Write It Down

Everyone has enjoyed an impressive wine, and later lapsed on the details. "It was...red...really good" A critical component to your wine buying strategy that is frequently forgotten is the recording of your personal tasting notes. But this sounds like work, and wine is for fun. Here is why you want to invest time in note taking about the wines you taste, and how this will increase your enjoyment.

"I wish I could remember that Sancerre we had in..." 

Note taking is critical because no opinion of a wine is as meaningful as your opinion. If you plan to drink and share wine experiences, shouldn't they be built around the wines you like most? Tasting notes will help insure that this is the case. Academic and scientific research on the effects of note taking is bountiful, and agrees that notes assist with long-term retention and better decision-making. If you think, "I'm not a student", you should reconsider. The appreciation of wine is an unceasing education, whether you are taking part-time classes, or seeking a PHD, and the fields of study are expanding with so many choices available. 

All Of It

Note taking is forgotten as a result of wine experiences often belonging to one of those "in the moment" scenarios. Which is unfortunate, as wine is often a catalyst or contributor to life's most memorable and joyous events. Take some time, however brief, to describe the outstanding details of the wines you taste. What you like and don't like, smells, tastes, years, and prices. Document the experience surrounding the wines. Where you were, whom you shared it with, and what you ate at it. Briefly pause to relate it to previous experiences. Is the wine better, a better value, or a distinctively new discovery? More specifics mean faster and accurate recollection for your wine buying activities.

Simple note taking will dramatically improve your remembrance of the memories you've made with wine. Better yet, by saving your unique expressions about the wines you taste, you will quickly become fully equipped to recall or recommend wines that are sure to please. Every time.