25 Tips to Become a More Sophisticated Wine Drinker

20. Wine Tasting Preparation: What to Wear, How to Cleanse the Palate, and Questions for Your Sommelier

To play it safe, we recommend not wearing white clothes to a wine tasting. While everyone is doing their best to be careful, those little spills and splashes are practically unavoidable. Better to be wearing a dark color than to risk it.

If you begin to experience palate fatigue—aka taste bud exhaustion, or tasting too many similar things in a row—drink some water and grab a small bite. You can typically find cheese and crackers at wine tastings, and they’re easy enough to snack on. That said, cheese bonds with the lactic acid in wine which might interfere with the wine, potentially making it seem creamier and richer than it actually is. Your safest bet is to stick with neutral crackers or bread—but hey, we wouldn’t blame you for indulging in the dairy (we often do, too!).

Ask as many questions as you can, and don’t be embarrassed to ask what’s on your mind. Some of the most interesting questions can help even teach a professional sommelier something they haven’t thought of. These are a handful of popular questions we’ve come across: What do you smell in the wine, or what are common aromas? What do you pair this with? What's the story behind the label? How did the owners get into the business? What's the farming philosophy?

Whatever your questions are, we encourage you to ask questions that will help you better understand the wine.

21. To Spit or Not to Spit?

A typical wine tasting experience can be anywhere from two to five different wines. With so many varieties, there’s a real possibility that you won’t be able to remember what you tried, as well as which picks were your favorite (or least favorite). While spitting wine may seem rude or awkward, rest assured, everyone in the wine industry is well accustomed to it. Professionals spit because they can easily taste dozens of wines in one sitting and they need to avoid intoxication.

At wine tastings there’s typically a spit bucket at each table—if not, you can ask for one (a simple plastic cup will work just fine, too).

If you don't like the wine, spit it out or dump the rest of the glass—no harm no foul. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with the wine expert or sommelier about why you didn't like it so you can continue enhancing your experience and growing your Wine IQ.

While it’s not glamorous, it’s easy enough to do without making a mess. Place the wine in your mouth and swish it around like mouthwash to ensure the wine reaches all corners of your palate. The mouthwash method lets your palate experience the wine as it was meant to be, and will give you all the signals you need. Acidity will make your mouth water, tannins will make your mouth feel dry. Spit out as much of the wine as you can before swallowing. While this technique helps keep you sober for longer, it’s important to remember that alcohol absorption begins in your mouth. If you’re going to spit dozens of wines, there’s a good chance you’ll still feel the effects of the alcohol after spitting. Make sure to keep this in mind in case you were hoping to remain sober. And remember, water is your friend!

As we mentioned earlier, alcohol causes dehydration, so it's important to continue drinking water.Flushing is also a common side effect of alcohol consumption, which is caused by a histamine response. The blood vessels in your face might be dilating in response to the toxins that are in wine. Essentially, flushing occurs in people who have a faulty version of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene, an enzyme in your body that helps break down a substance in alcohol called acetaldehyde. Too much acetaldehyde may cause a histamine response—a red face and other symptoms. The NIAAA has more detailed information about the effects.

24. Wine and Food Pairing Do’s and Don’ts

“What Grows Together Goes Together” is a common saying in the wine pairing world. While there are endless ways to pair wines with food, a catch-all is to drink the same wines of the region in which the food originated from—or the region the dish was inspired by. For example, a traditional coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon from Burgundy promises to pair beautifully with locally-produced Pinot Noir, while Pacific salmon and a balanced Chardonnay from Oregon or northern California are a match made in heaven. Of course there are structural components in both food (fat, salt) and wine (acid, tannins) that should be considered—for example, most people generally wouldn’t enjoy a big-boned Cabernet with a delicate piece of fish—thus keeping these components in mind when considering regional pairings is also key.

Contrasting pairings: spicy and sweet go hand in hand as well. Residual sugar in wine coats the palate, and therefore, tames the heat on spicier dishes. An off-dry Riesling or Chenin Blanc with some residual sugar promises to calm the heat of your go-to takeout favorites or classic Nashville hot chicken.

25. Know What You Know, and Know That Nobody Knows It All

No matter how much you learn in the wine world, there’s always more to know. Even Master Sommeliers like our own Michael Meagher are constantly keeping up on the latest laws or trends through industry news and wine publications. It’s more than alright to ask questions, especially, of someone who knows more than you do. Just like you would do with your orthopedic surgeon or any other expert in their profession, we encourage you to ask a wine expert your questions about wine—at some point they also likely asked the same questions.


Now that you've gone through our top 25 tips to help you become a more sophisticated wine drinker, it’s time to show your friends all of the new tips and tricks you’ve learned. The more wine you drink and the more varieties you taste, the better your nose and palate will get at discovering the nuances in wine that we all love.

To get you started, we've put together a few selections to give you a nice variety to try at your next gathering.