You are supposed to drink wine very differently from any other liquid. You can’t open the bottle and just quaff off its contents. If you drink wine directly out from the bottle, there is a high probably you will be seen as an alcoholic or crazy. You will definitely be seen as an insult to oenology. So how you’re suppose to drink wine?

In today’s world, drinking wine is viewed as an art. A subtle but accurate art that can be learnt through years of experiencing tasting wine. Wine is not a simple beverage, but a delicate mixture of fragrances, colors and flavors. On top of that, the ambience in which you drink your wine has a lot to do with the experiences you get. A wine should match the food, the occasion and the tableware. It is very hard for a “beginner” to learn the rules behind this art, but the guidelines are pretty clear. You just need time and dedication and the day when you will “know your wine” will come.

The most important rule for a beginner is that the wine that is served on the table has to be slightly sweeter and has to have a fuller bouquet than the meal that it’s paired with. For instance, you cannot pair dark chocolate with champagne. Meat and cheese are the most appropriate foods to be served with wine. Occasionally, chocolate fits the profile as well.

Compared to white wines, red wines are sweeter and have a fuller body which means they go well with red meat and slightly aged cheese. The sweeter red wines, also referred as “dessert wines”, can be paired with dark chocolate. The things are different for white wines. They go well with soft cheeses and delicately prepared poultry. The reason they go well together is because this type of food does not overwhelm the elusive, subtle fragrance of the white wine.

Picking the right wine glass for your wine is another great skill involved in this art. Red wines glasses look like bowls sitting on stems while white wine should be served in in smaller, tulip shaped white wine glasses. The large bowl favors the red wine allowing it’s large surface to gather the strong flavor enhancing the fragrance of the wine itself. The white wine, being more subtle doesn’t need a large glass to dissipate it’s already elusive fragrance – their flavor needs to be concentrated in a smaller space.

Don’t be afraid to begin your journey on the amazing path of wine tasting. You don’t need to be an expert, you just have to enjoy and appreciate this amazing liquid that has been around for millennia. Next time you are in shop, don’t hesitate and pick a young red win and commence your journey!