A wine beginner’s starter pack
A guide on storing wine, proper temperature-keeping, decanting, glassware, and the equipment I own & recommend.
You don’t have to know a single thing about wine to enjoy wine. Or for that matter, own any equipment other than a $5 waiter’s corkscrew and your two sturdy hands to savor the experience.
One of my personal fears is that I get into hobbies too late—it can feel clumsy or embarrassing to begin things as you get older (especially seeing others who look graceful and almost birthed with the ability). But that’s not necessarily the case for wine. For beginners, wine is on the simpler scale of hobbies to dive into.
This is my Starter Pack On Wine. Tips and recommendations on storing wine, serving wine at various temps, equipment, and whether any of it actually matters in the end for you to fully enjoy it.
Equipment
Most of my wine equipment is shown here, barring my wine rack & glassware.
Glassware
No need for fancy glasses, any drinking cup will do. I was sold on (and will still enjoy) a sleek, thin-lipped, dainty crystal glass until I saw in Italy, patrons enjoying a €12 Chianti or a €100 Barolo in thick tumbler glasses, less worried about deriving the aromatics and more attentive to their food and company at hand.
With that being said…personally, I own Riedel stemless glasses and stemmed glassware I’ve pilfered from events, wine tastings, or bars I frequent. Almost unanimously, I reach for an unbranded stemless (“tumbler”) glass since it’s a pain to clean more expensive ones. I typically use stemmed glasses when company comes over for the vibe.
Rule of thumb is that you should use stemmed glasses for white/sparkling wines, since the temperature of your hands heat up the wine (whites/sparkling should be drunk at colder temps—more below) and for etiquette purposes, the less oil smudges from your hands/lips, the better.
If you choose to buy proper wine glasses, I recommend figuring out which wine you prefer to drink. Red, White, Orange? (You would buy a white wine glass for orange wines). Then, find the ‘universal/standard’ glass for the type of wine you enjoy.
Unless you’re hosting a serious wine tasting, it doesn’t really matter. Prioritize a set of glasses you would use on most occasions and have that be your go-to. Use what’s comfortable and won't spoil the night if you break one.
Recommendation: Buy Vintage! Buy Thrifted! Or if you prefer: Riedel ($$), Gabriel-Glas ($$ 1/2), Glasvin ($$ 1/2), Zalto ($$$)
Wine Opener
Buy a waiter’s corkscrew with a double-hinge and foil cutter blade. No winged wine opener (no one ever knows how to use one). There are fancier objects that require less dexterity than a waiter’s corkscrew, but at the end of the day, a Michelin starred restaurant uses the same waiter’s corkscrew as your local Italian restaurant down the block—it’s reliable and doesn’t break down easily. There’s kind of a performative coolness that comes from smoothly opening up a bottle of wine with a corkscrew in front of company.
I was gifted a Le Creuset corkscrew in 2019 and I’ve brought it to picnics & dinner parties and it’s always a conversation piece. Completely unnecessary but immensely important to me and a point of pride for any wine lover to have an upgraded corkscrew with a story (I’ve bonded with many servers over their personal corkscrews).
Recommendation: Truetap (1/2 $), Pulltap ($), Le Creuset ($$$)
Storing Wine
The most important rule is to keep wine away from windows, heat sources (radiator/sunlight), bright indirect or natural light (overhead lighting, sunlight), and always place wine on its side (if they have a cork). Cork has to be in contact with the wine or else bad things happen (e.g: flavor loss, oxidation).
I store my wine in the darkest corner of my apartment in this wooden wine rack ($$ 1/2).
Recommendation: Any wine rack or open space will do, as long as you can store wine on its side and in a dark area.
Storing Wine Once You’ve Opened It
Wine has an expiration date once you open it due to the oxidation, which will diminish the aromatics and flavor. Store in the fridge after opening (any bottle) and place the original cork / screw cap on it. But I recommend buying a wine stopper since it's a nuisance to fuss around with the original cork. I bought a Rabbit Wine Preserver ($ 1/2), which vacuum seals wine after opening but I never use it since I typically finish bottles within 2 days—so I would only recommend if you plan on drinking a bottle for longer than 3+ days. Ps. A champagne wine stopper never fits properly for me, so I would just…not.
Recommendation: Buy a regular wine stopper ($).
Serving Temperatures
Wine temperatures DO matter because it affects how the wine tastes; some aromatics are most expressive at the right temperature. Rule of thumb is that the lighter/daintier the wine, the more chilled it should be (except for dessert/sweet wines, which should be well-chilled)
But as always, preference is preference. I like a deep chill on my light reds, and don’t mind my dessert wines to be only lightly chilled.
A cautious note and a party-foul prevention method, is that I would opt against placing a sparkling wine in the freezer in case you forget it and it explodes.
(TL;DR) Recommended List of Things to Get Started
Waiter’s Corkscrew: Pulltap (~10$)
Recommend Pulltap over Truetap since it feels slightly sturdier, more comfortable, and industry-standard (and the type/font is nicer).
Set of 2 Glassware: Standard Glassware of the Wine You Drink Most Often (any cup will do, however).
Riedel is the intro-level glass but I’m looking to eventually upgrade to the Gabriel-Glas because it feels luxe, sturdy (for crystal), and for the aesthetic.
Wine Rack: IKEA ($$), J.K. Adams ($$ 1/2)
Recommendations, but use whatever your preference and space dictates.
Bonus content: the extraneous items I own over years of collecting (not required at all)
Wine Spout/Disk/Pourer ($): Highly recommend. This is an aluminum disk that helps you pour wine. I only own one because of a wine tasting where I discovered this tool. It’s immensely helpful & extremely cheap, it helps to control the flow and pour. It’s like aiming liquid into a glass with a gooseneck kettle vs. a spout kettle.
Aerator ($$): Encouraged for red wine drinkers. Aerators help to decant wine faster and filter out particulates (cork matter, lees). Decanting wine soften tannins (for those bolder, age-worthy wines) and develops wine’s profile and aromatics. It is very fun to experiment your palate by blind tasting two glasses (one using the aerator, one without). You’d be surprised on how big of a difference there actually is.
Yeti Wine Chiller ($$$): Nice to have, not necessary. Includes a padded bottom and keeps your wine chilled for hours. Only con is that it hides the wine bottle, which is usually a nice feature.
Ice Bucket: Not necessary as a beginner to buy (recommended if you have a lot of space, host often, and drink mostly whites/sparklings). Easy to find vintage, just look for a simple aluminum bucket (crystal is nice but extremely heavy and more expensive). Without an ice bucket, keep wine cold throughout the night by placing it back into the fridge. (Party Trick) If you’re hosting, use your sink as an ice bucket!
Decanters: Not necessary. IMO, it’s better for space to buy an aerator rather than a decanter, which is prone to breaking and awkward to pour out of. (Mostly style over function unless you drink tannin-bombed, full bodied wine). In a pinch, use your favorite water jug or carafe. I’ve repurposed this Ferm Living Still Carafe from a friend that’s intended for water but it’s truly beautiful and stunning for the right occasion.
Pursuing wine as a hobby, a craft, or a career always has to start somewhere. It usually begins with your first really good glass and memorable moment to get you hooked. (The wine that made me love wine). I look forward to sharing more and continuing the conversation in the next newsletter.
If there’s any other equipment you have in mind or want to learn more about—drop me a line or a comment.
Appreciate you for reading, your support is what’s keeping this newsletter alive.
Say hello on Instagram ☺︎