New Years Wine Resolutions

Here comes 2022! What a year it has been.

I created Cork & Fizz to share my passion and make wine more approachable to everyone. I wanted to be a resource for casual sippers and wine lovers like myself. To be able to really share my passion this past year has been so fulfilling, and I’m excited to see what the new year holds.

​In the spirit of expanding your wine horizons, I’ve compiled a list of six wine resolutions you should try for yourself in this new year.

​SUPPORT POC WITHIN THE WINE INDUSTRY

The world of wine has historically been a white man’s world, with those of color being significantly less represented. In 2022, I encourage you to support POC (people of color) within the wine industry!

• ​Four wineries you can support: Brown Estate, Maison Noir, Frichette Winery, and McBride Sisters.
  

• Four people you can follow and learn from on Instagram: vintnoir, uncorkedandcultured, her_itagewines, and thebubbleista.
  
• Five organizations you can support today: Association of African American Vintners, Wine Unify, Wine Empowered, The Roots Fund, and Black Wine Professionals.

TRY NEW WINES

While it’s very intimidating to go outside of your comfort zone (especially with wine), there’s so many grape varieties that are just waiting to be discovered by you!

A few suggestions that I would recommend:

• Instead of Pinot Grigio, try Albariño
• Instead of Chardonnay, try Chenin Blanc
• Instead of Malbec, try Tempranillo
• Instead of Prosecco, try Cremant de Loire

​When you’re offered a wine you’ve never heard of, say yes! Or if you’re offered a wine that you’ve tried in the past and wasn’t a fan of, try it again! Our taste buds develop and change over time, so keep an open mind and say yes.

​I host a series on Instagram called Swill or Swell every Thursday at 5PM PST. In this series I try unique, budget friendly wines, and determine if it’s worth the purchase or not. This could be your opportunity to find a new wine that you love! So make sure to tune in every Thursday.

IMPROVE YOUR WINE KNOWLEDGE

I don’t mean you have to go out and become a wine expert (unless you want to!), but I’ve found that the more you learn about wine and what exactly is in your glass, the more enjoyable it becomes.

I’ve personally completed my WSET level 2 certification and thought it was fantastic. WSET provides education and qualifications in wines, spirits and sake, for professionals and enthusiasts. It can be a little pricey, but in my opinion, it’s so worth it.

​For a more laid back wine learning experience, you can join my virtual wine club, The Cork Crew. We learn about two new wines every month, and provide a fun environment to not only expand our wine knowledge, but to also meet fellow wine lovers! ​

SUPPORT SMALL WINERIES

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many have learned the importance of shopping small instead of buying from large corporations. You can do this with wine too!

​If you have local wineries near you, go ahead an plan a trip there with your friends and family. Or, you can buy wine from small wineries online via Vinebase! Vinebase allows you to buy directly from inspiring wineries which gives you the opportunity to support small, mission-driven wine, instead of middlemen and corporations. A few of my favorite wineries on Vinebase include: Bee Hunter Wine, Matthiasson, Final Girl Wines, Smith Devereux, Satyr Fire, Teutonic Wine Company, and Stedt Wines.     

DISCOVER NEW FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS

If you’re one to throw a lot of dinner parties, this is definitely something you’ll want to do! When you have the perfect wine and food match, there’s nothing like it. Wine can be a way to really enhance the flavors of the food you’re eating, and when it happens, you’ll be amazed!

​I offer a virtual Wine & Food Pairing experience where we test different styles of wine with different types of food (spicy, sweet, bitter, and more) to learn which wine & food pairings your palate loves, and which make you cringe. We also go over wine and food pairing basics to help you prepare for your next dinner party or evening out. Sign up for this class for yourself or with friends here!

SHARE WITH FRIENDS

This is probably my favorite resolution. While wine can definitely be enjoyed alone, you’ll find it tastes even better when it’s being shared with friends and family.

I’d love to hear your wine resolutions for 2022! Let me know in the comments below what they are, or tag me in what they are at Cork and Fizz on Instagram.

Happy New Year from Cork and Fizz!