Typical Wine Journey for Consumers

Ever feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t have deep wine knowledge? Truth is the majority of wine consumers are overwhelmed by wine. There are so many options it’s hard to know where to begin.

I recently spoke with a friend who enjoys wine and wants to learn more about it, but navigating the different types of wine and the confusing tasting notes become too much. This is her wine journey so far and it’s a pretty typical wine journey that most consumers experience.

My Friend’s Wine Journey

Q: What is your favorite wine?

A: I really enjoy Pinot Grigio because it’s not too sweet and not too dry. Whichever brand I buy is pretty consistent. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.

Wow, this sound so familiar to me! When I first started drinking wine, Pinot Grigio was one of my favorites too for all of those reasons. [Pinot Grigio is an Italian white wine and while it’s not one of our 7 Noble Grapes it’s a really great wine to start with. BTW, it’s called Pinot Gris in France.]

Q: What wine don’t you like?

A: I don’t like the heavy dry red wines. They just aren’t enjoyable to me. They are just too dry and bitter tasting.

Q: How do you select wine in a store?

A: I look for the Pinot Grigio section and then pick a wine based on price. I don’t buy the cheapest and I don’t buy the most expensive. The wine label is also important because I don’t want anything too cute or too serious.

Q: Would you like to know more about wine?

A: I would like to know more, but it will take a real commitment to learning it all. So, I’ve found my favorite and I stick with it. I don’t want to take a chance on another wine and end up with something I don’t like. But I’m open to trying different types of wine at wine tastings, or at parties when different types of wine are open.

Q: When do you enjoy wine?

A: Some evenings, I’ll open a bottle when I’m cooking dinner. Or I’ll open a bottle on a Friday or Saturday night to unwind from the week.

Q: Do you order wine when you dine out?

A: When I go out with friends, I’ll order my Pinot Grigio. We all order something different. We have our favorites. Then we taste each other’s wine. But we are so predictable because we always stick to our favorites!

Typical Wine Journey Short Cut

Does this sound familiar?! I think so many of us have been in this very spot. I even tried the wine club route where I could try different types of wine, but I really didn’t learn much from the experience. To truly learn I needed to have some sort of foundation to build from.

That’s why focusing on the 7 Noble Grapes is a great way to simplify and ground that knowledge. It helped me to focus on a few types of wine, understand their taste profiles, and build from there. Might as well make the path to knowledge and enjoyment simple. Right?! Happy simple wine journey to you!!