Sarasota wine tasting is fun to explore. As the owner of a boutique wine store I spent a great deal of time helping customers select a bottle of wine. Inevitably they would begin their query with same the preamble, “I’m looking for a good bottle of wine.” Naturally. No one ever searches for a really terrible bottle of wine.
The problem is, most folks don’t know enough about wine to even begin to describe what they want. I once had a customer tell me that he had enjoyed a fabulous wine at a friend’s house the previous night. He wanted to stock up at home. The problem was that he could not remember the name or the type of wine.
Since I was an expert he figured l would know exactly which one he wanted. With a desire to help I asked him to describe it. His response, “Well,” he said, “It was Italian… and it was red!” Really. That description boiled it down to about a million possibilities.
So how do you go about finding the right wine for you? Start by writing down the types of wines and brands that please you. You can also keep the bottle for future reference. If you’re at a party or a restaurant sending yourself an email by phone works great.
If you seek help from a retailer you can start with the color, variety of grape if you know it, place of origin and vintage year. Now… flavor profile. Remember – a wine is either sweet or dry. It does not help to say that the wine is, “dry, dry, dry, dry, dry.” That is akin to saying the dog is, “dead, dead, dead, dead, dead.” You made your point the first time.
Is the wine bold or delicate, spicy or tempered, lush or acidic? Are unique flavors like black cherry (Cabernet Sauvignon), strawberry (Rosé), raspberry (Pinot Noir) or oregano (Chianti) evident? Even the shape of the bottle can sometimes help.
One last tip. If you don’t know much about wine and you’re buying for someone who is really into wine (Dad, Uncle Milt, your boss), go to a wine store and ask for help. Be prepared for the question, “How much do you want to spend?” That will help the wine guy immensely. But don’t let him take you to his favorite wine. Who cares what he likes? Buy the one that gives YOU the biggest bang for the buck.
My advice here is to stay with the basics: Cabernet Sauvignon for red lovers, Chardonnay for those who favor white. And go with the big names like: Cabernet – Camus, Shafer, Grgich, Heitz or Spring Mountain. For Chardonnay select: Chateau Montelena, Chalk Hill or Cakebread Cellars. Your recipient will immediately recognize the name and be impressed. And isn’t that the objective?
So go forth with confidence so you can avoid saying, “I’m looking for a good bottle of wine.”
And tell them that Wineguy Bob sent ya!