We’ve
all done it, stood in the wine aisle of a store, looking over all of the
bottles and labels competing for our attention and wondered, “Where do I even
begin? How do I choose a wine I’LL
like?” 
Keeping
a journal of the wines you enjoy and your winery adventures might be just the
answer. A wine journal makes it
easier for you to locate that special bottle again, and keeping good notes will
remind you of the special places you’ve visited.
Maintaining
a wine journal does not have to be complicated. Any notebook will do, or you can opt for one that is
specially made for this purpose. You can keep one on your computer, iPad, or
download a phone app and take it with you! There are even wine cards that allow
you to log your information for later review.
Your
real goal is to keep track of your impressions, observations and thoughts about
a wine. List just one wine per
page so that you can be as detailed as you wish. It also makes finding those notes easier.
Keep
your journal handy when you taste the wine. (If you haven’t yet, check out the post on How to Taste Wine
http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com/2012/02/basics-of-wine-tasting-how-to-wine.html
) Besides the basic wine
information you need to remember, (appearance, aroma, body, and taste,) write
down where you purchased the bottle, how much it cost, if it had a wine rating,
and what you did or did not like about it, overall.
Now
for your impressions, write down the date you opened and drank the wine and the
circumstances; friends over for dinner, a nice quiet evening by the fire,
summer BBQ with family…. Keep track of your first impressions. Then note how it evolves during the
time you drink it. What did you
serve with it? Did it go well or
would you now pair something different? Be as detailed as you wish. This information will help you when
purchasing other wines. 
Remember
to remove the label from the wine and paste it in your physical journal. This label will provide solid
information as to the type of wine, where it was crafted, vintage, alcohol content,
and possibly tasting notes on the back.
There are several products on the market to assist in label removal.
Research them and select what works best for you. Or do a Google image search
for the label and add it to your computer journal.
If
you purchased the wine at a winery, you can include photos of the tasting room,
tours you went on, even the winery’s tasting notes to compare with your
own. And many wineries with wine
shops will have not only wine journals, but also label removers for sale.
Another
use for a wine journal is when you are making wine at home. This book then becomes essential for
keeping track of what you are crafting, what nutrients and yeast you’re adding,
and different readings taken during fermentation. (But this is for another blog...)
Keeping
a journal of the wines you’ve tried, what you thought of them and the
experiences you had with them is a fun, yet practical way to keep track of your
wine life. Favorites are easy to
find again and you’ll also remember what you didn’t like and why.
So
if a wine journal or wine journal app makes sense to you, start taking notes
with your next bottle. And the
next time you want to remember what that fantastic 2007 Shiraz was – you’ll
have it at your fingertips!
Just remember to …
Enjoy!
~
Joy
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