Have You Made Your New Year Wine Resolutions?
Wow – over a week into 2019 already. For many, a New Year means New Year’s resolutions. For some it means planning trips to the gym and for others it will mean adhering to a ‘dry January’. To many of us, it means a time for dusting off previous resolutions and committing again this year!
It’s probably not fair for me to joke about sticking to resolutions so early in January, but what I do want to suggest for this year is that people who enjoy a glass of wine, make some New Year Wine resolutions.
I can guess that the usual resolutions of “eat better and exercise more”, are on many people’s list but other than during ‘dry January’, wine doesn’t usually have its own annual resolution. In this post I want to help you with that. Read on to see my list of possible wine resolutions for 2019.
They are intended to be achievable rather than just aspirational and are not about deprivation but rather about pleasure and learning.
My generic and overall suggestion is one we should all adopt anyway – drink more water in 2019. Not only is it imperative for a healthy body but it is the 2nd most important part of drinking wine (the 1st being – tasting it). When drinking any alcoholic beverage, adding water will dilute the alcohol in your stomach and will slow absorption into the blood.
10 New Year Wine Resolutions
Become a Wine Explorer
I mentioned in many blog posts over the last 12 months that experimenting with wine can only benefit your taste experience in the long run. This year – write down a region from which you are going to taste a bottle from, each month, and travel the world. You don’t have to abandon the wines that you’ve grown to love but why not see what else is on offer.
Go Beyond the Colourful Label
It is quite easy to be lured into choosing a wine by a really cool or novel looking label. This year learn the three most important things you like in a wine e.g. a region, a grape or a producer. Once you have determined those you can build your preferences based on, say, your mood or an occasion. A little research will tell you the better drinking years for the wine you like.
Learn some Basic Wine Terminology
I have written before on this topic – wine jargon – so I won’t repeat myself. Suffice to say that the more descriptions you hear and read about the better. So the more types of wine you drink the more your taste will develop. In this way you will pick up the various aromas and flavours that fit the tasting descriptions. You might even to be able to debunk some wine myths with your mates!
Treat Yourself with an Upgrade
Let’s say, once a quarter you spend a few more euro ($) for a bottle of wine that has a characteristic you like. I’m not suggesting a €100 bottle each time – just one that is slightly more expensive than you’re used to. Believe me it will be well worth it, and it will enhance you taste experience and bring it to the next level.
Join a Wine Club
We don’t operate a wine club in Green Acres as we are here all the time to advise you on your preferences etc. There are many online wine groups that discuss wines and you already probably have a wine app on your smartphone. Make sure to determine what you want out of the ‘club’. Some send you bottles of wine each month for a subscription which may or may not be what you are looking for. Online discussion groups are usually free.
Throw a Wine Tasting Party
There are many varieties of wine tasting get-togethers, obviously. The most basic being inviting people to come and taste different wines in your home. Other variations include all guests bringing a bottle of wine (under a certain price or from different regions) and tasting all of them to determine the difference.
Now that I think of it, this would be a good topic for a full post so I will revisit ‘wine parties’ here, in the near future. I’ll wait until ‘dry January’ is finished.
Have a House Wine
This might sound pretentious but it’s not… because the wine ‘Chez Vous’ can be anything you want it to be i.e. your favourite. Buy a case of it and keep it somewhere dark and cool. Then if you need a glass at the end of a hard day, or surprise guests arrive at your door, you can avoid the panic of running around to the local retailer. Budget allowing – keep one red and one white case tucked away.
Put Yourself in the Hands of the Wine Expert.
Searching through a wine list or browsing wine shelves can be fun for some people. For others it can be a nightmare. This year decide that you are going to avoid the stress and put yourself in the hands of the expert, at least once. Either in a restaurant or a local wine retailer, tell the ‘expert’ how much you want to spend, and what you like in a wine (if you know). Leave them choose something for you.
Go on a Wine Tour
This doesn’t have to be as a substitute for the family holiday but there are many opportunities to take week-end breaks to wine regions. With some careful research you can find one that will suit your palate and your pocket. Even if you are going on the family holiday – check to see if there is a wine region nearby and plan a daytrip!
Throw Away the Rule Book.
Earlier this month we produced a short video called 5 Wine Rules that can be Broken in 2019 and I think it would be appropriate to mention them again here.
- Chill your red wine if you like and put an ice cube in there if it suits
- Drink full-bodied roses this winter
- Use a decanter (glass jug) for young reds if you like
- Specific glassware is not necessary, but some shapes will enhance wine aromas
- Sparkling wine is not just for celebratory occasions.
So, let’s look at 2019 as a year that will provide new opportunities for us all to grow as wine lovers. Whether you are new to the world of wine, a long time ‘wino’ or somewhere in between now is a good time to take stock of your goals. Choose any or all of the above suggestions and let the good times flow.
Drop into us here in Green Acres and we’ll help you with your wine goals and plans and even suggest ways of having some fun while doing it.
One last thing – did you know that we launched the Green Acres mobile app recently? Now you can bring us home in your pocket. Book tables, learn of special offers, check events, connect with us, earn loyalty rewards and much more. We would really appreciate if you would click on either of the tabs below to download for free.
As usual, you can contact us if you would like to discuss anything about individual wines or those in our hampers. Also, if you’d like to receive future blog posts from us, directly to your email, just ‘click’ here.
Have a great 2019! – Cheers, James.
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