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Most people love wine, right.
But there are some who just take the fun out of the wine by adding snobby myths.
People shouldn’t be ashamed of drinking boxed wine or dunking a few ice cubes in your Pinot or drinking wine blended in used rum barrels or used wine barrels. These are just invisible rules developed by the wine maniacs.
Let us show you 14 myths that you should avoid to enjoy the real taste of wine.
1. Professional wine tasters know what they’re doing
A harsh reality is that both consumers and producers of wine are placing too much faith in the “superior” palates of expert judges. Customers only see a golden seal on a bottle and consider it as a sign of high quality, but in reality, they’re doled out based on junk science and unsubstantiated opinion.
In the year 2005, a retired oceanography professor and winery owner conducted experiments at numerous wine competitions throughout several years. During his experiments, he gave the same wine to the judges and were unwittingly asked to rate it for up to three times.
His findings elicit that only 10 percent of judges were consistent in their rating, and even those who were the first time around didn’t stay that way year-to-year.
So instead of purchasing wine that’s been approved by so-called experts, trust your own opinion and instinct as it’s likely to be more valid.
2. Boxed wine is for plebeians
It is portable, durable, and cheap, and that’s the reason why so many wine snobs still turn their noses up at it. Let us clarify that any costs that are saved in boxed wine come from shipping and packaging, but not from cuts made to the quality of the wine.
Other parts of the world are readily accepting boxed wine. Markets in Australia, Sweden, Norway, and Brazil account for 50 percent of the boxed wine sales.
Things are dramatically different in the U.S. as it accounts for just 18 percent of wine sales. The only valid reason for such low figures is that Americans have their old prejudices against cardboard.
3. Serve reds with meat and whites with fish
Even if you have no idea about wine, one common thing that everyone knows that something red goes with meat while something white goes with fish.
But there’s a broad spectrum of “red somethings” and “white somethings,” and the same holds for meat and fish.
A fatty, fleshy fish like tuna, salmon, or swordfish teams up really well with a medium-bodied red than it would with a lighter white wine.
We know that some aficionados may shudder at the thought, it’s even better to pair white wine with a bloody steak as long as you find the right one. A fruity, stark white like Chenin blanc is perfectly capable of blending its own against a thick slab of beef.
4. All wine gets better with age
If you are the one who kept the wine in used rum barrels or wine barrels in your pantry for years, waiting for it to enhance in quality and value, then you might have been wasting your time and your wine.
Ninety percent of wine produced worldwide should be consumed within a year or two from when it’s made, and many wine enthusiasts love wine when it’s young and fresh.
5. You should be ashamed of dunking ice in your wine
The swift way to irritate every wine snob within a 10-foot radius is to foul your wine glass with ice. It’s an act of giving the wine a poor taste and low class.
That’s completely wrong.
There are numerous occasions when dropping a few ice cubes into your vino would be more than acceptable. Use of ice can temper wine that’s especially alcoholic, similar to what you would do with a good scotch or bourbon.
Chilling your wine also aids to bring out its subtle flavors and nuances and forgot to mention that it makes for better sipping on a sweltering day.
6. Bottles of wine with a cork stopper are better than twist-off tops
Screw caps are the part of wine since the 1950s, but some people still consider such wine inferior because of the cork. The reality is eye-opening as screw-caps perform better than twist-offs in protecting wine from harmful oxidation.
7. All wines worth cellaring are red.
Certain white wines like vintage Champagne, Sauternes, German Rieslings, and even some dry white wines from diverse places like Loire Valley, Western Australia, and southern Spain are just as worthy as any reds.
Any older wine aged in used wine barrels delivers a different spectrum of flavors from what you would taste in a young wine. That’s why it’s always a pleasure to pull out an old white wine once in a while, just as you would with a Napa Cabernet or a Barolo, and see where the wine is taking you this time.
8. Sweet wines are for amateurs
People who prefer sweet wine are often classified as unsophisticated and pedestrian. Factually, some of the most prized and admired wines in the world land on the sweeter side as they are aged in used wine barrels or used rum barrels to provide a unique taste.
Riesling is one of wine that is on the list of most expensive wines more than once, and French Sauternes and Italian Amarone rank up there with the best wines money can buy.
One of the greatest joys in life is to relax with a glass of dessert wine after a meal, and no one should be bullied into denying themselves that.
9. Champagne can only be enjoyed on a special occasion
In this modern day and age, it’s still a tragedy that something as delicious as champagne is only served for a few fleeting events per year.
You don’t need to wait around for a perfect excuse or event to pop open a bottle of bubbly. Few folks know that it pairs perfectly with vegetables and seafood and is one of the most versatile wines for drinking with food.
You don’t even have to exhaust your resources to drink like a celebrity. There are plenty of quality sparkling champagnes that cost only $10-$20 bucks.
10. When it comes to bottles, size matters
This myth is a legend as it started decades ago when the Italians and the French used dark, heavy bottles to indicate more serious wines. Such practices have since been hijacked by marketers who use it to sell wine that’s less classy than its packaging would suggest.
The hefty bottles come with a price tag to match, which is more than enough to convince some customers that the wine is high quality. Let us burst the bubble that the greater price is just a sign of inflated shipping costs.
Always favor and opt for something more lightweight.
11. Blended wines are inferior
Blended wines, as the name suggests, are made using two different types of grapes or are aged in used rum barrels or wine barrels to provide a unique taste.
Such wines are usually cheaper, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not worth drinking. A skilled blender is capable of combining two inexpensive varieties of grapes to develop suave flavors.
Some winemakers are even able to sell off their blends as authentic varietals, fooling even top-class oenophiles.
12. Sulfites cause hangovers
Sorry to say, but hangovers occur due to alcohol, not by sulfites. Studies claim that low-sulfite wines are hangover-free. Sulfites are beneficial in stabilizing and preserving the wine. Low-sulfite wines even drunk in excess quantity will only give you a sore head.
13. Glass shapes are only for aesthetics
This myth is interesting as people believe that wine poured in a unique looking glass is just for giving an exclusive look to the wine, that’s all. Studies show that the shape of the glass does matter. It changes the taste of the wine. And yes, a better glass can make a wine taste even better.
The curve of the glass captures all the esters and molecules that affect the aroma of the wine and keeps them from blowing off. Always keep a curved glass for wine to trap the smell.
14. Expensive the wine, the better it tastes
When it comes to differentiating expensive wine from the cheap stuff, most people have no idea about it.
In a survey, hundreds of people were asked to identify the price range of a wine they had just sampled. Surprisingly, most of the participants were wrong so often that they would have been better off flipping a coin.
Moreover, a different study elicits that people enjoyed what they were told were expensive wines more than cheap wines, even if the actual wines had no significant price difference.
These are some of the myths that people still believe which makes them stay away from the real taste of wine. Don’t be a part of such bandwagon and try out all kinds of wine to savor your taste buds.
