Follow These “frivolous” Wine Rules and Have Fun in the Bottle Shop.
I’ve never been able to drink wine, but that doesn’t stop me from practicing, and these new “not stuffy” rules for buying and drinking wine are perfect for people like me.
Their first rule (and you should click the link below to read the whole very interesting article) is that there are no rules, which is great because I’ve never found rules and alcohol go especially well together. Now that you know not to worry, you can head to the store with a few tips and terms in mind.
First, Bon Appetit encourages you to get rid of cork snobbery; this is good for aging, but if you are going to drink from a bottle anytime soon, a screw cap is fine. Second, don’t get hung up on vintage and focus on the producer . A good producer will do its job well all year round, so vintage won’t matter as much as you might think.
Finally, if you really want to impress the local somm, mention a few names. Orange wine (white wine made without skin) nutty-tannin; Island Wine (white and red wines of Corsica, Sardinia, Santorini, Canary Islands or Sicily) bright, fresh and sour; and the Loire region is a good place to look for a range of affordable varieties (from rich reds to fruity pinks). Oh, and feel free to ask for Riesling. Riesling is good.
(Quite fun, but not stuffy at all) New Wine Rules | Bon appetit