As we enter a new year, you’re probably thinking about how you could switch things up to make the best of the next 365 days. But New Year’s resolutions aren’t just about losing weight, waking up early, or saving up more. You can choose to add things to your list that are also fun (and something you can actually stick to).
If you love your wine as much as we do, why not add resolutions to help you fall in love with wine even more? As the saying goes, life’s too short to drink bad wine. Here are five New Year’s resolutions for wine lovers out to explore!
1. EXPLORE MORE WINE
The familiar is comforting: and so is knowing exactly what you’re getting out of the bottle of wine that you have on you. Be it Cabernet Sauvignon, Moscato, or Merlot, these are wine varieties that are so popular that every wine enthusiast probably knows how they taste. It isn’t a bad thing because, at the end of the day, you could never go wrong with vino that you already know and love – it’s the safe way to go about choosing wine. However, being safe can also be limiting, since there’s just so much more out there for you to try and discover. This year, try to step out of your (wine) comfort zone and explore more varieties and regions!
Where to start: If you already have your go-to wine, try the same variety from a different region. Alternatively, you can start at a specific wine region like Burgundy and then try varieties that they specialize in. If you’re daring and want to try something completely out of your comfort zone, try going into a store and grab a bottle with a varietal you rarely encounter or have never even heard of: Perhaps a Viognier or a Barbera. Challenge yourself to try one new wine each month. That way, you’d have tried 12 new varietals by the end of the year!
2. EXPLAND YOUR WINE KNOWLEDGE
If you’ve been drinking wine for a while now, then this year is the perfect time for you to get to know the drink on a deeper level. Apart from the buzz you get from the alcohol, there is more that goes into appreciating a glass of wine. From the profile of the drink to the process that goes behind making a bottle, you can learn a lot of things as to why your wine tastes the way it does.
Where to start: Learn for fun! Get into the habit of really tasting wine by taking tasting notes whenever you try a new wine. You can also learn from the experts by consuming free content available on the internet, whether it be books, podcasts, or even videos and social posts by the in-house experts of Winery.ph (wink). If you want to take it a step further, you can try to enroll in Wine 101 classes or an actual course to get certified by organizations such as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) or the Society of Wine Educators (SWE).
3. EXPERIMENT WITH FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS
One thing is for sure: When there is wine at a party, there most likely will be food. That’s just how it is. If done right, they bring out the best out of each other – but that doesn’t mean there’s only one way to go about it. Food and Wine pairings can often be subjective to the one consuming them. It takes a lot of time and experimentation to find a pairing that you truly enjoy. However, there are general things to take into consideration when you want to spend less time guessing and more time enjoying your food and your wine.
If you’re still lost on where to start when it comes to actually pairing, you can check out Winery.ph’s video on the basics of pairing wine with food that you can use as a guide. At the end of the day, however, it is up to you and the things you like. You won’t know what’s good unless you actually go out there and try them. Don’t forget to stay curious!
4. JOIN A WINE TASTING
Have you ever wondered how wine experts pick up different notes when they sip and smell wine? It’s all because of practice! These people have taken the time to constantly try and taste new wines to expand their palate. Admittedly, not everyone will have the same amount of time to solely dedicate to wine. Luckily, there is a way for you to enjoy the flavor profile of vino while being guided by experts – and it’s through wine tastings.
At wine tastings, you’ll be given sample servings of different kinds of wines, called a flight, and together, assess the colors, smells, and tastes of each. A great activity to do for a wine night with a group of friends – invite a Somm over or search up for tasting classes available in your area!
Where to start: If you want to go ahead and do it by yourself, you can try by following the 5 S’s of tasting wine (see, swirl, smell, sip, and savor), which we’ve done a series on the Winery.ph YouTube channel. Alternatively, you can also book a Tasting Class on the Winery.ph website and have our In-House experts guide you and your friends through a tasting!
5. VISIT A VINEYARD
Something that is most likely present in every wine lover’s bucket list is to visit a vineyard. It’s an excellent way to see how your favorite bottles are made from beginning to end! Who wouldn’t want to experience a day of learning about how producers make wine, tasting it, and walking through gorgeous vineyards? If your timing is right, you can even get to taste a vitis vinifera wine grape right off the vine (although be warned, it doesn’t taste like the table grapes you’re used to).
A sad thing though is that there aren’t any wine vineyards in the Philippines that you could easily visit, so if you also happen to have “Travel more” in your New Year’s resolution, then maybe consider a destination where you could do vineyard tours like Australia, Spain, or even South Africa.
If you plan to add any of these to your own resolutions this new year, Winery.ph is here to help you stick to them. From wine education videos and Wine 101 posts to tasting classes and over 2,000 bottles to choose from on our website, Winery.ph is here to empower Filipinos to learn more about wine without the snobbery and without the pressure. Check out wine tutorials at the Winery.ph YouTube Channel, and for bite-sized Wine 101, follow Winery.ph on Facebook and Instagram!
