There's no better way to learn about what wine you enjoy than to try them. But there are some things that are best not learned through process of elimination. Below are some tips, courtesy of Anne Martin, Toronto's leading female sommelier, to help you have your best wine experience as well as some rules and etiquette.
Cheers!
* Host a wine tasting at your home. Gather 10 of your closest friends, buy some wines and get to tasting. It can be a fun event and a great way to try a variety of wines. Don't forget to have one person who knows a lot about wine.
* Wine is like anything else, you have to experience a few until you know what you like. Also never stop trying new wines as there are always new ones on the market.
* Join a wine club or read wine reviews, both of which are great ways to gain some knowledge. Also, the Internet is a great resource to learn about wine.
* If you are hosting a dinner party, start off with a lighter white wine and work up to drinking the heavier red. If you start off the evening with a red, there is nowhere to go from there.
* Many people drink white wine too cold and red wine too warm. The rule is 20 minutes out of the fridge for the white, 20 minutes in the fridge if it's a red.
* If someone brings you wine to a party, the polite thing to do is to drink it that evening with your guest. However, you can politely refuse drinking it that same evening by telling your guest you already have wine that you paired with the meal.
* For the more experienced wine person, give a bottle of wine as a gift along with a note containing your suggestion of a pairing. For example, "Enjoy this wine later with pasta." This way the recipient doesn't feel obliged to drink it with you that evening.
* Once you've opened a bottle of wine, there is a time frame for which it should be consumed. Wine should be kept in the fridge for two to three days maximum.
* Don't cook with an old bottle of wine. If an unfinished bottle has been in your fridge for three weeks, it's now vinegar
* Decant older vintages of red wine to remove sediment or, for young wine, to give it air.
* In a restaurant, try to think about what you're eating before you order the wine or ask for suggestions from your server. A good pairing can really enhance the meal.
* To save yourself some time, check online at the LCBO to make sure the wine you want is in fact available at your usual location. They have a search option that will let you search where your bottle is and how many they have of that selection.