[DAY 92] Common Wine Beginner Experiences (Part 2) | 10 Things That Happen When You Start Getting Used to It
After you've been drinking wine for a while, you start to get the feeling that you're beginning to understand it.
However, at the same time, you also start having more moments where you think, 'Wait, I actually don't really get it at all.'
This 'period of thinking you understand but not quite' is actually the most interesting part.
This time,
I've compiled 10 common experiences that tend to happen during this phase
along with some brief explanations.
1. You start choosing by grape variety for the time being
Even though you didn't know anything at first,
you start choosing by variety, thinking things like, 'The Cabernet Sauvignon I had before was delicious,' or 'Chardonnay is a safe bet.'
This is a pretty big step forward. It means you've established a foundation for choosing wine.
It's a little exciting.
It's a little exciting.
2. But you end up getting lost again anyway
Even though you should be able to choose by variety,
there are so many types of even the same Cabernet Sauvignon that you start getting lost again.
This is the time when you start to realize that the taste changes depending on the region, price, and style.
The moment you get a little taste of the depth of wine.
3. You forget the one you drank before
'That was so delicious, but I can't remember the name.'
This happens really often.
Wine names are long and hard to remember, so if you don't record them, you'll naturally forget them.
Just taking photos makes a big difference.
4. You start wanting to sound a bit like a connoisseur
“The tannins are firm...”
“The finish is...”
“The body is...”
A phase where you want to use the words you've learned.
That is totally fine. In fact, it deepens your understanding. Output is the best way to study. It's just like learning English.
5. You stop caring about screw caps
Even though you initially thought “not a cork means it's cheap?”, you start choosing them normally without a second thought.
Proof that you've realized it has nothing to do with quality. You even start to notice the benefits of convenience.
6. You start caring about wine temperature
“This might be a bit warm,”
“It would taste better if it were a little colder.”
You start to feel things like this.
You have reached the state where you understand through experience that the taste changes with temperature.
Once you realize this, your satisfaction level goes up significantly.
7. You start wanting wine glasses
You start thinking, “This wine would taste even better if I drank it from a good glass.”
In fact, the way the aroma spreads does change with the glass, so your intuition is correct.
However, be careful, as this is a rabbit hole. Personally, I think cheap glasses are fine for daily wine. I would be happy if you could refer to my previous article.
8. You start thinking about food pairings
“This would go well with pasta,”
“It's meat, so maybe a red?”
You start thinking about these things naturally.
Proof that you have developed the perspective of enjoying wine as a set with a meal, rather than just the wine itself.
This is where it suddenly becomes fun.
You might even start thinking about dishes to pair with your wine.
9. Trying out slightly more expensive wines
Moving from the 1,000 yen range,
to 2,000 or 3,000 yen.
You start to get curious about how much of a difference there really is.
This step is very important, as experiencing the differences deepens your understanding.
This was a very high hurdle for me.
In terms of cost-performance, whiskey lasts longer, after all.
But you still feel tempted to pick one up out of morbid curiosity... (laughs)
10. Starting to look for the "correct answer"
"Is this the right way to drink it?"
"Is this a good wine?"
It's a phase where you start wanting to find the answers.
But in reality,
There is no correct answer when it comes to wine.
Whether you find it delicious or not is everything.
I don't want you to waver on this point.
It's perfectly fine to focus on your own preferences.
Summary
🍷 You start to develop a foundation based on grape varieties
🍷 But the increased options can actually make you more confused
🍷 The phase where you are "trying to understand" is the most fun
Wine,
once you go from "not knowing" to "knowing a little bit",
becomes suddenly interesting.
If you can enjoy this feeling of being in the middle of the journey, wine becomes much more liberating.
Here are some related articles.
Please feel free to check them out as well! 👇