5 Amateur Wine Mistakes Everyone Makes

• 5 wine mistakes you’re probably making
• Overfilling a glass of wine
• Holding a wine glass by the bowl
• Serving wine that’s too cold
• Keeping wines for too long
• Overthinking it

5 wine mistakes you’re probably making

Admit it. You’ve probably committed a few wine blunders before. But have no fear! With this guide, you’ll learn which wine mistakes to avoid, and before you know it you’ll be able to (fake it) as a wine expert!

Overfilling a glass of wine

A wine glass is made to showcase what’s in it-not just the color and the texture, but it should also help you identify the different smells and aromas. If you fill your wineglass up to the top (which often happens in bars and restaurants when you order by the glass), not only will you not be able to air it out by swiveling the glass, but you will also lose all of the aromatic complexity of the wine’s bouquet.

The sommelier’s recommendation: fill the glass 1/3 of the way, in other words, to the point where the glass is the widest. This way the wine has the largest surface area to come into contact with air, which releases the aromas.

Bonus point: if you can swivel your wine glass without spilling a drop!

Holding a wine glass by the bowl

The bowl, or the top part of the wine glass, is the part that contains the wine. The problem is that when you hold your wine glass by the bowl, the heat from your hand warms up the wine. (Not to mention the ugly fingerprints that it leaves all over). When wine starts to heat up, it loses its freshness, and the delicate and subtle aromas disappear, leaving it tasting heavy, bland and overly alcoholic.

The sommelier’s recommendation: holding the wine glass by the foot, or the lowest part of the glass.

Bonus point: holding the foot of the glass between two fingers makes you look like a total pro!

Serving wine that’s too cold

We’re often overly concerned, and rightly so, with serving wine that is too warm. There’s nothing worse than a bottle of room temperature white. That said, wine that’s served too cold is a problem too.

Red wines will turn bitter and taste overly tannic, and dry whites will simply become tasteless: generally the ideal temperature to serve wine and enjoy all of its flavors is 48 – 51 degrees Fahrenheit. So it’s time to stop pouring wine directly out of the fridge, and instead wait a few minutes before serving.
The sommelier’s recommendation: take the wine out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. Decanters are a great tool for letting your wine breathe. Also, the perfect serving temperature can vary from wine to wine, so be sure to check the label beforehand!

Keeping wines for too long

Not all wine is made for aging! In fact, the majority of wines are meant to be consumed within the year following their harvest. Especially when it comes to low or mid-range bottles, you should drink them quickly and not hold on to them for too long.

The sommelier’s recommendation: price is a great indication. Wines that cost less than 10 dollars are not meant to be aged, so feel free to drink them sooner rather than later!

Overthinking it

At the end of the day, wine is about pleasure and enjoying yourself. So sometimes we need to take a step back and put a stop to long debates over the best years, the best grapes, the best pairings…instead, it’s important to enjoy what’s in your glass, and who you’re drinking it with.

Hungry for more? Try these mouthwatering dinners to cook with leftover wine.