Level Up: How To Try New Types Of Wine

We all think we know what type of wine we enjoy. If you’re at a restaurant, and you say red or white, you’re probably doing it wrong. A color is a good start, but there are many options, which all depend on personal taste. What’s a good way to learn what you enjoy? Going to a wine tasting or if you are like me attend one of the Uncorked Wine Festivals events in your city.

The Inaugural Uncorked: NY wine festival was held at the Metropolitan Pavilion on July 16th. This event featured 50 different wineries, 200 wines, live music, a custom photo booth, a champagne bar, International Wine Market, artisanal food bazaar, and a fun ambiance to sip and savor with your friends. In New York the food vendors were Tres Carnes, Brooklyn Oyster Party and Murray’s Cheese. But these will change from city to city, giving a local flair to where ever you are!

The next Uncorked event will be in San Francisco. Where a portion of the proceeds go to MOSTE, a non-profit giving girls from underserved communities the skills and tools they need to succeed in high school, in college and beyond. www.moste.org. This is just awesome! Drinking for a cause? Yes, please!

New to wine? Need some help learning which is your taste? Here are a few tips:

• Take Your Time

  • Do a sober walk through.  Notice tables with attractive, confident attendants and sexy labels.

• Ask Questions

  • Engage the winemaker by asking what, where, and how questions about the wine.  Be respectful of his/her need to interact with the other 1000 tasters.  Popular tasters get bigger pours, which means more bang for your buck.

• The Clean Taster

  • Don’t block the dump bucket. It actually shows better if you try to clean your glass before the next glass. They will respect you more, and think you’re taking it seriously.

• Take Notes

  • If you can identify what drink to go with a specific meal, or what you actually want, then you’ll be able to grow as a wine taster and even a better diner.