For centuries, wine has been enjoyed by countless individuals. To get the most enjoyment out of the act of drinking wine, a bit of knowledge is essential. Spend some time reviewing the advice below, and you can soon become a true connoisseur and relish each and every drop of wine you drink.

If you are new to wine tasting, you should know that true connoisseurs actually spit the wine after tasting it. Spitting the wine is the best way to avoid overpowering your taste buds so you can keep tasting other wines. Take a small sip of wine, wait a few seconds to feel all its different flavors and spit it.

Have a plan prior to picking your wine. Be sure you know which wine you’re looking before to avoid getting overwhelmed by brands, varieties, and prices. Certain wines fit dinners and others better fit large parties. Knowing which wine suits your needs can help you choose a better wine than browsing and choosing something on a whim.

When looking for a great bottle of wine, do not instantly go for the most expensive wines in the store. While the cost of a bottle is one indicator of the flavor and quality, there are also many others. Take the time to try a few inexpensive brands, and they just might surprise you!

Consider purchasing a wine from a lesser-known region of the world. While everyone gravitates toward wines from France or California, there are great varieties to be found most everywhere! You might find a lovely red wine in North Carolina or a never heard winery in Australia. Give a few a try, and enjoy the variety, they bring to your table.

Do you need a wine all your guests will enjoy? Instead of choosing a rare wine people might not appreciate, choose a Beaujolais, a Chilean, a Sauvignon or a Cava from Spain. These wines are easy to find and offer enough diversity to remain interesting for connoisseurs without making novices feel like they are sophisticated enough to enjoy the wine.

Take a blind taste test of a few wines. Judge them on flavor, scent and boldness. Ignore the most sought after qualities like price or the winery’s region. Tasting blindly is a great way to get your honest opinion on the wine itself, without getting tricked by the hype that sometimes goes into certain varieties.

Cheap wines are not necessarily a bad choice. Chile offers terrific wines at affordable prices. Most Chilean wines can be bought at a decent price point. More specifically, look at Cabernet Sauvignons and Sauvignon Blancs. There are other countries with great deals, so keep your eyes peeled.

Keep whites and reds in their proper glasses. White wines are best served in a narrow wine glass, which keeps air away from the wine with its smaller opening. But as an opposite, red wine is better when it is drunk from a wider glass. More air can enter the glass and react with the wine; this warms it and enhances the flavor.

If you are trying to find a way to drink a less-expensive wine, consider making it into a punch or Sangria. Adding some fruit, a bit of sweet soda and a little ice can completely change the taste. This makes for a nice addition to a baby shower or birthday party, and one of your guests is sure to enjoy.

Remember that wine shops can vary as much as wines themselves. Each one has a different set of priorities, product list and pricing structure. If you are very new to wine and setting foot in a place where the cheapest bottle is $60, you should look for a lower-end store where you can discover your palate and favorite brands.

If you are not too familiar with wine, make sure to shop at a wine store. While many grocery stores and even some convenient stores carry wine, they do not have the staff on hand who really understand wine. If you shop with professionals, you will have a better chance of finding the wine you want and gaining valuable information in the process.

A good tip when purchasing wine at the supermarket is to know how to pick out the right wine. In the wine aisle, you’ll often find a lot of huge jugs of wine. This type of wine isn’t very good so you’ll want to cross all of those off your list.

You can read as much as you like about wine, but ultimately, you have to decide for yourself if you like it or not. Price often doesn’t matter. You may like an inexpensive bottle of red wine much more than a costlier version. Don’t apologize for your tastes. Drink what you enjoy.

Wine has long been a staple to cultures and civilizations the world over. However, to really optimize the wine drinking experience, it is important to familiarize yourself with everything you can pertaining to wine. By keeping the above information close at hand, you will be able to do just that and enter a world of sheer pleasure.