5 killer rules when buying wine (Part 2)
In part 1 of 5 killer rules when buying wine, the first two rules to have a nice buying experience were uncovered.
- Drink the wines you like
- Get to know why you like these wines
Here are the remaining three killer rules to take into account when buying wine.
3. Trust
Rule number 3 is plain vanilla:
Find yourself a wine merchant that you trust.
This trust person will help you on your adventures on the wine route. A good wine merchant will listen to you, give you a helping hand and lead you to the wines you like. In addition, he could help you to understand why you like these wines.
But again, never forget rule number 1. Oh yes, it could indeed happen that your favourite wine merchant makes you a recommendation that does not suit your palate. After all even your favourite wine merchant is only human. So do not be afraid to tell him the next time, so he can look for some other wines to recommend. Sometimes it is just looking a bit around for you to find the right way through the maze, but once you have find that road, your happiness will grow and your wine evenings will become unforgettable.
4. Be aware of the dog
Ever visited a house where there was this little sign posted: be aware of the dog? I recently did and it was a lazy Sunday afternoon where the heat just made you sluggish. Ok, I have seen the sign, but the only thing I heard were birds twittering a bit. So in quite a relaxed state I entered the front garden. And then, then there was suddenly this evil monster, barking at a level that it seemed that my head was going to explode. I saw it running towards me in slow motion. Foam was dripping from his mouth making his teeth even look sharper. My sluggish state of mind was in a second changed. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, while different options run in a millisecond through my brain. I opted for the flea tactic and ran like a devil towards the gate and security…
This little side story, just to indicate you that the surroundings, a particular moment in time can set you in a certain state of mind. But a change in the atmosphere and your state of mind can change entirely. The above was a rather drastic change but every moment in time there are a multitude of factors influencing your state of mind.
How is this related to wine?
Well, it is the same with wine, there are a multitude of factors influencing the taste of wine.
An example: remember those incredible holidays in Greece. A fantastic sun, steel blue skies and all happy people, dancing the sirtaki together and then some shots of ouzo. Well, I had my great shot of ouzo while they shattered some plates on my head, just an unforgettable experience. And oh boy, tasted that ouzo good!
But then, have you ever tried to drink ouzo in Belgium? Well, I did, and it just tasted horrible. Great deal of the explanation lies in the fact that you are in a total different state of mind.
Same goes with wine. So be aware of, among others, the serving temperature of the wine and the outside temperature (ever tried an high alcohol red wine when it is over 30° Celsius?), your state of mind (try the same wine when your happy and when your sad. Will it taste the same?) and the influence of food on the taste of wine.
Conclusive rule number 4 is all about the dog:
when tasting wine, be always aware of the dog or, in other words, be aware of the influences!
5. Take the Livingstone-approach
Now you like a certain wine and you know why you like this wine. Are you going to stick with this wine? Hell no. Be adventurous, go on an expedition, to boldly go where no man has gone before!
So rule no. 5 is:
Be adventurous!
Suppose you like Bordeaux wines. Kick off that expedition with a little stroll outside the Bordeaux region and head for Bergerac. Same type of grapes and similar style. And so you discover that also a Bergerac wine is one who ends up in the “I like it” category. Come on be a bit more adventurous and go outside the France borders. Why not go over the Alps direction Tuscany. Here you find the so-called Super Tuscans. Often made on the basis of some kind of Bordeaux blend and aged on Bordeaux type oak wooden barrels. But here your adventure does not stop. Now you can go for a totally different continent. Take for example South Africa, this country is a heaven on your discovery for stupendous Bordeaux blends. And so your adventure could cross the whole planet.
Just take one piece of advice into account: let go of all these prejudices and just think you are Dr. Livingstone heading for a great expedition. You will encounter trouble (bad wines) but you might also be the first to see the Victoria falls (excellent mind blowing wine)!
I would like to thank Michel Vandeneuker and David van Gils for offering me some useful insights.
If you enjoyed this post, make my day and buy me a glass of wine.
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5 Responses to “5 killer rules when buying wine (Part 2)”
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i can confirm the strength of rule number 3 …
when living in antwerp i had a wine merchant who even after 3 years exactly remembered what wine i bought the first time i entered the shop / and remembered the ones i liked! i always went back because i could tell my menu / my price and since they knew the style i liked - we ALWAYS had the ‘perfect’ wine. and ‘en plus’ they learned me the love for wine. now we live in lier, joined a wineclub and i found a nice wine merchant who likes Italy (we do 2) and whom i talk too much to - do i trust him? hmmmmmmm - to be honest… yes, cause he has that passion about wine i like
@Kaat
Just great that this rule works for you! And I think it is also a great learning curve for your trusted wine merchant and I’m sure he likes it!
Do you, as a customer, have some other recommendations when buying wine?
don’t be afraid & wine is not for snobs!
Wine is wonderful stuff. But so many people are put off by the snobbery of it. John Cleese
find someone you like, not only as a wine merchant but also as a person, often wine is not just about buying a bottle it’s about feelings, pleasure, friendship, having a good time… so find someone you can ask everything without being afraid to be laughed at, someone you can say to ‘the red wine you sold me last time had a kind of dusty taste which you can breathe when a herd of buffalos just has trotted along’, no snob can ever describe a wine that striking
maybe it’s just the way it works for me… i do go back to the ones who make me smile, the ones who give me their attention and time, the ones who want/are able to share their love for wine, the ones I could ask – without any fear- all that stupid questions that popped out of my mouth (I do not return to the ones who wanted to let me believe they know everything about wine, the ones who received me with ‘if your only buying a 5€-bottle you’re not worth any attention longer than 5 minutes – and even that is too much time, do not bother me with stupid questions’).
find the ones that say: ‘there are no stupid questions, only answers can be stupid’ (like your schoolteacher back in those non-alcoholic days – and you do remember the teacher wo acted upon this – that’s the one you learned from!)
Kaat that is some great information you provided. Should I append my 5 killer rules with some additional ones?
Indeed go out and test your local wine merchant. After all you are going for a long run relationship with your wine merchant, so it should better be one that makes you smile :-).
bart
stick to 5, ‘kill your darlings’ and ‘less is better’
btw: i had to find a ‘pakjesoplossing’ and went back to ‘my’ wine merchant in antwerp… even after 3 years they remembered us, it was a warm welcome and it felt immediately like home! maybe that’s another defenition for a good wine merchant… it should feel like home ,)