There’s no right way or wrong way to taste wine. It’s as simple - do you like what you’re drinking or you do not like what you’re drinking? That said, there’s a formal way to taste wine that reveals more about the wine in your glass, even before you start drinking.

Studies show that wine can reduce stress. That’s why drinking wine may have served well, specially at time as such (coronavirus ravaged world). While you can’t see friends and family or attend social events, you can still enjoy a glass of red or white wine. It just takes a bit of creativity. Drinking wine can help you relax. A glass of wine can help you enjoy life when life seems chaotic.

With everyone staying inside, more people are using applications like Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, and other forms of online communication to stay in touch with friends and family.  This kind of online communication is essential to our well-being. It’s essential because we enjoy the company of others instead of being lonely. These applications can help us not only enjoy social conversations with each other but also enjoy a good wine together.  Knowing how to drink socially is about understanding how to communicate with friends and family online. It’s about trying to stay connected.  You can easily host a Zoom party that involves up to 100 guests and drink wine in comfort of your own home. It’s less about social distancing and more about being physically apart. You don’t have to stop talking to people, you just can’t be physically close to them.

Who says you can’t drink alone? There’s nothing wrong with creating a wine event for yourself at home. if you’re more introverted but still love your wine, you can figure out a way to create an event at home. For instance, you can get some cheese and wine at a restaurant or store and spend the evening pairing your favorite wine with your favorite cheese.  Since these are stressful times, it’s alright to drink a glass of wine to unwind from work, from the chaos that is currently happening. It’s important to find ways to relax and wine can help you achieve that.

Dress Appropriately - definitely for a time after the pandemic

The color black is a lifesaver when it comes to a wine tasting tour. Avoid the temptation of wearing white; the wine spills won’t be quite appealing. While at it, don’t have dangling sleeves as you might cause spills.  It would also be great to wear comfortable shoes, such as flats. Tie your hair at the back and have a purse or pocket to stash away your phone or notebook.

Avoid Wearing Fragrance

If you’ve been waiting to wear your favourite perfume in the wine tasting tour, you’re preparing to attend, abort mission! Wine smelling is central to wine tours, so having conflicting smells can confuse others in the tasting area.  Besides being a potential distraction to those around you, the perfume will make you miss out on the wholesome experience of a wine tour. 

Health tips

In a wine tasting event, getting drunk isn’t the goal. Nonetheless, you’re likely to become sloshed quickly if you taste the wine on an empty stomach. Eat well and hydrate appropriately to ensure that your body is ready for wine tasting.

Cooking with wine is actually very simple; the rule is, if you enjoy drinking the wine, you should cook with wine as well. This does not mean the wine you cook with has to be expensive, but it should be a wine you would drink and serve to your guests. If you think it tastes good, it will taste good in your dish. Think about it, would you ever serve or drink a glass of supermarket cooking wine? We didn’t think so.

If the recipe you’re cooking calls for a cup or two of red or white wine, simply go out and buy a bottle of wine that you’d enjoy sipping while you are also preparing the meal. Following this rule also allows for the added bonus of getting to drink a glass or two while you are slaving away in the hot kitchen.There is something fun about having the same wine both in the dish and also in your glass.

Happy Wining!!