5 Fabulous New Year's Wine Resolutions!

With your New Year's Eve hangover in the rear view mirror, along with some of your more stringent resolutions (buh-bye #DryJanuary), it’s time to start planning for the future! To help with the vinous portion of your plan, I’ve got 5 Fabulous New Year’s Wine Resolutions to guide you into the New Year:

MIX IT UP: Because the world of wine can be confusing it's often easier to just stick with the same wine day in and day out - but how boring is that?!? To break out of your rut, why not vow here and now to sample a different wine every week or at least every month? We make it easy at Highlands Wine Shoppe where you can stop by and sample any of the wines on our tasting machines. We always have 16 selections available by the glass (or taste!) and our amazing staff can help guide you towards your new favorite for 2023.
START A WINE COLLECTION: If you've been drinking wine long enough to have a favorite wine region and/or producer it might be time to sock a few bottles away for a later date. Aged wine can be such an enjoyable experience but collecting wine does NOT mean you have to have a custom built, 5,000 bottle cellar. In fact, far from it! From an 18 bottle, under the counter wine fridge to a 150+ bottle, free-standing unit roll with whatever suits YOUR needs. This piece of equipment is VERY important since varying temperatures, mechanical vibration and light exposure are arch-enemies of wine. And stay tuned for more information on our upcoming Collector’s Series of wine tastings that can guide you towards some great selections!
HONE YOUR TASTING SKILLS: Whether you’re a budding wine enthusiast or an aspiring Somm to really learn about wine you need to use a consistent tasting approach that utilizes ALL five senses. This sensory information provides valuable insight into a wine's place of origin, grape variety and "terroir” which are all critical factors when learning about and understanding wine. So if becoming a better taster is something you’re interested in achieving this year, please click here to be notified of our upcoming events and classes - or - we’d be happy to schedule a private class for you and your friends.
DRINK MORE SPARKLING WINES: The focus on sparkling wine/Champagne consumption around special occasions like New Year's Eve leaves the majority of the year unbearably bubbly-free. While Champagne's price tag may limit it to more of a special occasion wine, there are many sparklers from around the globe that are priced for everyday consumption. Wines like Prosecco, Cava and Crémant are perfect for enjoying on a Tuesday night or sipping over lunch with a friend. As an added bonus, sparkling wines also have less calories and alcohol than a glass of Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon - affordable, delicious AND figure-friendly - what's not to love about that?
FOOD + WINE INSPIRED TRAVEL: Our post-pandemic world, in between variants at least, is the perfect time to visit that wine region you’ve been dreaming about. Whether it’s an overnight trip that’s closer to home or a long haul flight to an Old World wine region, put your planning hat on, do your research + get ready to explore. For some food and wine-inspired travel inspo from our travels to wine regions near and far, please check out my post 5 Glamorous Getaways for Food and Wine Lovers.

I hope these suggestions inspire you to further embrace the world of wine in 2023! If you have any other wine-related resolutions I'd love to hear about them, please let me know in the Comment section below.