What’s in Your Wine Glass? Learn Its Story.

People drink wine for different reasons. Those of us affected by the bug care a lot more about what is in our wine glass than many others. Of course, it sometimes allows us to fall into that curse of knowledge trap. That’s why this survey from the Wine Market Council was such a surprise.

According to their data, many are not interested in all the details about what is in their wine glass. Sure, they want to know what it is and an idea about what it’s going to taste like. Surprisingly, 19 percent sometimes want to know the type of wine.

Let’s review more of the council’s findings.

What People Sort of Care About Before Buying

Granted that imbibing isn’t necessarily an exploration into all things good and evil. Sometimes, you just want that delicious nectar in your wine glass to take you away from it all.

The things that people want to know about to some degree as the obvious ones like alcohol content and any ratings or reviews on the wine. Try as I may, I still find myself swayed by someone else’s subjective opinion.

Perhaps, it’s intimidating to think about the whole process from vine to bottle. We prefer to stick with the contents of the wine glass instead. That is, after all, the fun part.

As we drill down deeper, interest starts to wane. How was the wine made? I guess. What’s in the wine glass? Huh? How did the grapes make it into the wine glass? You have to ask?

Making Wine an Experience

Few beverages offer the kind of opportunities that wine does. How many drinks come with such fascinating stories? As you gaze into your glass, realize that it’s a window into the past, especially if you have an Old World wine.

Many wineries in Europe are hundreds of years old with the business passing down through multiple generations. When you drink a glass of one of these wines, you are tasting history—literally!

That’s where you can do some exploring. Wine-Searcher.com is an excellent place to start. You can learn so much about the wine, including

• Grape variety(s)
• Country and region
• Producer information
• Where to buy

I’d recommend doing a deep dive into the region, the terroir, if you will. Find out what kind of soil it has. Learn about its climate and how the weather has been for the vintage year. It can provide some incredible insights into why the wine tastes like it does.

Then, pull out your handy copy of “The World Atlas of Wine” and delve into the landscape some more. There is a treasure trove of information waiting for you to discover.

Savoring the History in Your Wine Glass

It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking red, white, or rosé. Somewhere there is a story waiting for you. I’m willing to bet you’ll find the wine more enjoyable by taking the time to get to it better. It has a lot to tell you.

Photo by Corina Rainer on Unsplash