Don't be embarrassed!

Well, start of a new work week for me and a fresh mind from the weekend's rest! I was thinking about what to post besides the normal wine recommendations and I thought I would touch base on shopping tips. I figured I would share a few thoughts that crossed my mind while working this last weekend. These come from things that I have heard and talked to some of ya'll about in the past and hope this will help those of you that haven't had this conversation with me yet.

In working with ya'll to find the perfect bottle, I hear a lot of people talking about not remembering what the name or label looks like. Or even when looking for a recommendations, I hear a lot of "I don't know wine speak". I want to make sure to try to clear the air and take the embarrassement out of coming in. Remember, I have been doing this for quite sometime now and can answer just about any kind of uncertain question that comes my way.

Tip #1--Can't remember a name or label? Take a picture with your cell phone. Most of us carry mobile phones today and those phones come standard with a camera in them mostly. I found that this is the easiest way to remember labels that I enjoy. We have so many things to remember in this day and age, that remembering a bottle of wine takes the back seat. Totally understandable. Utilize the technology that we already have on hand to make our everyday life easier. (I use my phone to help post on here when I find a wine that I want ya'll to know about right away).

Tip #2--Can't remember a name but remember what the label looks like? If you forget to take the picture with your phone but remember what the label looks like, we almost have it in the bag. My coworkers and I do a pretty good job at remembering a lot of labels and between all of us can pretty much figure out what you are describing. Don't sweat it!

Tip #3--Uncertain about how to describe what you like in wines that you have had and are unsure how to describe it to me? You would be amazed at how much you already know in describing wine. Don't under-estimate yourself. You know your tastebuds better than I do....but if you are still unsure, there are a couple of tips that I can suggest. 1) Take a big ol' whiff of the wine (don't be scared, stick your nose in the glass and get a big breath of what the wine smells like). I find swirling the wine in the glass before I do this helps release the aromas a little better. 2) When I go to taste the wine, I try to pay attention to the sensations that I get as soon as the wine hits my mouth. Everything from what aromas I am tasting to the feel of the wine as it goes from my lips to when I swallow. I try to notice everything that I can about the wine each time I take a sip because each sip changes.