6 Considerations to Make When Buying Wine This December

With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us are preparing for festive get-togethers and celebrations. A lot goes into coordinating the perfect event. One thing, in particular, is selecting the appropriate beverage to serve at this special time. 

Wine has usually been on top of our lists when it comes to holiday drinks, as its flavor easily compliments most dishes and sets an elegant ambiance. However, what makes purchasing wine so difficult is trying to figure out which bottle best suits your occasion. 

So, from understanding vintage dates to discerning flavors, here are six considerations we can make when purchasing wines this December!

Basics of Wine

The first tip for buying wine this December is to understand the basics of wine itself. We use a few characteristics to define the varieties of wine available. Understanding these characteristics will help you define wine and make better buying decisions when you see this page to purchase the best Christmas wines. 

For example, the body of the wine describes whether or not a wine is light or full in your mouth. The acidity of wine refers to how round or rich a wine will taste or how tart. The tannins in wine will determine the bitterness or dryness, with more being bitter. Finally, the sweetness of the wine refers to how sweet it is. 

How Much to Buy for a Party?

The first consideration you’ll have to make when buying wine this December is how much to buy. Of course, if you aren’t buying wine as a gift, this question isn’t too much of a problem. However, if you are attending a party or hosting a Christmas party, it’s important to know how much to buy.

The good news is that there is quite a simple calculation that can be used to determine the amount of wine needed for a party. All you need to do is take the number of people attending and divide that by 4, then multiply that answer by the number of hours the party will be. 

How Much Experience Does the Person Have?

The next consideration you’ll have to make when buying wine this December would be the experience that the person has. This will obviously be slightly more challenging if you buy wine for a party; however, if you are buying for an individual, don't worry.

Experienced wine drinkers will look for something more exotic. As such, one characteristic of wine that you should focus on for connoisseurs would be the body of the wine. For beginners, getting something relatively simple, such as a Pinot noir or chardonnay, something smooth.

The Price

One of the most important considerations to make when buying wine this Christmas is the price of the wine. Many people assume that the more expensive wines will taste the best. However, this isn’t always the case, especially if the person you are buying for is new to drinking wine. More importantly, if you are buying wine for a party, it might be unrealistic to buy ten bottles of really expensive wine.

Use Beer to Compare

If you are unsure what type of wine the person you are buying enjoys, one very helpful tip would be to use the beer they enjoy drinking to compare. This is because if the person enjoys lighter beers, they will most likely enjoy drinking something more bubbly. Consider the taste notes in the person's favorite beer. A few suggestions include something well-balanced, such as a Pinot Noir, or even something more sparkly. 

Consider the Food Being Served 

Finally, the last consideration you have to make, especially if you are going to be buying wine for a party, would be the food being served. If you are new to drinking wine, you might not be aware that different wines simply taste better with different foods.

For example, you should be getting sweet wines with spicy foods, Sauvignon Blanc with tart flavors, Cabernet with red meat, rose with something more cheesy, Pinot Grigio with seafood, and something like a Chardonnay if you were having a salmon or something on the more fishy side.