Rant: Labor Day's Over, Time To Sample Lots Of Wine

Labor Day has passed, and many feel it's the end of summer, although technically that's not the case.  The passing of Labor Day also presages changes in the wine world, beyond the fact it's harvest season, and consumers need to pay attention. There are opportunities now, for the next several months, that they should take advantage of, to learn more about wine, to experience different wines, and to enjoy plenty of delicious wines.

Most importantly, this is the time when wine stores will stock many new wines as their busiest season is about to begin. This will also mean that many of those wine shops will hold large wine tasting events, where you may be able to taste many different wines, sometimes as many as 100 or more wines. Most of these events will be free, providing you a perfect opportunity to experience many wines which you may not have tasted before. 

As I've said before, the best way to learn about wine is to taste it so you should definitely attend these events to expand your horizons, to delve into a wealth of diversity. You might be tempted at these events to taste only those wines which you already know and love, or which are similar to those wines. That would be a mistake. It won't teach you anything and it won't provide you a new experience. 

Instead, experiment and take chances, tasting new wines, new grapes, of which you might never have heard about. Expand your palate and broaden your horizons by tasting lots of different wines, especially considering that these tastings are free and you thus have nothing to lose. You'll learn more about wine and that will probably bring you joy. You might even find a new favorite wine, or even several new favorites. 

Sure, you probably won't like everything new you taste but that shouldn't be an issue. You're only sampling the wines, taking a sip or two, and it's free. If you dislike a wine, you can just try another wine, and that will likely help you understand what wines you will enjoy.  

At these events, with so many wines, you'll want to remember those wines which you most enjoyed. Take notes of those wines so you can recall them later, so you can find them again. If you don't want to take notes, use your cell phone to take a photo of the wine label. You can then take that picture to a wine store and they can see if they carry that wine. If you end up tasting 10 or more wines, it may be difficult to remember your favorites merely by memory. Memorializing your favorites in notes or a picture will be very helpful when you seek your new favorite weeks later. 

Take the opportunities to taste new wines, expanding your palate, and hopefully find new favorites.