Like coffee, developing a more nuanced palate for wine can take time. But that shouldn’t put you off straying away from the tried and tested route. After all, your next favorite wine could be just a glass away!

If you are more of a social wine drinker, start with wines that are considered less complex – generally wines made from single grape varieties or a blend of two grapes are easier to get to know better.

The starting point to the discovery of new wines is to understand what you like. Once you have a few favorites and have identified the kinds of wines you like (full bodied or easy to drink? Crisp or fruity? Oaky or spicy?) you can start experimenting.

Looking to develop your palate? Here are a few tips:

1. Develop a “nose”: Sniff, sniff, sniff! Try and identify smells you are familiar with. Lemon, peach, vanilla… even leather or toast. You’ll be surprised how many scents you can pick out once you start paying attention.

2. Aspirate: It’s good form to slurp your wine… ok, maybe only a little bit. Sip the wine while sucking in a little bit of air and let it roll around your mouth in order to release its inherent flavors. Just like the sniff test, you’ll soon be able to taste more flavors associated with other every day foods and materials.\

3. Jot it down: By noting the different textures and flavors, you will start developing your personal wine reference – a trick that makes all the difference in really getting to know what you like. 

Given the great diversity of Lebanese wine, it is always the right time to start experiencing new flavors and aromas, and discovering new wine producing areas. From Lebanon’s more famous wineries to little boutique producers in the mountains, you can start appreciating the amazing variety of Lebanese wine in an authentic setting – almost all Lebanon’s wineries are an easy road trip from the big cities.

Part of feeding your curiosity is to read up on some of the wines produced across the country. Some background information would definitely come in handy when tasting, but would also give you insights into a particular winery’s unique story. Stories of vintners and wineries explain vision, but also technique and character.

Want to try something new at home? Search through our wines , play with our filters to tell us what you like and we’ll recommend the best choices for you. And have it delivered right to your door!

Still unsure of what you’d like to try? Send us your questions and we will be more than happy to help.