“I hate chardonnay”.

“All rosés are bad.”

Just a few of the biases that can impact our enjoyment of wine. A new wine article in the New York Times is worth a quick read if you’re interested in wine tasting and discovery.

Examine your biases is just wine tasting tip or lesson that writer Eric Asimov shares in his latest article.

ALSO SEE: The Naked Wines Experience (Review)

We’re all quick to judge some times, and often hold onto preconceived beliefs. Whether it’s food or wine, or some other non-food related topic, we’re often too prone to dig in our heals. In the wine industry we often here the term “ABC,” which stands for “Anything But Chardonnay” (!). But opening up to styles and grapes can unlock our palettes to new experiences. Here’s Asimov on biases:

“…you learn quickly (or in my case, relearn) that fixed beliefs about wine are often based on out-of-date information. Styles are not so much dictated by the potential of a grape or a place as by the intentions of a producer.”

Wente Winery (Livermore) cheese board.
Food and wine pairing are an essential part of enjoying the experience with friends and family.

Asimov also talks about prices, mass-market wines, and, of course food and wine pairing — a crucial experience to really unlock the full enjoyment of a bottle with friends.

Fortunately this NYT piece is not behind a paywall and free to read for all so you may want to check it out.

More: Love Wine? Here Are 10 Ways to Appreciate It Even More. (New York Times)

Contributor to Stark Insider for tech, the arts and All Things West Coast for over 10 years.