New to the World of Wine? 5 Tips for Beginners

Guest Contributor: Leo is a wine writer who can be regularly be found in UK wine shops http://www.spiritedwines.co.uk/ perusing the latest arrivals and giving his taste buds a work out with his favourite Spanish, American and French wines.

If you’re just discovering the wonderful world of wine then a] welcome and b] what took you so long?! Chances are if you’re just finding your feet in wine circles, it will be quite daunting knowing where to begin in terms of your collection, palate and which wines you should be on the lookout for. But, fear not, our 5 top tips for wine beginners should steer you in the right direction when you head to your favourite wine shops  http://www.spiritedwines.co.uk/  in the near future…

…so, let’s get started:

Beginner’s Wine Tip 1 – Don’t Always Listen to “Wine Experts”:

When it comes to wine, many people will convince themselves to like a certain vintage, region or type of wine because it has been recommended by a so-called ‘wine expert’. Whilst wine experts undoubtedly know a thing or two about the world of wine and how everything works within the wine industry, there is no escaping the fact that wine is a subjective thing and what you like will be down to your own personal taste preferences and not the opinions of a supposed expert in wine.

Beginner’s Wine Tip 2 – Always Take Notes

If you’re just discovering the world of wine, it can be akin to the proverbial kid in a candy store and it can offer be a question of trying almost any wine that you can get your hands on. This is a good thing as it will take time to find the wines that are most suited to your palate. But, during this phase of trying every wine under the sun, it is certainly a good idea to take copious notes to keep track of the different tipples you’ve tried and which you enjoyed and those that didn’t quite match your taste preferences.

Beginner’s Wine Tip 3 – Look for Forums about Wine

The wine world is one big community with one thing in common – their love of wine. Seeking out other wine aficionados is a great way of broadening your horizons and discovering wines that you otherwise would have been completely oblivious to. Whether its red winesfrom France, http://www.spiritedwines.co.uk/wines-spirits-and-beers/french-red-wines/ white wines or anything in between, there is always someone out there who has just unearthed an undiscovered gem and wine forums are the ideal place to make sure you don’t miss out on these wines flying under the radar.

Beginner’s Wine Tip 4 – Go To Wine Tasting Events

One of the best ways of getting a more in-depth knowledge of the wine world is to go to wine tasting events and be around people with a similar love of wine. If you’re a beginner in wine, you’ll certainly find your knowledge base and palate improving with each visit to a wine tasting session and you will be able to find these going on in most major cities and towns all over the world – you just have to look!

Beginner’s Wine Tip 5 – Don’t Instantly Assume More Expensive = Better

Whilst there’s no denying that some of the most impressive wines in the world have a price-tag to match, it doesn’t always follow that expensive wine = better wine. There are some truly fantastic tipples out there that don’t cost and arm and a leg and you shouldn’t exclude cheaper wines from your list of must-drink wines because of their lower price-point. You should try a diverse range of wines in terms of price and, if nothing else, trying the cheaper varieties will allow you to savour the more expensive wines even more!