Topics for an awesome conversation at a party gathering: wines

It happens to all of us that, in a celebration meeting or event, we find that those who are our partners at the table may have not much affinity with us, this could happen for several reasons, maybe it’s a co-worker who we haven’t given the chance to meet them, or perhaps a totally unknown.

Not knowing what topic can help us to break the ice at the event may put us under some anxiety, it is then a good option to have on hand a topic that is of general interest, without falling into delicate topics such as religion, politics, economic or others.

For these cases, wine is a catalyst, an ideal icebreaker that, when properly managed, gently circulates the table, before a couple of glasses make everyone garnish with the spirit of the respective celebration.

But what to talk about? Which wine sub-topics are interesting without being very superficial? Here are some life-saving tips so your night won’t be a nightmare!

Types of wines and tastes of each person

It’s hard to find a person who doesn’t love red wines, nobody needs to be an expert to appreciate a good red. But on a cold night, is it possible that a white bottle might make the night even more special! For wine lover, connoisseurs and even for chefs, white wines are experiencing a revival in the hands of more successful styles than classic whites from the past.

Full body Chardonnay, which brings freshness and maturity to the flavor, temperate Sauvignon Blanc varietal, with tropical traces of passion fruit, the authentic flavor of fashion. What about a drier option for more refined palates? An option like The Empire Estate Dry Riesling got your back.

Are reds suitable for summer? Another interesting thing about wines, is that reds are the predefined kind of wine that people go to when they feel like tasting a quality wine. If until now few consumers tried to chill a red, the new styles of reds, fresher and lighter, use a good refreshment, even ice. Is this a sacrilege? It depends on the point of view on the consumer. At least for many, it’s a bummer not to drink because the wine is hot than to have a nice cold and refreshing glass for those typical summer hot temperatures. This lead us to another topic (that does not necessarily apply strictly to wines). How to quickly chill a bottle of wine?

Suggestions from the wine experts

Do sommeliers lie? When the guy in the restaurant offers you a bottle of wine with a pre-defined label, is he lying or telling the truth? It depends. You can tell right away because either he insists on a certain brand or if one asks them for a detail about the bottle, for example, aging time or area of ​​origin, hesitating can give room for suspicion.

But as a general rule, a good sommelier does not hesitate or lie to the consumer. What happens is that sometimes we tend to mistrust everyone, for reasons of principle and not evidence.

Choosing a bottle of wine by focusing of the price

The most expensive bottle is not a guarantee of satisfaction. When we’re buying a wine, we should always keep in mind our taste and select something that is within our price range and also meet the expectations of our tastes (or at least try) A visit to international wine buying sites suggests that there are stores specializing in wines, like ours! which sell us the product, without leaving the place where we are, for a modest shipping price or even for free.

If you’re lucky enough to hunt a good promotion. Don’t hesitate! But hey, as we said earlier, do not forget to always pick something based on your personal taste. Now, let’s get into a topic that can be a bit controversial between wine lovers.  What makes a wine cost so much money?

The fraud of the century. While the wines are served, surely someone says that in some supermarket you can get very cheap wines. It's true. And while many think they are fake or stolen, and in some cases they are right, it is best to exercise caution when it comes to where to buy good wine.

We must accept that a well-known and reliable wine store will always provide us with a very good purchase choice, with the advantage of asking for specialized advice, if desired. In case you cannot look for a specialized store for whatever reason and need to buy at your closest supermarket, make sure it is one of trust at least.

Talk about the care and precautions to take when buying a good wine

Undoubtedly, you have to take the appropriate precautions to buy a wine that it is authentic and presents quality, you may have some doubts, if you are not a very advanced connoisseur of wines, this topic will surely be used in the meeting, as an interesting and profitable topic for most of the attendees.

It will give an opportunity to tell an anecdote that can be known about it, using the following example: "That a certain Rudy Kurniawan born in Jakarta, Indonesia, under the name of Zhen Wang Huang, devised a scam that sent him to jail." In 2006 he presented himself as a great wine collector, with a cellar of very select wines from France that began to participate in impressive auctions with his wine.

The anecdote is that in 2012 it was discovered that Kurniawan bought simple Bordeaux wines and relabeled them as great Bordeaux, falsifying the entire pack and duping several millionaires with his scam. There is a good documentary to delve more into this topic. The documentary is called Sour Grapes. 

Taste for wines

The taste of the terroir. Terroir is increasingly being talked about in wine-related topics. And since consumers have little idea what it is about, it is always a topic to propose and develop in any meeting or event, when breaking the ice.

That the wine has the taste of the region that gives it origin has long been proven. But what is that flavor? It is a subject a bit of wine connoisseurs, but immediately people are also hooked, because it is a very striking subject when talking about wines.

For that, you have to start from the wine that is being served at the event and propose the famous “what would happen if it were from another region”. The theme gives about an hour of estimates while the wine works wonders, weaving a delicious brotherhood on the table.

Needless to say, you don't need to know much to raise the issue. By proposing it, just start will include enthusiastic wine connoisseurs and will also interest the most novice related to the subject.

Final tips when starting conversation topics at an event

It will always be a time of stress (more for some people than for others) to start a topic of conversation with strangers at a party or meeting, but if you apply your natural instinct and take into account some of these recommendations, you will surely be able to leave in an elegant and cordial way, a good expression by giving that initial step when attending a meeting or celebration.