When it comes to wine, everyone has their own preference and flavors they enjoy on a regular basis. It can take time to find the right wine for your relaxing nightly glass with friends, but once you do, it will forever be your go-to when you need to wind down and relax. But what about those other times you want to try something new? Or you aren’t sure what wine to pair with the meal you’ve chosen to serve for guests? We’re going to talk about the three best ways to figure out how to go about learning about wine in a way that works for you, your schedule, and your budget.

Virtual and Online Learning

This is our number one choice for everyone because there are so many different ways to learn about wine online that you can work it around your schedule and your budget. If you have time but not money to spend on learning about wine, online blogs and YouTube videos are the best option for you because they’re free, but it will take time to find good resources and work your way through the material each one has. If you don’t have a ton of time but are willing to pay for a fun night with friends and family, online private wine events are great ways to sample lots of different wines and learn about them in a crash course. This allows you to spend less overall than buying lots of different bottles of wine to try, and you get a fun evening making memories with others, so this is our personal favorite option. Lastly, for those a little more serious about learning about wine, whether it be for work or just pure curiosity, online courses are a great source of information. These will take both time and money, but they can help you get a better job or one you’ve been wanting or allow you to broaden your knowledge on the subject of wine.

In the Field Learning

This might be the most fun option of the three because who doesn’t love going on a field trip? In the field learning refers to visiting wineries, going on a tour of a winery, going to a vineyard, and more. You can be creative with this one, but your options will also depend a lot on where you’re located and how close one of these options is to you. This is a paid option that also will take time, but you could use this as a romantic getaway for the weekend with your significant other, a girls holiday together or just a fun time with friends and family for the day. However you choose to do your in the field learning, it should be fun for everyone involved and include lots of great wine tastings. You can learn so much about how wine is made, the types of grapes grown in your region, the aging process and more by getting out from behind researching on the computer and actually seeing everything you’re learning about. Most of us will remember more when we can see it, smell it, feel it, and hear about it all at once. You can have the best time with friends and family making memories, tasting wine, and getting out and exploring new places: what could be better?

Personal Trial and Error

This is not necessarily the best option of the three, but it can be fun to figure out your favorite wines and what pairs best with your favorite foods through personal trial and error. This one will take longer than the other options, and in the long run may cost more since you have to buy a lot of different wines to figure out what works best for you, but it can make the journey of learning about wine fun. There are so many ways to do this, but a few of our favorite options are getting together with friends and having everyone bring a bottle of wine they’ve never tried before to have one big taste-testing wine party. Or have a weekly date night at home with your significant other with a different bottle of wine each week. You can also just purchase a new bottle of wine you’ve never tried each time you grocery shop to find out if it’s one you like. You might find a hidden gem you never considered by doing this, and some of your favorites may surprise you. No matter what you choose to do for your personal research to learn about wine, just remember there’s joy in the journey. You can make it fun and educational by getting a little creative and learning with friends and family along the way too.

We hope you found this helpful in figuring out the best way to learn about wine for your schedule and budget. You may start by trying one option and finding it doesn’t work for you. That’s totally fine. With so many different ways to learn about wine, you can switch based on how life is going at that time or do more than one at a time! There’s no wrong way to learn, and each person has to find the option that works best for you. We hope you enjoy learning about wine as much as we enjoy teaching it and sharing about it, and you make lots of wonderful memories along the way. Wine brings people together and allows us to share in many beautiful moments together. So let’s raise a glass to memories with those we love.