While the enjoyment of wine is on the rise in Jamaica, there are still too many persons who have had earlier bad wine experiences that turned them against it. “I am not really a wine fan” is how they describe themselves. The instant I hear that I usually have a good idea what to serve them: an off-dry (slightly sweet), very cold white wine from a cool-climate region. Almost 100% of the time the response is the same: “This is not bad at all, I think I can drink this.” Some might ask for the name and where they can get it to buy. If they have a smartphone, I usually encourage them to take a picture of the wine label.

What is the problem?

Some of these persons’ first wine experience might have been many years ago when most institutions selling or serving wines had no idea how to actually do so. Wine is not just a beverage; it’s a lifestyle and it needs to be selected, stored, sold and consumed in a certain specialised way. There are too many trying to dumb it down and unfortunately the consumer suffers.

Six tips for a better wine experience

1) Know your type: Knowing the type of wine you like is a key step towards great enjoyment of wine. Most new wine drinkers gravitate towards sweeter styles of wines – red or white. These main wine categories typically are: (1)Sweet or slightly sweet wines; (2) Dry, light-bodied white wines with little or no oak (3) Dry, medium to full-bodied white wines with oak; (4) Light bodied, low-tannin red wines; (5) Medium to full-bodied red wines (6) Sparkling wines. Some people, like me, love them all! Taste wines at every opportunity to find out what you like.

2) Serving temperature: A cool 58°F – 68°F for red wines and a cold 44°F – 54°F for white wines. Two weeks ago we dedicated an entire column to this subject, with much positive feedback. Do search the Jamaica Observer Online for further details on the correct wine temperature.

3) Decant the wine: Most red wines will benefit from aeration, or what we regularly refer to as ‘breathing’. If you do not have a decanter, that’s fine – you simply pour the wine out in any jug, carefully swirl it around and pour it back into the bottle (if you must pour from the bottle for presentation) or directly into the glasses. The wine will taste better. Try it.

4) Stemware: The type of glasses used to serve wines makes a huge difference with how the wine tastes. The correct wine glass is an amplifier for the wine. A host of glasses are designed for almost every wine varietal out there; you just need two: a big-bowled tulip- shaped glass for reds, a smaller tulip-shaped one for whites and sparkling wines, like champagnes. Flutes, once thought to preserve sparkling wine bubbles best are no longer favoured.

5) Try it with food: If you are having a glass of wine, red or white, that is not tasting as good as you expected, do try having it with some food; nothing too spicy now. Food always changes the way wine tastes, mostly for the better but not always. Keep trying different combinations.

6) Drink wine in a great fun-filled atmosphere: Wine actually tastes different depending on the conditions in which it is drunk, with light and sound impacting on how fresh, fruity, bitter or acidic the drink is perceived.

Christopher Reckord – Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on twitter: @Reckord