Wine is often made in to an overly-complicated subject. Not only is there an enormous amount of science, luck (mother nature) and artistry involved in the production of wine, but when the certified wine experts of the world taste wines and create tasting notes, we are often presented with a strange and confusing assortment of descriptions such as pencil lead, petrol, old saddle leather, tar and even wet dog.
I don’t know about you, but I have personally never had a desire to sip on a glass of anything that hinted at the smell of old saddle leather, much less wet dog.
Luckily, wines always offer us more than one fragrance (nose) and taste (pallet), so we are also presented with tasting notes that encourage and inspire us with terms like ripe fruits, floral, buttery, coco, smoky and vanilla. Ultimately, every person’s pallet is different and they will therefore develop their own tasting notes and preferences.
A wine producer once said something that still resonates with me today:
There are really only 3 types of wines: bad wine, good wine and great wine.
When I asked him what the differences were between the three, he replied: “Bad wine is one you didn’t like. Good wine is one you enjoyed drinking and would drink again. Great wine is one you remember.”

But can it really be that simple? Actually, yes!
Drinking wine requires an open mind – you have to taste and compare a lot of different wines to really determine what you like and don’t like. Only then will you be able to consistently, and with some certainty, buy wines that you enjoy drinking (and hopefully remember!).
And for exactly that reason, we at Château Wines Direct have created an assortment of wine tasting boxes that you can order and ‘be open minded’ with.
Invite some friends over for a wine tasting evening and explore the differences not only between wines from different vineyards and regions, but even wines from the same vineyard. Drink them alone and/or pair them with food. You might just be in for a surprise, not to mention an unforgettable evening!
Cheers!