Wine is not just a drink—it's a culture. Among Millennials, wine currently rests as the most popular alcoholic beverage out there. It's elegant, ritzy, and at the same time, still will get you blitzed. Wine drinking has become a major hobby and knowing how to navigate the wine scene is crucial if you want to avoid making an ass out of your self.

With all the different types of wine, wine and food pairings, and critiques, it's easy to make a mistake. It can be a lot to handle, especially if you're new to drinking. This guide to drinking wine will help you get yourself established as a beginner connoisseur.

Let's start with the basics of wine, shall we?

To start this guide to drinking wine, we're going to get to the very basic background of wine. Wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man. It's made from fermented grapes—but you already knew that. (Hopefully!)

Wine has three main colors: red, white, and rosé. Red wines are known for having a strong, robust flavor. White wines tend to be a little lighter. Rosé wines are a mix of the two.
Wine grapes have "varietals." Each type of wine that's made will come from wine grapes. Each type of wine grape is called a varietal, with wines made from a single varietal often being called by the name of the type of grape. For example, Bordeaux wine is made with Bordeaux grapes.
Wines that are made from multiple types of grapes are called wine blends. It's worth pointing out that the blending of wine grapes doesn't necessarily reduce the quality of the wine. However, purists might still be leery of it.
Around 1,300 different species of wine grapes have been discovered. Only 150 are really commonly used.
Wine flavors can be rated from sweet to dry, unless they're sparkling wines. Not all wines will have the same flavor. Wines go on a spectrum of sweet to dry. Sweet wines might be used as dessert wines, while dry wines are typically served at dinner. Wines that are slightly sweet (AKA semi-sweet wines) might also end up at dinner.
Sparkling wines have sweetness ratings from Sweet to Extra Brut. Sweet sparkling wines are sugary as can be. Dry sparkling wines will still have some sugar in them. The ones with the least sugar are known as Extra Brut wines and may have no sugar whatsoever.
Each category of wine has its own ideal serving temperature. Red wine is typically served at room temperature, or at 62-68 degrees Fahrenheit. White wine is typically served chilled at around 49-55 degrees, or around 10 to 20 minutes in a refrigerator.
Obviously, there is a lot more information out there that you should know, but this is the basics that everyone should be aware of before they start hitting up wine tasting sessions.

Before you crack open a bottle of wine, it's a good idea to prepare yourself with the right knowledge and equipment. Getting a good wine tasting kit is a good idea. At the very least, you should have a wine bottle opener, a wine glass, and a stopper. Ideally, you'll have the following:

A wine bottle opener. You don't want to end up with cork bits in your wine. This opener will prevent that from happening.
A wine stopper. If you don't finish off that bottle, it'll be spoiled. The stopper will prevent that.
A wine aerator. Wine aerators introduce air into your wine and stir it up so that it releases aromas.
A thermometer. If you want to serve wine at the right temperature, you'll need to have a thermometer.
A foil cutter or knife. This is to remove the foil covering the wine stopper with.
Wine glasses. Drinking out of the bottle or out of Dixie cups is frowned upon.
The kit from Wine Oak has all the things to properly open a bottle, which makes it a great choice for newbie wine enthusiasts.

Now, let's offer up a guide to drinking wine like a tasting expert.

Wine tastings are special. They are a time when you are supposed to enjoy all the different senses that wine can highlight. Here's a step by step on how to taste wine like a sommelier:

Observe the wine. Take a look at the wine's colors in the light. Isn't it pretty?
Swirl it. Swirl it around in the glass and watch the wine's little streams swirl around the glass. (Fun Fact: The streams that form in a wine glass when you swirl it are called 'legs,' and it's a sign of high alcohol content.)
Smell the wine. Smell the wine and try to pick out all the delicate notes you feel. Does it have a tinge of blueberry? A strong hint of grass? Take note of it.
Taste it. Now, here comes the final part of wine tasting: actually putting it in your mouth. A lot of tasters prefer to let it sit in their mouth for a while, but that's not necessary.
In some circles, people will spit out wine once they've tasted it. This isn't mandatory in the vast majority of cases. If it is, they will have a bucket for spittle.

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