Wine Isn’t Complicated


Wine is complicated. I’m not a wine person. I like whites, not reds. Reds give me headaches. I don’t like Pinot Noir, it’s too sour. It’s an expensive habit. I have no idea how to pair wine with food. And perhaps the one I hear most often: I just like bubbly.

These are some of the most common responses I’ve heard from family, friends, and acquaintances.

Most people have developed a fixed opinion about wine that can be surprisingly hard to change. It’s not entirely their fault. The wine industry, and, if I’m being honest, many people who know just enough about wine, have helped create the aura that wine is inherently complicated. That it requires a certain level of sophistication to enjoy. That your nose

needs to identify every flower, herb, fruit, and spice imaginable, and your palate must distinguish butter, brioche, wet leaves, vegetal notes, minerality, and umami. By the way… what is umami anyway? Is that even a word people use in everyday conversation?


This brings me to one of my favorite activities to organize with friends. It’s wonderfully simple. I’ll put together a small blind tasting at a gathering. Before anyone tastes a wine, I ask them to write down what they think their favorite varietal is, and, just as importantly, the wines they believe they dislike. Then I pour three or four different wines, varying the varietal, region, style, and price point. I don’t ask anyone to identify aromas or tasting notes. I simply ask them to rate each wine on a scale from 1 to 10. A 10 means, I’d happily drink this again. A 5 means, It’s okay. A 1 means, I really didn’t enjoy it.

That’s it. The entire exercise is designed to be non intimidating. The goal isn’t to test knowledge, it’s simply to discover what each person genuinely enjoys. Sometimes we also learn what the group, collectively, gravitates toward. The results are fascinating.


Time and again, someone who confidently declared, I hate Merlot, or I never drink Pinot Noir, ends up choosing one as their favorite. Then comes the fun part. “I thought I hated Pinot.”Well… maybe you just hadn’t found your Pinot. Some people fall in love with a Burgundian-style Pinot Noir but don’t care for one from Sonoma. Others are exactly the opposite. The point is that Pinot Noir isn’t one thing. There are enormous differences in style. The same happens with Chardonnay. “I don’t like Chardonnay.”

Really? Or do you simply not enjoy rich, buttery, oak-driven Napa Chardonnay? You might discover that you absolutely love the crisp, mineral-driven style of an unoaked Chablis. Then there’s another myth I hear all the time: “Wine doesn’t pair with Indian food.” Have you ever tried a Riesling?


These blind tastings, when done with the right spirit and without any pressure, can be incredibly enlightening for individuals and for the group as a whole. People begin to realize they may not dislike Pinot Noir or Chardonnay after all. They simply hadn’t found the style that suited their palate. They discover what their friends enjoy, what surprises them, and what consistently earns high marks. Most importantly, they start to see that wine isn’t nearly as complicated as the world makes it out to be. 


What matters isn’t whether you can identify twelve different aromas in a glass. What matters is whether you enjoy it. Whether it brings people together. Whether it creates conversation. Whether it encourages curiosity. If someone walks away saying, “I actually liked that Pinot,” or, “Maybe I should try more Zinfandels,” or even, “That Cabernet didn’t give me a headache,” then we’ve accomplished something.

Those are small but meaningful victories. Busting one wine myth at a time. One friend at a time. One glass at a time.


Comments

  1. SoniaAugust 22, 2026 at 10:11 AM

    Nothing set in stone as a mindset. I love the way you gently usher the reader toward bringing—and expanding—an openness to discovering wine and the depth and breadth it has to offer. Rather than getting locked into a preference or deciding simply whether we like a taste, you invite us to stay curious and discover the layers of aromas, flavors, textures, and nuances. Such a light, beautiful read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prem MenonAugust 26, 2026 at 10:26 PM

      Thank you so much Sonia. Sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read, connect with the post, and share your perspective. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Delete
    2. MSAugust 30, 2026 at 7:49 PM

      The simplicity of wine is priceless but unfortunately not that simple - usually after the second glass it gets complicated when deep opinions and some price-points start to pour in...happens on every occasion ;)

      Delete
    3. Prem MenonAugust 30, 2026 at 9:27 PM

      That why the blind tasting is powerful. You get the unfiltered and unbiased opinion before you get beyond the second glass and any price discussion. Cheers!!

      Delete
    4. AnonymousAugust 31, 2026 at 7:20 PM

      Agree…those blind tastings are fun!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 6, 2026 at 9:38 AM

    For some of us country bumpkins (for whom palm wine or kallu was the only recourse), identifying subtle flavors in wine is uncharted territory. We go by whatever tastes best. Of course I also think drinking hot water/tea along with spicy food is a good idea. Is blind tasting helpful to identify that which makes the wine unique? Your description informs me that there is a whole world out there. Awesome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Prem MenonSeptember 6, 2026 at 5:43 PM

      Thanks for your comments. Your intuition is correct. While it takes practice, blind tasting is a great way to understand the nuances without bias. The ability to identify the nuances gets better with each attempt and comparing to the winemaker tasting notes. The trick is to be open to learn, and, like with any learning it’s an iterative process.

      Delete

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