The first rule? There are no rules. No vintage charts, no snooty swirling, no pretense. Thanks to a new wave of offbeat, downright chuggable bottles from upstart winemakers and importers, there’s never been a better time for the average food lover to buy, drink, and even collect wine—no occasion needed. Pop one open and taste for yourself.
If you remember only one thing from this story, make it this: Find a good wine store. We’re talking about a small, focused shop with a staff who has probably tasted most of what they’re selling and who genuinely want you to find something great—in your budget. Head to a spot like Maine & Loire in Portland, ME, or Bay Grape in Oakland, CA, and make the salesperson your new best friend.
No killer shop in your town? There’s an app for that: Banquet by Delectable, out soon, lets you buy directly from boutique shops. Or, buy wine from your bed through an email subscription like Pour This, curated by sommelier Ashley Ragovin, which brings hard-to-find bottles to your door.
Want to get a sommelier excited? Skip the vertical tasting of Opus One and name-check one of these unusual categories of wine.
Island Wine
It’s a thing: Think whites and reds from Corsica, Sardinia, Santorini, the Canaries, or Sicily (specifically from around Mount Etna). These wines are bright and high-acid—taste the sea breeze.
Try: Domaine Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Cuvée Faustine, $15, a deep red from Corsica
Viñátigo 2014 Rosado, $25, a funky rosé from the Canary Islands
Jura Reds
Burgundy’s quirky sister, France’s Jura is known for its oxidative whites (almost like Sherry), but it also has racy reds with a little funk. Expect lesser-known grapes such as Trousseau.
Alto Piemonte
This Italian Alps region grows the same grape, Nebbiolo, that put Barolo on the map. Its other wines have finer tannins, higher acid, and affordable prices.
Try: Conti 2006 Boca Il Rosso Delle Donne, $30
“Alice Waters made us think about how our food is grown—the same should be true of wine. Just as with my fish or my tomatoes, I want to know where my wine comes from.” —Pascaline Lepeltier, wine director, Rouge Tomate Chelsea, NYC
Sure, you love (and can pronounce!) Sancerre. But the Loire region is also one-stop shopping for other wines: from briny Muscadets to rich reds from Chinon, as well as fruity Gamay rosés and approachable sparkling crémants. And they’re usually affordable, too. It’s been an overlooked region for years in the States. Not anymore. (Oh, and it’s pronounced Lwar).
Try: Thierry Puzelat Le TelQuel 2014, $15
Georgia (the country) has the oldest winemaking tradition in the world. Discover its nutty, citrusy wines that are fermented underground in clay pots called qvevri.
Try: Pheasant’s Tears “Tavkveri” rosé 2013, $20
Housed in a warehouse on Cayuga Lake in upstate New York, tiny Bellwether Wine Cellars is bottling the best German-style Riesling outside of Germany (plus tasty cider, too). It’s quickly becoming a cult wine, so if you find it, stock up.
Try: Bellwether Sawmill Creek Vineyard Dry Riesling 2013, $22
Before you raise the glass of the moment, take a minute to see how we got here.
9000: B.C. Ceramic mug
700: B.C. Leather wineskin
1250: Spanish porrón
1995: Balloon glass
2000: Stemless glass
2008: Mason jar
2010: ISO wine-tasting glasses
Now: Zalto Universal (a.k.a. the only glass you’ll ever need)
From (screw) top to bottom—and the back label, too—what your wine is telling you:
Let’s just get this out of the way: Not all Rieslings are sweet. And German wine labels can be so complicated, it's hard to tell a dry from a sweet. (Hint: Look for the word "Trocken" on the label. This means "dry.") To avoid the guessing game altogether, just go Austrian. These Rieslings are food-friendly, and you don't need to learn German to tell that 99.9% are very dry.
Try: Bernhard Ott Riesling 2012, $29
Importers are to wine as Anna Wintour is to next season’s styles: They find the gems. We’ve always relied on the big shots (Kermit Lynch, Neal Rosenthal, Terry Theise), but now a new class of upstarts has got us clamoring after their hand-selected wines. So look to the back label. Even if you’re not sure what’s inside, if you see one of these names, you’ll be drinking well very soon.
Natural
Louis/Dressner
Selection Massale
Jenny & François
Zev Rovine
Spanish
José Pastor
German
vom Boden
Australian
Vine Street Imports
So you can understand the sommelier when she starts spouting off about her cherished fringe bottles.
Orange Wine
White wine made with the skins left on, resulting in an orange-hued wine that’s nutty and tannic.
Try: Paola Bea Santa Chiara 2012, $40
Biodynamic
A method of growing grapes pesticide-free that syncs harvest to the lunar calendar. It’s weird, but some growers swear by it.
Try: Le Sot de l'Ange Vin de France Rouge 2014, $22
Natural
A catchall for “low-intervention” wine, which may be made with native yeasts and little to no sulfur.
Try: Tentenublo Rioja 2013, $25
Pétillant Naturel
The wine style of the moment, this low-alcohol, funky sparkler is often called pét-nat by the kids.
Try: Les Capriades Pet-Sec NV, $25
Don’t get hung up on vintage. A great producer makes good wine in any year, so spend your time finding the winemakers you love. Take it from the pros: “I strictly buy producers, I don’t just buy vintages,” says Helen Johannesen from L.A.’s Jon & Vinny’s. “A producer’s skill is in how she handles all of the hardships and nuances in any year.”
Alcohol levels are falling, from that 16% Red Zin of the ’90s to a refreshing Pinot Noir now clocking in at 11% or under. Why? Many reasons, including an interest in wine from cooler climates and a backlash against adding sugar to up the booze. The takeaway? You can drink more.
Still using words like mouthfeel? Stop. Throw around this vocab instead.
Glouglou [glu-glu] n. wine so delicious you can drink it by the bottleful. “Is it Friday yet? Some glouglou would really hit the spot. It’s my new beer.”
Juice [jus] n. slang for wine (if you like vinyl and surfing). “Have you tried Michael Cruse’s wines? That dude makes some sick juice.”
Minerality [mi·n·ral·i·tē] n. a buzzword that typically connotes high acid and zinginess. “This Muscadet is brimming with minerality—like licking a rock, in a good way.”
Crush [krš] v. A stage of winemaking but also a method of easy-drinking. “I’m gonna crush this liter of pét-nat in no time.”
And you don’t even need an inheritance to do so. Matthew Kaner of L.A.’s Augustine bar explains.
1. What
There are three components essential to aging: acid, tannin, residual sweetness. Any wine with two of these can age.
2. Where
Keep it cold (45 degrees is ideal) and on its side. The German car of cellars is the EuroCave. An old fridge gets the job done too.
3. How
Nerds will rotate aging bottles a quarter-turn every week—we’re not kidding. For everyone else, just remember not to drink it.
4. When
If you want to age a wine, buy three bottles: one for now, one for five years, and one to open in ten years. Watch it change.
Grower Champagne, the farmer’s sparkler for the artisanal set, is the new status symbol among those who drink for a living. Unlike most Champagnes, which essentially contract out for fruit, grower bubbly is made by the people who farmed the grapes. It carries the same cachet as the big houses, without the second mortgage. The ballerness comes from scarcity, not price. Seek out wineries like Bérêche, Agrapart (pictured), or Chartogne-Taillet, and start celebrating.
Forget ratings and boring tasting notes and dive into these (fun) wine writers instead:
The encyclopedia: Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine
The book: Jon Bonné’s The New California Wine
The blog Marissa A. Ross’s Wine All the Time
This old-school French wine is here for you no matter what. Skip the “Nouveau” and stay stocked in classy, easy-drinking Cru Beaujolais all year round. Remember: Beaujolais is the region, Gamay is the grape, and while all wines from here are low-alcohol and high-acid, different crus (or vineyards) range in body and flavor.
A Beaujolais Cheat Sheet
From light and fruity to bolder and more tannic:
Chiroubles
Brouilly
Régnié
Fleurie
Morgon
Moulin-À-Vent
“The most sought-after bottles aren’t all about price anymore. You have $30 wines that are extremely hard to find.” —Aldo Sohm, co-owner, Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, NYC