5 Tips to Spot a Good Wine Before Buying it

A bottle of good wine doesn't have to be old or expensive. The defining point is taste. There are thousands of wines to choose from and there’s more to learn than wine tasting general rules, swirl, sniff and sip when choosing a good wine before buying it. Here are some tips on how to choose the best wine from experts.

How to Choose a Good Wine before Buying

1. Read Back Labels

Don't be deceived by the whole packaging. Check out the whole package, not just the front labels but also the back. The back label has more information than the front about the wine such as flavors, fruits, aging process, region and even importers. Some signs of good wine are the stamps of approval like reviews or awards, keep an eye on them. You can also ask help from the wine steward present or a wine lover friend.

If you are able to taste it, then check these tips!

2. Aroma of Attraction

And this is where the wine's general rules swirl and sniff come into play. Swirl and sniff, what do you smell? Just like what the experts say, "The more you smell, the better the wine taste". It's actually true, your nose knows and sniffing and swirling is the best way to smell the aromas of fruits and alcohol and the taste is just a confirmation of what you sense.

3. Use Your Tongue

Here's the best part of the wine's general tasting rules, dive-in for the sip. Sounds sexy right? But you need to focus, just let the wine move around your tongue and let your taste buds dance around different flavors. It's even better when all the flavors stay on your tongue for quite some time. try to allocate some fruit flavors of the wine such as blackberry, cherry, citrus, melon, peach or raspberry. You’ll know what you like!

4. Check the Digits

Do some research and know the years and the favorite regions. Regions with good climate and weather produced an impeccably ripe harvest and so as good wines. Extreme cold, heat or too much rain can affect the quality of grapes. Don't be deceived by age, older wines don’t always taste good and there are several wines under $15 that taste GREAT. In general, you can enjoy white wines from two years and red wines two-three years after bottling.

5. What will you be eating?

A few pointers here. If you are enjoying:

• An acidic meal, pair it with an acidic wine.
• Salty food is the perfect partner for sweet wine.
• Fatty foods work best with bitter, highly acidic or higher ABV wines.

*More on this in the next blog

Don't be afraid to try different types of wine until you find your personal style. Don’t forget wine’s general rules. Swirl. Sniff. Sip.

Cheers!