For most people, New Year’s resolutions are some combination of boring, unrealistic and vague. Sure, you could try out a new diet or resolve to be more compassionate, but let’s be honest: you should probably just make some wine-related resolutions instead. Here are a few you might co-opt as you look ahead to 2016.
Consider some new varietals. While of course the Northwest continues to produce gobs of wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and the rest of the grapes you name-check on a regular basis, we’re developing more and more skill with some more obscure ones. Be it Gamay Noir in the Similkameen Valley, Melon de Bourgogne in Willamette, Gruner Veltliner in the Columbia Gorge or Cinsault in the Yakima Valley, local winemakers are showing that even grapes with less noble pedigree can shine here.
Take a trip to a new region. Sure, Walla Walla and the Willamette Valley are beautiful, and chock full of great wineries, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find great wine and even more breathtaking sites elsewhere in the PNW. For my money, no area is as picturesque as the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia: beautiful lakes and striking hills create a landscape that almost defies belief. The wine is also worth your time of course, with the local ice wines being a particular standout.
Stick to sparkling. While it makes for a fun moment at midnight on New Year’s Eve, Champagne and other sparkling wines are too often forgotten the rest of the year. Yes, they’re great celebratory wines, but they’re also some of the most versatile wines at the table. Consider savoring sparkling wine with at least one great meal this year; you’ll be glad you did.
Talk about it. There’s no doubt that the language of wine can be complicated and intimidating; several generations of experts conflating snobbery with knowledge will do that. Yet learning a bit of the lingo can go a long way when it comes to making sure that you get wine you like. In particular, I’d focus on the structural elements of the wines you like: are they bursting with bold fruit or a bit more subdued; tannic and burly, or a bit smoother and silkier; taut with acidity or a bit richer and broader? Many drinkers focus on the varietals they think they like while ignoring the actual commonalities that tie their favorites together. Putting those pieces together will make 2016 a much more enjoyable year for you to drink wine in.
Lay wine down. Yes, starting a full-fledged cellar can be costly, and may require more space than many of us can spare. That doesn’t mean that you can’t start a small collection, and the joys of opening a properly-aged bottle of wine on special occasions simply can’t be overstated. Even if it’s just a dark corner of a closet and a dozen bottles of wine, it’s a start.
So hopefully these potential resolutions will set you on a new and rewarding path of wine discovery and joy in 2016. It’s a damn sight better than joining a new gym, at least.
