2017 is the year you're going to stop buying boring wine. Call it a New Years resolution, call it a #LifeHack, call it whatever you want. Bottom line is that the world of wine is vast, and there are some very easy things you can do to vastly improve the way in which you experience it. Take these rules to heart, and you'll be a pro in no time!
The "one case" rule
If you find a wine that you’re totally in love with, that is awesome! We’re happy for the two of you, and wish you nothing but the best. But for God’s sake, there are bajillions of different wines out there, and a whole lot of them are awesome. If you’re looking to be a better cork-dork this year, do this: Limit yourself to buying no more than 12 bottles of any one wine. That’s it. Order a case and then move on. There is a whole world out there, and you’re sitting here drinking that same Corvo Glicine time because you don’t want to take any risks. We’re not mad, we’re just disappointed. Get out there and play the field.
Buy for the future
Consider buying wine that might not be ready to drink yet. Something you know will improve over the next couple of years. Grab three bottles, drink one now, one in six months, and one in a year. If you’re not the patient type, here is a little trick to help with that: Pick up something that is, say, 10Euro more expensive than you’d normally buy. That way, you’re much less tempted to squander a bottle on a random Tuesday, and before you know it, you’ll have held off for a whole year. It’s a tried and tested system for me, so give it a go.
Get weird
Think of this as a corollary to rule one. Next time you see a totally incomprehensible label that is in your price range, GRAB IT. DON'T THINK, JUST DO IT. A well-qualified wine buyer already thought enough of the wine to buy it from an importer and put it on the shelf, so you’re not running some kind of huge risk. Pick up (or ask someone to recommend) something totally alien and embrace the possibility that you might be about to discover your new favorite wine! But if you do, remember rule #1.