about how wines are made, different kinds of grapes used to make a wine, different regions of the world where grapes come from, how the age of a wine affect its flavor, etc. will ensure that you better understand quality of wines and appreciate their taste. If you happen to have little time to catch up on your reading, there are great short articles with tons of important information.

4. Stepping out of the box

Trying less known wines and taking risks to try bolder wines will help you develop a better taste and appreciation. It is important to add as much variety to the wines you have tasted since there are so many to choose from. It is more likely that after you have completed all the previous steps, you will enjoy trying what else is out there.

5. Testing wines with food

You are now 95% wine expert! You know a lot of information about wines, you have tasted many wines, you are now able to recognize smells, grapes, and even regions where wine comes from! Now it is time for our favorite part of becoming a wine expert: Pairing the right wine with the right food. You probably have heard before the basic pairs: red wine goes with red meats, white wines goes with seafood and some white meats. However an important part is experimenting the types of wine with different foods to discover your personal favorite! A tip to keep in mind is that the wine should not overlap the taste of the food, it should only accompany it.

Depending on your level of commitment, following these steps can easily turn you into a wine expert anywhere from one to three weeks. Give your self time to prepare before your trip to Burgundy and make sure to stay in the best wine areas of Burgundy.

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