10 Tips to avoid making mistakes when buying wine

Buying a bottle of wine for a dinner, a special occasion or simply for personal consumption, at first it may seem quite easy, until we find ourselves in front of a shelf full of options, and we begin to doubt exactly what type of wine we are. searching. In most cases, we all want the same thing: a wine that we like, that meets quality requirements, and if it can be at a good price, even better.

If we put the following considerations into practice, we will minimize the risk of making mistakes, and we will be able to feel satisfied with the bottle of wine purchased.

1. Consider the attributes of your favorite flavors

They can be related to the characteristics of a specific grape variety, its origin, its elaboration, its structure, or the finish that the wine provides. The same variety, depending on the origin or winemaking process, will provide different degrees of aromas and notes. An Old World Chardonnay is not the same as a New World, or a Chardonnay with or without aging. It is convenient to know the different ranges of styles or quality that the grape provides, depending on the origin and production.

However, there are other factors that we can consider more relevant than the variety, such as the structure of the wine itself; more detectable and balanced in good wines, and its finish; the persistence of texture and taste after drinking the wine. Determining factors to evaluate its quality.

2. Take into account what food you are going to take it with

One of the essential questions regarding wine is that of pairing. We can know the classic advice, but before deciding on a bottle of red, white, rose wine ... we must know what type of food will harmonize, and depending on the dish that accompanies, choose or let ourselves be advised by the professionals.

3. When are we going to take it?

Selecting the wine based on the occasion will offer us different criteria and purchase expectations. If it is for personal and immediate consumption, or to save and celebrate a particular event. Whether it is a gift for someone special or to share at an informal dinner. Each situation may require a different type of wine.

4. An expensive wine is not always a good wine

Sometimes we are faced with a price dilemma. The truth is that most excellent wines belong to the premium and extremely expensive price range, just as we rarely find the best wines in the world at affordable prices, although some of the best wines often maintain an average price. In contrast, some high-priced wines have mediocre results. Not always paying more, we will find a wine that is better or aligned with the expected quality.

5. The importance of the vintage

Not even the best wineries can guarantee and equate the quality of one vintage to another, since it changes according to the season. We can have good memories of a certain vintage, and that differs from the next. Therefore, not all vintages are equally good. Another aspect to take into account is the vintage in relation to young wines, recommending its consumption preferably in the year, to avoid losing its freshness and fruitiness. They are wines that are on the market the year after the harvest.

6. Go to specialized stores with professionals from the sector

Approaching our local store and letting ourselves be advised by professionals is a guarantee of satisfaction. They are in constant training and contact with the sector, maintain a firm rotation and care for the conservation of the stock, on many occasions they acquire what they like thinking about customer satisfaction and personalized treatment prevails. The advice, dedication and help of professionals, through a talk where we expose our tastes, rejections and ask our questions, will end with an appropriate purchase.

7. Try something different every time

The uncorking offered by most specialized stores helps us to experiment and discover new references from different origins, vintages and even prices. It is an excellent option to learn more about our tastes, and surprise us by expanding the possibilities when choosing one wine or another.

8. Look for a wine with minimal intervention

If the concern and search about the origin of food and how it is processed is a disturbing issue, we could ask ourselves the same about the origin of wine. More and more consumers are interested in knowing the intervention and origin of the vineyard as a priority, rather than in the specific satisfaction that the flavors of the wine can provide. Wine labels do not reflect additives or their quantity. Any professional may offer as an alternative to conventional wines, references with less intervention, organic, ecological or biodynamic as an option.

9. Consultation on the Internet

Selecting a few pages specialized in wine on the Internet will help us to contrast and inquire about the quality, prices and characteristics of our future wine selection. If English is not a problem, Wine Searcher is a good reference as we will find tasting notes, ratings, prices, as well as more technical details on a large number of wines. A previous search from our mobile phone will prevent us from making mistakes and will help us to get our final decision right. All this information can be very useful to draw our own conclusions about what we are looking for.

10. The condition of the bottle

Certain factors, such as the location of the bottle in a shop window, its exposure to heat and sunlight, or the dust placed on it, not only offers a bad image of the wine due to lack of care, it can also alert us its impact on the condition of the product. Acquiring a bottle exposed to one of these factors implies taking an unnecessary risk.

conclusion

Knowing the criteria that influence the selection of the wine we purchase will help you select the best option. If you put these considerations into practice, you will minimize the risk of making a mistake, and you will be satisfied with the bottle you end up choosing. Visit our Wine Design Blog page to read important topics about wines.

How do you decide the wine you buy? Do you always use the same criteria? Or does it depend on the moment? Leave us your answer in the comments.