Wine Tasting at Home Made Easy by The Wine Concierge Club

Wine should never be intimidating, but like I’ve said before in my post on how to do wine tasting, it can be. Sometimes it’s the winery, sometimes it’s the crowd, and sometimes it’s just our lack of confidence — or a combination of all three. We always hope for a positive wine tasting experience, but sometimes, we just aren’t interested in going, or we’re not close enough to a winery to make it happen. That’s why The Wine Concierge is an optimal way to learn about wine without needing to know all the wine terms, and we can host a wine tasting at home where we all learn about new wines without the hassle. (And we can do it in our jammies.)

Thanks to The Wine Concierge for my complimentary wines, I have been able to try out their service firsthand and see just how easy it is to add to my wine collection from the comfort of my couch. And I’ve got a discount code available to you!

Use code DANGERCUPCAKE12 to save 12% on your wine purchase!

There are three big tips about buying wine that I share with everyone who will listen. (I talk about wine a lot. I’m far from a sommelier, I mean, I’m just starting my WSET certification training, but I’m definitely a wine lover and an avid wine taster, slowly being a wine cabinet that will easily stock any party or holiday.)

• Wines do not have to cost a lot to be quality.
• There is no wrong way to wine taste: if something sounds good, you try it. Don’t like it? Dump it (I know, I know), give it to someone else, and try something different next time.
• It’ll take some experimenting to learn what you prefer, so don’t give up. Try a lot of wines. Even if you think you don’t like one Pinot Noir doesn’t mean you won’t like other Pinots. (And if you have a few and still don’t like it, that’s cool. There are hundreds of other varietals.) You may get lucky and find something amazing your first time out of the gate, but keep expanding your palate. Very few people I know that truly love wine have just a couple of preferences, and being open to new ones makes wine tasting so much more fun.
• Okay, I lied. Four tips. Just because someone else raves about a wine, doesn’t mean you will like it, and that’s okay. Everyone’s palate is different, so see tip number two again.

In addition to Total Wine and Bevmo, I’ve found great wines at Costco, Trader Joe’s, and even a grocery store. I’ve made major shopping trips to Total Wine to stock up for a party, or I’ve gone in for a bottle of Bulleit Bourbon (our go-to for bourbon sours and old-fashioneds) and come out with six random bottles of wine that looked good but I had no intention of buying. I’ve been thrilled with more than one five-dollar bottle and disappointed with champagnes that cost me $50+. You just never know until you’ve tried something, but that’s what makes wine tasting fun. Go into it knowing that your reactions will typically be one of three things: love love love it, meh, it’s okay, I’ll drink it but I’m not buying it, or nope, not finishing it. Any time you spend money on a new bottle you’ve never tried, it’s a one-time thing and not a permanent investment. Lighten up and have no expectations, and generally, you will come away surprised.

Still, there’s only so much selection in a store, and even less visibility for wine brands owned and operated by women, the BIPOC community, or other underrepresented groups in the wine industry. This is where The Wine Concierge shines even beyond their impressive collection; they focus on making sure women- and BIPOC-owned brands get seen. You don’t miss out on wines you won’t see in as many other places, and they get to get their wines out there in a broader sense. It’s a win-win, because I promise, there are hidden gems you’ve never seen as they just don’t have the means yet to get to your local wine store. Those boutique vineyards will get on your radar, all without you having to visit their winery — though some that I’ve learned about from The Wine Concierge website make me wish they were closer so I could pop in and both taste and tour their property. (Someday. I have big plans. They feature wines from all over the world, so some are a bucket list destination but I have hopes.)

If you’re unsure what kind of wines you should start with, there is a short quiz on the website that you can take. It’ll help you narrow down some ideas. For example, my answers showed me a new Sauvignon Blanc I should try and a Chardonnay, which truly validated the quiz, as those are two of my favorite types of wine.

As much as I do love to talk about wine, I’m not what my friend refers to as “foofy.” My terms aren’t always industry-standard, but I have yet to have a wine server not understand what I’m saying. (Has someone laughed at me later? Who knows, but that’s okay, I learn a little with each visit, with each tasting, and if I can explain what a wine makes me feel and what I’m looking for in another taste, it’s all good. A wine server that’s listening can help direct you without flowery terms. For me, I often say I like a bold, jammy, dry red wine. Each winery has different offerings that may fit that, so ask the questions.)

At a good wine bar, there is no holding up of pinkies or chastisement if you don’t hold your glass properly. There are better ways to hold a glass, mainly to not change the wine temperature (which can change the wine and the flavor), but wine is personal. Do you. I would recommend having a couple of different kinds of wine glasses at home to best compliment particular types of wine, but they are easily found in stores like Marshall’s or Home Goods if you want to try some out for cheap, without sacrificing quality.

Pinkies down, if you want to learn more about at wine at home, or host a wine tasting at home, The Wine Concierge website can get you all set. Wines are listed in categories (including price range) and if you want a more curated experience without the work, their wine club is quite the deal. You can sign up for a 3, 6, or 12 bottle subscription that is delivered to you quarterly. Shades of Vino takes the guesswork out of trying new wines, and you also are able to enjoy wines that are available only to wine club members. (And for every wine purchase, they donate $1 to the Black Winemakers Scholarship Fund. Another way everyone wins!)

One thing I’ve been into a quite a bit lately is sustainable wines. It’s one of the many categories on The Wine Concierge site, and right now, they have an amazing Amontillado from Cadiz, Spain, for only $34.

If you’re lucky enough to live within driving distance, they also host regular tasting events. If you’re not close by, like me, you can do their tastings virtually; prices vary, but one currently on their website only costs $15, it lasts an hour, and you can order the wines online to be delivered so you can drink with them if you so choose. Wine tastings onsite though often have cheese boards available, but when I do a virtual tasting, I set up my own basic board just for some flair! Life is short, enjoy it whenever you can, and sometimes it truly is the little things.

My first shipment consisted of these three wines, all of which I’m going to be incorporating into an informal happy hour I’m hosting at home in a couple of weeks. Four ladies, three bottles of wine, and a simple charcuterie board, and an Uber = fun evening!

The three wines I received are:

• 2022 Sato Pinot Gris ‘L’Atypique’, Central Otago County, New Zealand
• The Chook Sparkling Shiraz, from Australia
• 2020 Dandelion ‘Menagerie of the Barossa’ G.S.M., Barossa, Australia

I’ve linked each out directly to the website for the best descriptions, but let me just say, all three are amazing.

Sparkling Shiraz is often served in a champagne flute, but it’s been cold out this week and I sipped it on the balcony, so I opted for a stemless red wine glass. This is another perfectly acceptable choice, as it allows for good aeration and concentrated aromas. (Basically, part of wine tasting at home, or anywhere, is enjoying the smell of the wine. It can entirely change the experience, and the right glass helps focus them so you can smell them more.)

This Wine Concierge website describes this one perfectly as “a rich, luscious Sparkling Shiraz that shows sweet dark fruits, black current fruit spice and subtle savory notes.”

Next up, the Menagerie of the Barossa, which is a wonderful GSM. (GSM is a red wine blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro. Mataro is another term for Mourvedre, something you’ll probably see quite a bit in reference to GSMs.)

To quote the website again, this Menagerie is aptly named, coming through as “nuances of blackberry liqueur, chippy dark chocolate, and fleshy Damson plums, mulberries…” The winemaker for this blend produced her first wine at 16! Can you imagine? I had barely tasted wine at that point, and when I had, it may or may not have been something like really bad Boone’s Farm at a college party. Aussie winemaker Elena Brooks started her first winery at 23! It’s one I would love to visit.

And then the Pinot Gris! The color of this looks so gorgeous in my glass, right? (That and bad lighting on a cloudy afternoon is playing with the light.) This might be my favorite of the three and it’s extra cool that it’s made via natural and biodynamic methods by a couple who started off as bankers! See, wine is global and diverse and for everyone! (Though winemaking is definitely not for everyone. It takes talent, skill, time, patience, and of course, financial funding. This is why we need to support the underrepresented wineries!)

All three of these wines are fantastic, and I’d never had any of them. I can’t wait for people to see this and try them out for yourself!

Dont forget discount code DANGERCUPCAKE12 to save 12% on your order!