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    • Wine 101 — Overview
    • Choosing a Wine
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    • Wine Fun Facts
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    • 2024 Behind the Cork™ Wines #1
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Home > Wine 101 > Choosing a Wine

Choosing a Wine

Picking a wine can feel like a test you didn't study for — especially when you're standing in a store aisle staring at hundreds of bottles, or scanning a restaurant wine list that offers no obvious clues. The good news is that choosing wine gets much easier once you know a few basic things about what you like and what to look for. There are no wrong answers here, and no one is grading you.

This page pulls together articles on all the main decisions a wine drinker faces — from understanding what's on the label, to navigating the difference between red, white, rosé and sparkling wines, to buying smart at a retail store or ordering confidently at a restaurant. Think of it as a practical guide organized around the questions most people actually ask.

General

  • How Best to Learn About Wine

  • More on Learning About Wine

  • What Wine Should You Drink?

  • Wine — It’s an Experience

  • Taking a Bottle of Wine to a Party

  • What Can be Learned from a Wine Label?

  • Special Designations on Wine Labels?

  • The Differences Between Old World Wines and New World Wines

  • Is the Shape of a Wine Bottle Significant?

  • Other Tidbits about Wine Bottles

  • Are Older Wines Better?

  • Are Box Wines Any Good?

  • How Long Should You Age a Wine?

  • Natural Wine Corks Help a Wine to Age but Can Also Lead to Oxidation

  • Why Do Some Wines Age Better than Others?

  • Why Do Red Wines Make Your Mouth Dry and White Wines Don’t?

  • What is a 'Fine' Wine?

  • What is a ‘Refreshing’ Wine?

  • Learning from the Color of Wine

  • Wine - It's Really Very Simple

  • What is a “Table Wine?”

  • French Wines - Simplified

  • What Does the Term “Cru” Mean on a French Wine Label?

  • Where You Drink a Wine Affects How it Tastes

  • Aromas Play an Important Part in How a Wine Tastes

  • Do All Wines Get Better with Age?

  • What Makes a Wine Age-Worthy?


 

Red Wines

  • Choosing a Red Wine on the Store Aisle

  • What Red Wines Should You Try?

  • What is Beaujolais Nouveau?

  • Are you Familiar with Barbera?

  • It's Beaujolais Nouveau Time!

  • What is a “Peppery” Zinfandel?

    • Do You Know Primitivo?

    • What is Red Burgundy?

    • What is a Super Tuscan?

    • Choosing a Good Chianti


  

White Wines

  • How to Pick White Wine on the Store Aisle

  • What White Wines Should You Try?

  • Do White Wine Have to be Chilled?

  • What Other White Wines Should You Try?

  • Can You Say Viognier?

  • What are the Differences Between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc?

  • What is Zibibbo?

  • Albariño - You Really Should Try It!

  • What is Fumé Blanc?

  • What is Chablis?

  • The Amazing Sauvignon Blanc Grape

 


Rosé Wine

  • How is Rosé Wine Made?

  • Rosé Has Changed

  • Have You Tried Rosé?

  • Not all Rosé is Sweet

  • It’s Time for Rosé

  • Rosé for Valentine’s Day

  • It’s Okay to Drink Rosé in the Fall and Winter


Sparkling Wine

  • Sparkling Wines

  • Sparkling Wines in the United States

  • Sparkling Wine - It Goes with Everything!

  • What's the Best Way to Open a Bottle of Sparkling Wine?

  • Should You Decant a Sparkling Wine?

  • How to Pick the Right Sweetness of a Champagne or Sparkling Wine

  • 'Tis the Season for Sparkling Wine!

  • Sparkling Wine - Champagne

  • Italian Sparkling Wines - Prosecco and Asti

  • Cava - The Spanish Sparkling Wine

  • Lambrusco - The Sparkling Red Wine of Italy

  • Not all Sparkling Wine is Champagne


Buying Wine

  • Buying Wine at a Retail Store

  • Can You Buy a Good Bottle of Wine at a Grocery Store?

  • Choosing a Red Wine Along the Aisle

  • How to Pick a White Wine Along the Aisle

  • What “Frizzante” Means on a Wine Label

  • At a Retail Store

  • What is Jug Wine?

  • What Does “Estate” or “Estate Bottled” Mean on a Wine Label?

  • Does the Weight of the Wine Bottle Reflect the Quality of the Wine?

  • At a Restaurant

  • How to Deal with the Rituals of Ordering a Bottle of Wine

  • What to Do When Offered a Taste of the Bottle of Wine You Ordered at a Restaurant

  • Is Ordering the House Wine a Good Option?

  • Is Price a Good Indication of a Wine’s Quality?

  • Let Your Own Palate be Your Guide When Selecting Wine

  • Is the Wine Rating Point System a Good Indicator?

  • Wine Scores: What About Those Below 80 Points?

  • Is Price a Good Indication of a Wine’s Quality?

  • Look for Unique Bottles of Wine on the Shelf When Shopping at Smaller Retailers

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