Most young business professionals’ knowledge of wine may range from the cheap wine selections from the grocery store that they devour after a long day at work with their feet kicked up on the couch with a good book. However, a bottle of wine and the knowledge that can go along with it is now extending much farther into the business realm. So kick off your PJ’s and put down that book because here’s the 411 on wine and business.
The business world is evolving into a networking frenzy. Networking opportunities are endless. When you’re away from work either at a business dinner or a social function, wine knowledge may just be your next best friend. It demonstrates a next step of knowledge and sets you apart from everyone else.
Business professionals are judged each and every day on knowledge, appearance, speech and non-verbal cues. “Faking it” when ordering wine is almost impossible. The question is, what do you need to know?
You also need to know how to hold the glass, pair with food, smell the wine, understand the vocabulary, or even see the color. All of these are important in becoming the wine expert we should all aspire to be.
If the wine was ordered for you, that means you’re on to the next step. How you drink the wine is just as important as what wine you are drinking. It’s a conversational piece. Hold the wine with care from the stem. The temperature from your hands, if held on the bowl, will affect the taste of the wine if it changes temperatures. Other than the placement, you need to be able to swill the wine. Swill the wine well and the smell of the wine will fill the bowl.
Next, you need to understand vocabulary. When you’re smelling the wine and taking the first small sips, you’re defining its flavor profile. That means you need to know those unique and flavourful words to use. Some of the most common ones are: fruity, sweet, spicy, herbal, mineral, and floral/herbal. And yes, this will make you look cool when you say those words.
The flavor profile of the wine is important to determining what food can be paired with it. Here is a chart to show a few examples:
These are just a few details on the large list you can do to better explore your wine knowledge. The larger your list, the better off you’ll be. The true importance of understanding any of this is because wine has become such a social norm and topic to discuss. Keeping up with your knowledge of wine is as easy as catching up on the news every morning.
Wine is delicious and social. Don’t let an impaired knowledge of wine take you away from an amazing promotion or deal. Besides, the more you know, the more you can find the perfect wine to pair with that new book you just picked up.
Stay in the loop for another installment of the The 411 on Wine and Business coming soon!
By Alex Snapp
Mercy College Student – Marketing Associate
asnapp14@gmail.com